Back in the day, Mark Wahlberg was just a troubled kid from South Boston who went by the name Marky Mark, chilled with his posse, the Funky Bunch, and peddled Calvin Klein undies. 

He wasn't exactly a rock star. He was just a white guy with great abs and even greater attitude, posing as a rapper - Vanilla Ice with a Body by Jake. 

As the wannabe '80s rock star of ``Rock Star,'' Wahlberg still looks the part - all feathered hair and tight leather pants, flicking his tongue defiantly at the audience. 

His performance is fun to watch, but ``Rock Star'' itself is no fun. It doesn't capture the ridiculousness of heavy metal, or rock music in general. But if it did, it would be ``This Is Spinal Tap.'' 

Directed by Stephen Herek, who turned a couple of goofs into rock stars in 1989's ``Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure,'' ``Rock Star'' glamorizes and glosses over a business that isn't always glamorous and glossy. In Herek's rock 'n' roll fantasy, even trashed hotel rooms look good the morning after a night of boozy, bisexual bedhopping. 

It's the life Wahlberg's character, Chris Cole, has dreamed of for years. A copy machine repairman from Pittsburgh who still lives at home with his parents, Chris worships the British heavy metal band Steel Dragon. He knows everything about them and performs at night as the frontman for a Steel Dragon cover band - sorry, tribute band, as he prefers to call it. 

When Steel Dragon's temperamental lead singer quits, the band asks Chris to take his place. They change his name to Izzy and force him to adopt a British accent - which he practices obsessively then drops inexplicably during his first big concert, and nobody asks him why. 

His girlfriend and manager, Emily (Jennifer Aniston), is thrilled for him at first, until the demands of his new life - and the ever-present beer, blow and buxom babes - drive him from her. It's obvious, though, that he'll realize fame isn't all he dreamed it would be, and that love is more important. 

John Stockwell's script sounds more than a little like the true story of Tim ``Ripper'' Owens, an Akron, Ohio, man who performed in British Steel, a Judas Priest cover band, and was plucked from obscurity to replace Judas Priest lead singer Rob Halford after Halford left in the mid-'90s. 

But Steel Dragon isn't nearly as hard-core as Judas Priest - they're more innocuous like Bon Jovi. 

It's impossible to watch ``Rock Star'' without thinking of 1984's ``This is Spinal Tap,'' which perfectly satirized the big-haired self-importance of '80s metal bands and might just be one of the funniest movies ever made. 

``Rock Star'' would be so much more watchable if the guys in Steel Dragon complained about the tiny sandwiches backstage and bragged that their amps go to 11. 

It's also hard to watch ``Rock Star'' without thinking of Wahlberg in ``Boogie Nights,'' in which his character followed a similar path. Chris comes from nothing to become lead singer Izzy, just as Eddie Adams came from nothing to become porn star Dirk Diggler. 

But Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 movie was so much more compelling because, after the coke high wore off, something lonely and dark remained. 

Other movies about rock 'n' roll - ``Almost Famous'' springs immediately to mind - probe the relationship between the famous and the fans with more honesty. The closest ``Rock Star'' comes is when Steel Dragon's road manager (Timothy Spall) explains to Chris that guys want to be rock stars because girls think rock stars are sexy, and guys are the ones who buy the albums, so they're the ones to target. 

The best part of ``Rock Star'' comes at the very end. Stay through the closing credits and kick it old school with Marky Mark, one time. 

``Rock Star,'' a Warner Bros. release, is rated R for language, sexuality and some drug content. Running time: 102 minutes. 

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actor Mark Wahlberg has traded his ''Planet of the Apes'' space suit for the glittering garb of a heavy metal rock star circa 1985 in the new film ``Rock Star'' opening Friday.

Yet the former teen-idol hip-hop star turned actor said he found wearing requisite the long hair extensions uncomfortable, itchy, and generally ``not fun,'' and he's not a fan of the heavy metal music he sings in the film, either.

``The hard stuff is still a little bit much for me,'' he said with an indignant sniff in a recent interview to promote ``Rock Star.''

``I never listen to rock. It's a turn-off,'' the former Marky Mark, now 30, said.

