Page
1 / 2 - Home
Sandy
West’s story is particularly moving. She was the
good-time girl of the band, wanting to party and rock and just
have some fun. But she was nearly destroyed by a drug habit that
propelled her into a life of desperation and violence, and eventually
into prison.
Paroled
and clearly on the mend, West still longs for the creative, exuberant
life she led as a young Runaway. Her anger and disgust at the
forces she blames for the ultimate destruction of the band—greed,
selfishness, exploitation—are palpable.
The
inclusion of interviews with the mothers of both Curie and West
is compelling. It’s clear that the women regret turning
their daughters over to the care of Fowley. But they also seem
to understand that whatever the costs, their daughters wouldn’t
have missed the Runaways experience.
Both
are proud of their daughters’ ability to survive that dangerous
period, and also of their artistic accomplishments.
Blue
does a remarkable job with the film considering
the fact that guitarist Joan Jett refused to participate in the
project—lending neither interviews nor her music. As the
enigmatic, dark-eyed glam rocker of the band, her swagger inspired
the style of generations of women musicians (and lesbians) to
come. Her lack of rebuttal or corroboration is a noticeable void,
yet the film holds up despite her absence.
Most
curious is the presence of Fowley himself, still oddly charismatic
in his sixties, he gleefully takes credit for the success of the
Runaways and remains oblivious to any accusations of abuse or
manipulation. He sings his own praises rather than provide any
defense for his actions so many years ago.
Like
all good rock documentaries, this one is filled with
tales of jealousy, intrigue, dramatic smack-downs (almost all
initiated by Lita Ford) and the loneliness of leaving family behind
for life on the road. Blue does a good job of making the point
that these young women truly were rock pioneers.
Inspired
by their heroes (David Bowie, Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore,
Gene Simmons of Kiss, mullet-enthusiast Suzi Quatro) the teenaged
Runaways redefined the term “girl group.” Favoring
raunchy gusto to matching dresses and dance moves, the Runaways
legitimized women as rock musicians.
While
the Runaways may not be widely known even to this day, their influence
is evident in the Riot Grrrl rock movement of the early 90’s,
Hole, The Donnas, scores of other female-fronted bands and women
who have had the audacity to rock hard and play their own guitar
solos.
Edgeplay
is a fitting tribute to the Runaways, flavored with the same sincerity,
audacity, and independent spirit that originally defined the band
and rock and roll itself.
Read
more about the film at its official
website or buy
it on DVD
Page
1 / 2 - Home
