Plot: What’s it about?
Gina Gershon is a movie star, with numerous feature films under her belt, but she wanted to prove herself elsewhere. Her bold performances, good looks, and wild persona make her a solid candidate to be a rock star, which is just what she wanted to become. Gershon took the chance to live the rock star lifestyle as she promoted Prey for Rock and Roll, a film in which she portrays, of course, a rock star. In order to promote Prey for Rock and Roll, Gershon worked with indie band Girls Against Boys to put on a tour of music clubs. Just as in the movie, Gershon would handle the vocals and even play some wicked guitar, but the audiences in music venues would be tougher than those in movie theaters. So with only two weeks to practice with the band, Gershon would embark on a real live concert tour, to live the life of a real rock star. As she discovers, that lifestyle isn’t always a bed of roses, as problems of all kinds surface. But in the end, when she takes the stage and braves the crowd, will she be able to deliver like a rock star? The music critics are ready to fire, the crowds are jazzed, and Gershon has to make it all work. In Rocked with Gina Gershon, you’re taken behind the scenes and allowed to witness the entire tour from inside. Not just the live performances, but all the backstage madness as well.
We’ve seen a lot of movie stars cross over into the music world, but most have found minimal success. In fact, for every screen star that has become a hit, you’ll find ten that were laughed off the stage, if not more. So when Gina Gershon (Showgirls, Face/Off) declared she was going on tour, I think we all had some doubts. She was inspired to do so by Prey for Rock and Roll, a film in which she starred and had a central role behind the scenes. She performed her own rock star vocals in that movie and could play some mean guitar, so perhaps she had an edge on most movie stars, who hope their fame will be enough. On her short tour to promote Prey for Rock and Roll, Gina was followed by cameras for this series, Rocked with Gina Gershon, was aired on the Independent Film Channel, an appropriate home. I had a blast with all six episodes, as Gershon is just a wild, fun to watch person and she drives the series. She holds nothing back in front of the cameras, not even when her famous friends are involved. This kind of brash, no holds barred approach is noble, when most celebrities try to cover up their more insane sides. If you dislike Gershon however, you’ll want to skip this series, as she is the focal element. Docurama has given us all six episodes here and if you’re at all interested, this release is worth some consideration.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame, as intended. I assume this was shot on digital video, as it looks as if that were the case. As expected, the format produces some flaws, such as inconsistent light, but in a documentary feature like this, you can’t expect perfect lighting and other photographic bliss. The colors look good and flesh tones are accurate, while the contrast is acceptable, if a little inconsistent at times. But considering the nature of the material and the equipment used, this looks as good as we could ask. And in truth, this looks a lot better than most digital video projects, to be sure.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio here is more than acceptable, given that this was a television series, not a feature film. The documentary nature allows for basic audio to be enough, which is good, since basic is about all we have here. The backstage footage, candid shots, and interviews all work well within the included stereo soundtrack’s range, so no worries there. I mean, this material doesn’t demand much aside from clean, crisp vocals. The live atmosphere sometimes means softer dialogue, but that is no fault of this treatment. I do think the actual performance footage could have used more boost, but even as it stands, the performances sound decent. So while not overly impressive, the audio is more than passable in this release.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes talent files on the filmmakers, as well as some deleted scenes.