While mops of wild hair, screeching voices and loud guitars (helped along with several real rockers including Verve Pipe's Brian Vander Ark and Dokken's Jeff Pilson) were some of the most pivotal elements in the movie, the biggest help to Wahlberg in creating rocker Chris Cole were a pair of ``too tight'' black leather pants, he said.

Also key, he noted, was mastering the strut and swagger of the typical highly sexed and drugged '80s rock idol, which served him well throughout the film whether Wahlberg was mugging for screaming fans, smashing guitars and picking fights onstage, or engaging in the kind of random hotel room destruction that seemed a common element of rocker life in decades past.

``The biggest thing was figuring out how these guys moved,'' he said. ``Once I had that everything fell into place.''

Produced by George Clooney, written by John Stockwell, co-starring Jennifer Aniston as Wahlberg's loyal love interest Emily, and featuring original '80s style music with an organic, modern twist, ``Rock Star'' is based on a true account of a lead singer in a Judas Priest tribute band who is ultimately recruited to replace the rock hero he has idolized.

EXPLORES DARK SIDE OF LIFE

When the fictional band Steen Dragon's tour hits Cole's hometown of Pittsburgh, Wahlberg's character is in the front row singing along with and in some cases outsinging the lead singer Bobby Beers (played by Jason Flemyng). This catches the band's attention and when their lead leaves in a huff he is called to Los Angeles to audition, and the rest is history.

The film also explores the dark side of rock star life by showing how Wahlberg's character gets sucked into a constant round of constant sex, drugs, and touring.

The entertainment industry trade paper Daily Variety had less-than-flattering words for the film, saying, ``A movie about the gullible and pitched to the naive, 'Rock Star' struggles to resist being as generic as its title, but is never more than just another replay of the hoary postulate that show biz is all about rising, falling and being redeemed.''

While he admits to not having very much in common with his character, Wahlberg admits that his former life as a rapper as well as a rough-and-tumble Boston upbringing helped round out his performance as a driven, indomitable young artist.

By age 14, he has said in numerous interviews, he was battling a serious drug problem. He stole cars, sold pot, and served a 45-day jail term for assault. He dropped out of high school and then found fame in the early 1990s both as hip-hop star Marky Mark, the little brother of New Kids on the Block singer Donnie Wahlberg, and as a prominent Calvin Klein underwear model.

After a string of films in the early 1990s he earned praise for a wide range of roles including 1995's ``Basketball Diaries'' and 1997's critically acclaimed ``Boogie Nights,'' in which he played a notorious porn star.

``I commit, I trust, I don't second-guess (directors' choices),'' he said. ``I'm there to service their vision and that's it. Most actors are too scared to do anything especially if they have had success at, quote, a certain level. And they don't want to mess around with that. With me it's just another chance to do another interesting film. I'd rather do five movies like that than 20 movies that are going to make $100 million,'' he added. 

If friends got together over a bottle of wine and played a game where everyone tried to come up with all the cliches about rock 'n' roll, you'd have a hard time topping "Rock Star." This Warner Bros. release nails just about every one.

When a musician makes a cell phone call, it's from poolside with a female on each side displaying the triumphs of plastic surgery. When a young singer attains minor success, the very next moment he is a drugged-out, sex-crazed jerk. For that matter, everyone is a drugged-out, sex-crazed jerk.

With its generic title and lackluster production, "Rock Star" is a far cry from the insider's point of view that added so much sparkle and insight to last year's underappreciated "Almost Fa-mous." Young audiences may give Warners a decent opening weekend, but this "Rock Star" should fade faster than Spinal Tap on its last American tour.

The generic title does fit, however. This is a completely generic movie that hits all the expected notes in a pat, formulaic way. Mark Wahlberg gives off very few sparks as a heavy metal fan who suddenly finds himself living out his fantasy by fronting for his favorite band. Jennifer Aniston as his girlfriend fades into the background too quickly to have any impact.

The only engaging moments come early as the movie introduces the off-kilter world of Pittsburgh resident Chris Cole (Wahlberg). His brother is a cop, but Chris still lives at home and is content to repair photocopying machines and play in a band. His parents not only don't mind, "they let me play as loud as I want."

