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Synopsis

Can a singer (here played by Dirk Diggler himself, Mark Wahlberg) from a cover band go on to front the real thing and realize all of his heavy metal dreams? It happened in real life (for a while, at least) for Ripper Owens, an office supplies salesman who sang in a Judas Priest tribute band and was picked to join the Priest when Rob Halford quit.

Rock Star borrows not so loosely from this true story and piles on more cliches than you can shake a devil’s horned hand at. But whoever said cliches couldn’t be fun? Rock Star is never boring, not for one second. Consider it a very guilty pleasure.

Best bit

When Wahlberg and Third Eye Blind’s singer Stephen Jenkins, playing a vocalist from a rival tribute group, try to out-metal-sing each other.

Metalness

The funky bunch that Wahlberg joins, Steel Dragon, features Zakk Wylde, Jason Bonham and Jeff Pilson. With the exception of Pilson, not too shabby.

Available?

Yup, on DVD.

Buy

HMV | Amazon