Rock Star

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Rock Star ★★ 2001 (R)

Not a number one hit, but thanks to Mark Wahlberg, at least you won't choke on your own vomit. Working class Chris (Wahlberg) spends his off hours as the lead singer in Blood Pollution, a “tribute band” (don't call them a cover band!) to heavy metal demigods Steel Dragon. He gets a little too obsessive in the worship of his heroes, alienates the rest of the band, and is finally replaced for telling guitarist Rob (Olyphant) how to play. In a fantastical twist (and a none-too-subtle reference to real-life rockers Judas Priest), the musicians in Steel Dragon fire their secretly gay lead singer Bobby Beers (Flemyng) and recruit the amazed Chris to replace him. Real rock musicians and for- mer rock star wives are scattered throughout the cast, but they don't add any glam to a rather bland depiction of a raunchy time period. 106m/C VHS, DVD . US Mark Wahl-berg, Jennifer Aniston, Timothy Olyphant, Timothy Spall, Jason Flemyng, Dominic West, Matthew Glave, Beth Grant, Stephan Jenkins, Jason Bonham, Heidi Mark, Michael Shamus Wiles, Dagmara Dominczyk, Rachel Hunter, Colleen (Ann) Fitzpatrick; D: Stephen Herek; W: John Stockwell; C: Ueli Steiger; M: Trevor Rabin.