It's the 1980s. Heavy metal is the rage, and rock stars fiercely protect their mascara but destroy their instruments onstage. Chris hero-worships a band called Steel Dragon. He has created a cover band -- he calls it a "tribute" band -- that mimics Steel Dragon's every note and guitar riff. Chris is such a purist that the group, weary of his nagging, kicks him out of his own band. His manager-girlfriend Emily (Aniston) goes with him.

Then, out of nowhere, the phone rings and guess what? Steel Dragon wants to fire its frontman and hire Chris to take his place. He'll have to fly to La-La Land to audition, but you know that will be a slam dunk.

So Chris -- now called Izzy -- gives his first concert, everyone goes wild, and sex and drugs get shoved at him from all sides. He goes on tour and all but forgets Emily's name. Then, after a while, he gets tired of sex and drugs, walks out of the band and into tiny night clubs where he plays music that's meaningful to him and hopes Emily will take him back.

But wait -- isn't the whole premise that heavy metal is the music that's meaningful to him? And what kind of an idiot would Emily be for taking him back?

Never mind. "Rock Star" is a fatuous fantasy that one minute preaches the importance of following your dreams and the next minute to be careful what you dream because it may come true.

Only two things are memorable here. One is Ueli Steiger's dark and moody cinematography. And the other is Timothy Spall.

The English actor plays the band's pimp-cum-road manager, mired in so much decadence that nothing can surprise him. When he tells people he can get them anything they need, you believe him, and there's something both sinister and charming about that sincerity. In a good movie, this is the kind of performance that wins nominations and awards. In a bad one, unfortunately, it's forgotten quicker than yesterday's ball scores.

ROCK STAR
Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents in association with Bel-Air Entertainment

A Maysville Pictures/Robert Lawrence production

Credits: Producers: Robert Lawrence, Toby Jaffe; Director: Stephen Herek; Screenwriter: John Stockwell; Executive producers: Steven Reuther, George Clooney, Mike Ockrent; Director of photography: Ueli Steiger; Production designer: Mayne Berke; Music: Trevor Rabin; Costume designer: Aggie Guerard Rodgers; Editor: Trudy Ship. Cast: Chris Cole: Mark Wahlberg; Emily Poule: Jennifer Aniston; Kirk Cuddy: Dominic West; Mats: Timothy Spall; Rob: Timothy Olyphant; Tania: Dagmara Dominczyk; Bobby Beers: Jason Flemyng. MPAA rating: R. Color/stereo. Running time -- 106 minutes.

Mark Wahlberg's looking a bit conservative these days. The guy who has posed in his underwear for Calvin Klein billboards strutting his funky bunch as hip-hopper Marky Mark and later wining accolades for "revealing all" playing a porn star in "Boogie Nights" is dressed in a pressed white shirt, a neat black jacket and short cropped hair.

"I'm looking for a house in L.A. that my Mom and I can move into," the 30-year-old actor says in all seriousness. "And, right now in my life it would be really tough for me to make a movie like "Boogie Nights" again." 

Although he feels like he has had to take risks earlier in his career with more explicit and edgy films like "Boogie Nights," he hasn't need to be as physically revealing in his latest feel-good, based-on-a-true story Warner Bros. film "Rock Star." 

"Like with this movie, there's not too much graphic drug-use and stuff like that, or real nudity," Wahlberg muses. "I can push the envelope without having to push it in that direction. I just got to do more dramatic stuff."

Wahlberg is concerned about his nine nieces and nephews and how he will look in their eyes. He's also re-devoted himself to his Roman Catholic roots — carrying rosary bears and becoming more conscious of moralistic church values.

 That doesn't mean that in his conversation with Zap2it.com, the 30-year-old refrains from peppering his language with four-letter words which have been deleted. At one point when queried about how he hates being called "Marky Mark" he tells Zap2it "You can call me Marky, you can call me your bitch if you want to."

Despite the obvious references to drugs, hard rock-and-roll and wild sex parties shown in "Rock Star," Wahlberg feels his ultra-religious Catholic family can now be proud of him with his movie choices.

"I'm pretending to be an actor," he says, being purposefully self-effacing as he leans back in his chair. "It's been working so far. When I first mentioned the idea of my being an actor, people just chuckled, but now they say, 'Well, maybe he can really do it.'" 

