Rock Star
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Stephen Herek
Written by	John Stockwell
Starring	Mark Wahlberg Jennifer Aniston
Release date(s)	September 7, 2001
Running time	105 min
Language	English
Budget	US$57 million
IMDb profile

Rock Star is a 2001 movie starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Stephen Herek. The film also stars Jennifer Aniston. It was shot almost entirely in and around Los Angeles, but takes place in Pittsburgh. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 402 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (507 × 755 pixel, file size: 90 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is of a poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher or the creator of the work depicted. ... Herek directed Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure (1989) Herek directed Rockstar in 2001 Stephen R. Herek (born 10 November 1958, San Antonio, Texas) is an American film director. ... Stockwell John R. Stockwell is a former CIA officer who became a critic of United States government policies after serving in the Agency for thirteen years serving seven tours of duty. ... For the actor and television game show host, see Mark L. Walberg. ... Jennifer Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning American film and television actress, best known for her role as Rachel Green in the popular television sitcom Friends. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... For the 1968 science-fiction film and novel, see 2001: A Space Odyssey The year 2001 in film involved some significant events. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... For the actor and television game show host, see Mark L. Walberg. ... Herek directed Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure (1989) Herek directed Rockstar in 2001 Stephen R. Herek (born 10 November 1958, San Antonio, Texas) is an American film director. ... Jennifer Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning American film and television actress, best known for her role as Rachel Green in the popular television sitcom Friends. ...

The movie depicts, approximately, the life of an '80s heavy metal band, with the highs and lows of fame, drugs, rock and roll, and groupies. The band depicted in the movie, Steel Dragon, is fictional. Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... A groupie is a person who, while he/she may be a fan at some level, seeks intimacy (most often physical, sometimes emotional) with a famous person. ... Steel Dragon: Zakk Wylde, Jeff Pilson, Mark Wahlberg, Dominic West and Jason Bonham Steel Dragon is the name of a ficticious heavy metal band featuring real musicians, created to appear in the Warner Bros movie Rock Star (2001), inclusively being responsible for the movies original soundtrack. ...

The film was inspired by the real-life story of Tim 'Ripper' Owens, singer in a Judas Priest tribute band who was chosen to replace singer Rob Halford when he left the band. The original title of the movie was to be Metal God, similar to signature Judas Priest song "Metal Gods". Tim Ripper Owens, born as Timothy S. Owens on September 13, 1967 in Akron, Ohio, is an American heavy metal singer who has performed in Judas Priest and Iced Earth. ... For other uses, see Judas priest (curse). ... Robert John Arthur Halford (born August 25, 1951) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for the heavy metal band Judas Priest. ...

This is the executive producer debut of George Clooney, Wahlberg's co-star from Three Kings and The Perfect Storm. George Timothy Clooney (May 6, 1961) - is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter, known for his role in the first five seasons of the long-running television drama ER (1994–99), and his rise as an A-List movie star in contemporary American cinema. ... Three Kings is a 1999 American film directed and written by David O. Russell from a story by John Ridley about a gold heist. ... The Perfect Storm (ISBN 0-393-04016-X) is a non-fiction book written by Sebastian Junger and published by Little, Brown and Company in 1997. ...

The band members are portrayed by ex-Dokken bassist Jeff Pilson, Black Label Society and Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde (Also, Zakk's rhythm guitarist Nick Catanese plays the lead guitarist in Chris' tribute band Blood Pollution), actor and guitarist Dominic West, and current Foreigner drummer and son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Jason Bonham. Also Myles Kennedy, from Alter Bridge fame, makes an appearance as 'Thor' in the movie. Also, the singing voice for Mark Wahlberg's character was former Steelheart frontman Miljenko Matijevic. Jeff Scott Soto (of Talisman, Yngwie Malmsteen, Soul Sirkus, Journey) provided the voice of the fictional band's original singer whom Wahlberg's character replaces. Dokken is an American metal band which was formed in 1976. ... Jeff Pilson (born January 19th, 1958, Lake Forest, Illinois, USA) is an American bass guitarist specializing in heavy metal music. ... Black Label Society is a heavy metal band formed by Zakk Wylde, with nine albums released to date. ... Ozzy redirects here. ... Zakk Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wiedlandt on January 14, 1967 in Bayonne, New Jersey) is a lead guitarist, pianist, singer and songwriter, best known for his role as founder of Black Label Society and guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. ... Nick Catanese - The Evil Twin Nick Catanese is Black Label Societys second guitarist and his nickname is the Evil Twin. Nick joined with Zakk Wylde when he noticed Wyldes email address in a magazine, and on a whim told Zakk that if he ever needed a guitar player... Dominic West (born October 15, 1969) is an English actor. ... Foreigner is a hard rock band formed in New York City in 1976 by veteran musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald, along with then unknown vocalist Lou Gramm (Louis Grammatico). ... For the bands 1969 self-titled debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... John Henry Bonzo Bonham (May 31, 1948 – September 25, 1980) was an English drummer and member of the English rock band Led Zeppelin. ... Jason Bonham (born July 13, 1966) is an English drummer and son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Michael Matijevic (born Miljenko Matijevic, 1964, Zagreb, Croatia) is a rock vocalist. ...

