Prey for rock & roll
Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend delves into adjacent queer and queer headlines from the past that deserve a watch or re-watch.
The B side: a prey for rock & roll
Actress Gina Gerson – so far widely known for her role in the Showgirls debacle – isn’t getting enough credit. Gershon has appeared in more than a few bad movies over the years and played bad roles in them. On the other hand, when given the right equipment, she proves to be a capable, if not impressive, leading woman.
Case in point: Prey for Rock & Roll, the little-known musical from 2003 that played Gershon as Jacki, a longtime rocker about to turn 40. Jacki supports her lifestyle as a tattoo artist when she’s not on stage and, like so many rock stars, has more than a little trouble when it comes to romance. She has a knack for falling in love with all the bad guys and all the bad girls. Faced with a midlife crisis, Jacki decides to make one last ditch effort to become a musical celebrity… if she can keep her band together for that long.
Stephen Trask, Hedwig’s songwriter, landed Prey as follow-up work, and once again contributes to the zeitgeist with oh-so-awesome queer glam rock. Gershon, in the lead, dashes into both dramatic and musical material, performing all of his own songs and playing guitar for the role. Joan Jett served as a music coach, and it shows. With beautiful supporting turns from lesbian actress Lori Petty (another consistently overlooked artist), Drea de Matteo (of The Sopranos) and Marc Blucas (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Prey For Rock & Roll celebrates all that is awesome. in the life of a rockstar, and with a decidedly strange touch. Like other queer rock musicals Velvet Goldmine, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and The Runaways, be sure to play it at maximum volume.
Available on DVD.