Two actors-turned-directors Penny Marshall and Danny DeVito have served as his mentors and advisors in his acting arena. He worked with both on "Renaissance Man" and went on to do "The Basketball Diaries," "Fear," "The Big Hit" and "Traveller." 

"I didn't want to go back to music because I was being pushed and pulled in all the wrong directions for all the wrong reasons," Wahlberg reflects." I knew that in order to succeed you've got to be really careful and make the right choices and join yourself to really talented people."

His big movies with new young directors, "Three Kings," with director David O. Russell, "The Yards" with director James Gray and "Boogie Nights" with Paul Thomas Anderson have earned him the highest praise, and ironically he's working on upcoming movies with all three of those directors. But, they know he now has limitations.

"I'm kind of getting back to where I feel most comfortable," admits Wahlberg, who just finished a re-make of the Cary Grant-Audrey Hepburn romance "Charade" called "The Truth About Charlie." He's proud of his work in big budget blockbusters such as "The Perfect Storm" and "Planet of the Apes," as well.

"It's not about the commercial success, I got to work with one of the most talented directors of all time," Wahlberg says about working with "Apes" director Tim Burton. "It was an opportunity to work with a really interesting filmmaker. And, I'll do the sequel only if Tim's involved again."

In his latest, "Rock Star" Wahlberg plays the part of a singer in a local copycat band who is tapped to join the hardcore rock band of his dreams. Based loosely on the story of Judas Priest — when Rob Halford left the band and came out as gay, and was then replaced by a fan/singer — the story includes a girlfriend, played by Jennifer Aniston, who tries to stick by him as he becomes more and more famous in the rock scene and she becomes more and more insignificant in his life.

 Wahlberg knows that scene gets old pretty quickly, as he pokes fun at the Rolling Stones. 

"It's a bit of an adrenaline rush, but it's a drug that wears off quick," he says about being a rock star. "You want more, and you want more. Next thing you know you're like Mick Jagger and you're still out there, and you don't want to see that, you know what I mean?"

Now, Wahlberg's tired of being referred to as the bad boy who's making it good as an actor.

"I would prefer people to talk about what I'm doing now and what I'm planning to do in the future as opposed to constantly going back to 'bad boy of the streets,' 'rapper turned actor,' 'post Marky Mark.' I want to inspire people, the kids that are looking to me for day-to-day hope and inspiration," says Wahlberg. "These kids are out there in the street. If I want to get to them and really share my story with them, then I've got go out there and share it with them directly."

 He's offered advice to his older brother Donnie ("The Sixth Sense"), who started acting after Mark. "I offered him a little bit of advice, but we were more concerned with our relationship as brothers. We'd had a professional relationship early on, and it really took its toll not only on our relationship as brothers, but on our entire family, so we just kind of went back to basics. There were a couple of bad things that I had been offered, and I passed on them and they went right to him."

In the case of "Rock Star" the part was originally cast for Brad Pitt, and ironically after he passed (because he couldn't agree on a director), Pitt's wife Aniston took the part opposite Wahlberg.

Director Stephen Herek describes Wahlberg as "serious and diligent" in researching the part, and screenwriter John Stockwell says, "Mark knows how to connect with the audience, and he was worried that there was going to be some backlash (when doing the concert scenes with live hard rock fans in the audience), because they hated him when he was Marky Mark. He stood for everything they were against, and there was a lot of hostility."

At home, Wahlberg doesn't listen to rock. "It's a complete turn-off to me," he says. "That was something that was appealing about the script, because for me to pull it off and be believable as one of these guys is something most people wouldn't see right off the bat. But I've been listening to a little bit since."

He liked earlier stuff, The Animals, Blue Oyster Cult, but the hard stuff, well, Wahlberg groans, "it's still a little much for me to take." After throat surgery following troubles during "The Perfect Storm," Wahlberg worried about not being able to sing the loud-screeching songs. He ended up doing most of the singing, and even did a fall from the stage.

"Yes, he did a lot of that fall, he was a trooper," says director Herek. "He did the start of the tumble and the end, that was him. But, for insurance purposes most of the fall was done by a stunt man."