The band Blood Pollution is also comprised of known musical artists, including the aforementioned guitarist Nick Catanese (Black Label Society), drummer Blas Elias (Slaughter) and bassist Brian Vander Ark, (The Verve Pipe, who also contributed a song to the film's soundtrack). An interesting fact about the casting is that the only member of the two main bands who is not an established musician is Blood Pollution's guitarist Timothy Olyphant. Look up Slaughter in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Verve Pipe is an American post-grunge band from East Lansing, Michigan. ... Timothy David Olyphant (born May 20, 1968) is an American actor. ...

Tagline: So You Wanna Be a Rock Star?
The Story of a Wanna Be, Who Got to Be

Plot

Steel Dragon

Rock Star revolves around the story of Chris 'Izzy' Cole (played by Wahlberg) and a rock band called Steel Dragon. Izzy is a photocopier technician by day, and the lead singer of a Steel Dragon tribute band called "Blood Pollution" by night. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Steel Dragon: Zakk Wylde, Jeff Pilson, Mark Wahlberg, Dominic West and Jason Bonham Steel Dragon is the name of a ficticious heavy metal band featuring real musicians, created to appear in the Warner Bros movie Rock Star (2001), inclusively being responsible for the movies original soundtrack. ... A small, much-used Xerox copier in a high school library. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Internal struggles between the Steel Dragon band members culminate with the firing of the main singer and the starting of recruitment sessions for them to find a new vocalist. After also being fired from his own tribute band, Izzy tries out for Steel Dragon and ends up joining them as their new singer.

Now Izzy has to come to grips with the pressures of his newfound fame and success, as it impacts his life both for better and worse, particularly with his relationship with his supportive girlfriend (Jennifer Aniston). The group's wise band manager (Timothy Spall) serves as a sympathetic mentor to Izzy. Jennifer Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning American film and television actress, best known for her role as Rachel Green in the popular television sitcom Friends. ... Timothy Leonard Spall OBE (born February 27, 1957) is an English BAFTA award-nominated film, stage and television actor. ...

Cast

• Mark Wahlberg ... Chris 'Izzy' Cole
• Jennifer Aniston ... Emily Poule
• Jason Flemyng ... Bobby Beers, Steel Dragon Lead Singer
• Dominic West ... Kirk Cuddy, Steel Dragon Guitarist
• Jason Bonham ... A.C., Steel Dragon Drummer
• Jeff Pilson ... Jorgen, Steel Dragon Bassist
• Zakk Wylde ... Ghode, Steel Dragon Guitarist
• Timothy Spall ... Mats, Steel Dragon Road Manager
• Timothy Olyphant ... Rob Malcolm, Blood Pollution Guitarist
• Blas Elias ... Donny Johnson, Blood Pollution Drummer
• Nick Catanese ... Xander Cummins, Blood Pollution Guitarist
• Brian Vander Ark ... Ricki Bell, Blood Pollution Bassist
• Dagmara Dominczyk ... Tania Asher, Steel Dragon Public Relations
• Matthew Glave ... Joe Cole
• Myles Kennedy ... Thor
• Michael Shamus Wiles ... Mr. Cole

For the actor and television game show host, see Mark L. Walberg. ... Jennifer Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning American film and television actress, best known for her role as Rachel Green in the popular television sitcom Friends. ... Jason Flemyng (25 September 1966) is an English actor. ... Dominic West (born October 15, 1969) is an English actor. ... Jason Bonham (born July 13, 1966) is an English drummer and son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. ... Jeff Pilson (born January 19th, 1958, Lake Forest, Illinois, USA) is an American bass guitarist specializing in heavy metal music. ... Zakk Wylde (born Jeffrey Phillip Wiedlandt on January 14, 1967 in Bayonne, New Jersey) is a lead guitarist, pianist, singer and songwriter, best known for his role as founder of Black Label Society and guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. ... Timothy Leonard Spall OBE (born February 27, 1957) is an English BAFTA award-nominated film, stage and television actor. ... Timothy David Olyphant (born May 20, 1968) is an American actor. ... Blas Elias (born in August 18, ???? in Kennedy, Texas) is the drummer of rock band Slaughter. ... Nick Catanese - The Evil Twin Nick Catanese is Black Label Societys second guitarist and his nickname is the Evil Twin. Nick joined with Zakk Wylde when he noticed Wyldes email address in a magazine, and on a whim told Zakk that if he ever needed a guitar player... Brian Vander Ark (June 19, 1964) is the lead singer of the band The Verve Pipe. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Vander Ark began playing guitar at age 8. ... Dagmara Dominczyk as Mercedes in The Count of Monte Cristo (2002 film) Dagmara Dominczyk (born July 17, 1976) is a Polish actress. ... Matthew Glave (born in Saginaw, Michigan) is an American film and television actor. ... Myles R. Kennedy (born November 27, 1969) is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Spokane, Washington, currently fronting US rock band Alter Bridge, the brainchild of former Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti. ...

