Edgeplay: A film about The Runaways
Encyclopedia
Edgeplay: A film about The Runaways is a 2005 documentary that was produced and directed by former Runaways
bassist Victory Tischler-Blue. Edgeplay chronicles the history of the all-teenage-girl rock band The Runaways, whose members included future rock stars Lita Ford
and Joan Jett
.
Kim Fowley
, the band's original manager, originally asked for $10,000 appearance fee in order to appear in the film, but eventually agreed to appear for free if he could sing his answers to questions, with a guitarist accompanying him. Vicky Blue agreed and this is how his appearance was originally shot. However, he then informed her that each of his answers was a song that would require a separate license. Coincidentally, Fowley was shooting a segment for VH1
at about that time, so Blue sent her questions to the VH1 folks, who agreed to let her use their footage.
Conspicuously absent from the movie was Joan Jett who refused to participate, and as Jett wrote or co-wrote most of the Runaways music, there is not much Runaways music on the soundtrack, which features mostly music by Lita Ford or Suzi Quatro
.
In a 2006 interview with the Montreal Mirror, Joan Jett said:
Shortly after the movie was released, Sandy West
, the band's drummer was diagnosed with cancer. She died on October 21, 2006.
The Runaways
The Runaways were an American all-girl rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among its best known songs: "Cherry Bomb", "Queens of Noise", "Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin", "California Paradise"...
bassist Victory Tischler-Blue. Edgeplay chronicles the history of the all-teenage-girl rock band The Runaways, whose members included future rock stars Lita Ford
Lita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
and Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
.
Kim Fowley
Kim Fowley
Kim Vincent Fowley is an American record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult rock pop singles in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways in the 1970s...
, the band's original manager, originally asked for $10,000 appearance fee in order to appear in the film, but eventually agreed to appear for free if he could sing his answers to questions, with a guitarist accompanying him. Vicky Blue agreed and this is how his appearance was originally shot. However, he then informed her that each of his answers was a song that would require a separate license. Coincidentally, Fowley was shooting a segment for VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
at about that time, so Blue sent her questions to the VH1 folks, who agreed to let her use their footage.
Conspicuously absent from the movie was Joan Jett who refused to participate, and as Jett wrote or co-wrote most of the Runaways music, there is not much Runaways music on the soundtrack, which features mostly music by Lita Ford or Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
.
In a 2006 interview with the Montreal Mirror, Joan Jett said:
- "To me, the Runaways is my baby, so you have to understand my perspective. If there’s gonna be a Runaways movie, it should be about what we accomplished, the tours we did, the bands we played with, the people we inspired. I’m not gonna participate in a Jerry Springer fest, bottom line. With any band, you’re gonna have interpersonal conflicts, but if that’s what they thought the Runaways were about—about breaking a bass or putting on make-up—well, it’s very disappointing. Very, very disappointing. I wanted nothing to do with it because that’s not the band I was in. [The film] was a totally different take on what went down."
Shortly after the movie was released, Sandy West
Sandy West
Sandy West was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and drummer. She was hailed by fans and critics alike to be a groundbreaking musician, as a drummer. She was one of the founding members of The Runaways, the very first teenage, all-girl hard rock band in the 1970s.-Early life:Sandy was...
, the band's drummer was diagnosed with cancer. She died on October 21, 2006.
Reception
- "Tischler-Blue has pulled-together a harrowing tale of ’70s rock’n'roll excess and shattered dreams that rivals any rock documentary ever made... the showbiz veneer is replaced by a kind of brutal honesty that doesn’t make it to the silver screen much these days. “Edgeplay” dodges the usual pre-sweetened rock’n'roll clichés, and goes straight for the jugular." (Chris Parcellin, Film ThreatFilm ThreatFilm Threat is a former print magazine and, now, webzine which focuses primarily on independent film, although it also reviews DVDs of mainstream films and Hollywood movies in theaters. It first appeared as a photocopied zine in 1985, created by Wayne State University students Chris Gore and André...
, 2005) - "Edgeplay adheres to a very linear structure, starting off with the germ of an idea that would bring the band together and concluding with the events that split them apart, but after a lengthy retelling of how these five girls became The Runaways, it's more or less wall-to-wall dirt." (Adam Tyner, DVD TalkDVD TalkDVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
, 2005) - "Blue employs crafty editing techniques to recreate some of the more memorable events in the band history as told from the perspective of each member. It’s like a rock n’ roll Roshomon, with the truth being relative to the teller of each tale." (Karman Kregloe, AfterEllen.comAfterEllen.comAfterEllen.com, founded in April 2002, is a website that focuses on the portrayal of lesbian and bisexual women in the media. AfterElton.com, its brother site for gay and bisexual men, was launched in January 2005. The websites were founded by Sarah Warn, who initially served as the editor in...
, 2005)