The "Ripper" Owens parallels

The similarities between the life of former Judas Priest vocalist Tim 'Ripper' Owens and the film's protagonist were intentional. In the film, a copier sales rep from a working-class mid-sized city lives for fronting a "tribute" band paying homage to his favorite heavy metal group. When footage shot by a third-party of his live performance makes it to the famous British band's management, they decide to audition him to replace their departing, closeted homosexual lead singer, which parallels Owens' experience with Judas Priest. For other uses, see Judas priest (curse). ... Tim Ripper Owens, born as Timothy S. Owens on September 13, 1967 in Akron, Ohio, is an American heavy metal singer who has performed in Judas Priest and Iced Earth. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... For other uses, see Judas priest (curse). ...

The storyline was "re-imagined" with a few details changed (i.e: set in Pittsburgh instead of Akron, in the 1980s instead of the '90s, etc.). Rock Star's producers stated this was a result of their wanting to take the script in a different direction. However, Owens later stated that it had to do with a failure to reach a financial agreement with the Judas Priest camp for the rights to the story. “Pittsburgh” redirects here. ... Nickname: The Rubber Capital of the World Location within the state of Ohio Country United States State Ohio County Summit Founded 1825 Incorporated 1835 (village) - 1865 (city) Government  - Mayor Don Plusquellic (D) Area  - City  62. ...

Also, the timeline of the film coincides with that of the "social death" of mainstream metal and gives way to the "grunge" movement of the early 90s.

Soundtrack

Rock Star
Soundtrack by Various Artists
Released	August 28, 2001
Label	Priority
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link

Interesting to note is the fact that many of the songs featured in the film and on the soundtrack were released after the dates given in the film. They are marked with an asterisk. In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Priority Records is an American based record label, owned and operated by EMI, and has made a name for itself dealing primarily in hip hop music. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 2. ...

1. Everclear - "Rock Star" — 3:30
2. Steel Dragon - "Livin' the Life" — 3:14
3. Mötley Crüe - "Wild Side"* — 4:34
4. Steel Dragon - "We All Die Young" — 4:01
5. Steel Dragon - "Blood Pollution" — 3:59
6. Bon Jovi - "Livin' on a Prayer"* — 4:08
7. Steel Dragon - "Stand Up" — 4:18
8. Ted Nugent - "Stranglehold" — 8:23
9. Steel Dragon - "Wasted Generation" — 2:54
10. Kiss - "Lick It Up" — 3:56
11. Steel Dragon - "Long Live Rock 'N' Roll" — 3:27
12. INXS - "Devil Inside"* — 5:13
13. The Verve Pipe - "Colorful" — 4:25
14. Trevor Rabin - "Gotta Have It" — 2:57

Another song heard that was not released in the timeline of the film was Def Leppard's "Let's Get Rocked" from their 1992 album, Adrenalize. Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, USA, in 1992. ... Steel Dragon: Zakk Wylde, Jeff Pilson, Mark Wahlberg, Dominic West and Jason Bonham Steel Dragon is the name of a ficticious heavy metal band featuring real musicians, created to appear in the Warner Bros movie Rock Star (2001), inclusively being responsible for the movies original soundtrack. ... Mötley Crüe (pronounced Motley Crew) is an American Hard Rock band from Los Angeles, California. ... We All Die Young is a song by Michael Matijevic of Steelheart. ... Bon Jovi is a hard rock band originating from Sayreville, New Jersey. ... Livin on a Prayer is Bon Jovis second single from their Slippery When Wet album. ... Stand Up is a song performed by fictional 80s rock band Steel Dragon in the 2001 film Rock Star. ... Theodore Ted Nugent (born December 13, 1948) (a. ... Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973. ... Lick It Up is a song by the American hard rock band Kiss. ... INXS (pronounced In Excess) are an Australian rock group. ... The Verve Pipe is an American post-grunge band from East Lansing, Michigan. ... Trevor Rabin onstage with Yes, 1995 Trevor Rabin (born Trevor Charles Rabin on January 13, 1954) is a South African guitarist and film composer, best known for being the guitarist and songwriter for the progressive rock band Yes from 1983 - 1995, and since then, as a film composer. ... Def Leppard are an English hard rock band from Sheffield who formed in 1977 as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

External links

• Rock Star at the Internet Movie Database
• Rock Star at Rotten Tomatoes
• Rock Star at Box Office Mojo
• Rock Star premiere photos Includes after-party photos at House of Blues