His co-star, Jennifer Aniston, believably plays someone he's known since childhood. "We just clicked together, we both felt really strongly about the material," he says. "We went a little crazy in that disco scene, though," he laughs about their wild night of partying with the band.

Directors enjoy working with Wahlberg, and he figures it's because he takes chances. 

"A lot of actors are too scared to do anything, especially after they have any sort of success. They've got a career at a certain level and they don't want to mess around with that," Wahlberg gulps as he's about to dis a superstar. "A guy like Tom Cruise can go and play a supporting role, and come back and do a lot of big things. But most actors who are trying to get to that level aren't willing to venture off, whereas to me it's an opportunity to be in interesting films. I'd rather be in five movies like that than 20 movies that make $200 million dollars that no one will remember."

An admitted research freak, Wahlberg says he did dive into the role (although not like going to porn shoots like he did for "Boogie Nights" which he says "was a bit extreme.") "I was hanging out with a lot of bands, I went to a lot of concerts," Wahlberg recalls. "The big thing for me was figuring out how these guys moved. Once I could pull that off, I figured the rest of it would kind of fall into place."

What didn't fall into place was his hair. He says his real hair went down to his nipples, and then he had hair extensions put in for almost half a year. 

"I hated it, I couldn't wait to get that hair off of my head," Wahlberg says. "It was not fun. But you know, when you put on the clothes, it helps. You put on the tight pants, and the hair, that helped me."

The whole ensemble, he says, is what inspired him to ad lib the line in the film about "your dreams are written for you" — a mantra that seems appropriate now for Wahlberg. 

He recalls the days when pre-pubescent girls clamored for his attention. In "Rock Star" he re-lives some of that, with somewhat different moments.

"One major difference this time is the audience," he laughs. "Before there were 13-year-old girls and their parents. Now there are 40-year-old guys. Similarities? Well, I was irresponsible, like a lot of these guys are. There are a lot of guys who are responsible, but for the most part these guys are just f***ing off and doing what they want to do and getting wasted. And I was doing the same thing."

Wahlberg pauses, and takes a deep breath in reflection. "It was really bad. The discipline I have for making movies has really helped me a lot. Personally."

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - A movie about the gullible and pitched to the naive, ``Rock Star'' struggles to resist being as generic as its title, but is never more than just another replay of the hoary postulate that show biz is all about rising, falling and being redeemed.

Although John Stockwell's script is based on a true account of a lead singer in a metal tribute band being recruited by the unit he's been a fan of, the telling can never wriggle away from the twin contrivances of fantasy and cautionary tale. Latter element is applied with all the subtlety of a Poison guitar riff, and feels particularly like old news after the risks of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle were laid out for the previously uninformed in last year's ``Almost Famous.''

Middling opening weekend turnout, propped by interest from metal fans (who are certainly not addressed in Warners' deceiving grunge-look ad campaign) won't exactly inspire a new wave of garage bands and may be somebody's measure of rock's constantly reported demise.

If it's old news on one hand, it's deja vu all over again for Mark Wahlberg, for whom this is a return to the land of Dirk Diggler and ``Boogie Nights.'' Wahlberg's Chris Cole, a passionate acolyte of metal superstar band Steel Dragon and so devoted -- and self-deluded -- that he insists to his Blood Pollution bandmates that theirs is a tribute band and not a cover band, is more focused than Dirk but no less wide-eyed, sincere and untouched by the big bad world.

Chris, though, has something Dirk never had, and that's a terrifically supportive set of parents (Beth Grant and Michael Shamus Wiles)who give the term rock-solid new meaning, plus Emily (Jennifer Aniston), a loyal girlfriend who's also Blood Pollution's manager. The support system, especially in pic's opening section, is a refreshing change from the usual portrait of the loner misunderstood artist, but it's also indicative that Chris -- and the movie -- have much less at risk than Dirk ever did.

When Steel Dragon's tour comes through Chris' hometown of Pittsburgh in the mid-'80s, everyone's there to cheer them on, with Chris in the front row singing in exact tandem with lead singer Bobby Beers (Jason Flemyng). A post-concert dust-up in the arena parking lot with rival tribute group Black Babylon is a foreshadowing of trouble to come, which includes Blood Pollution guitarist Rob (Tim Olyphant) finally having enough of Chris' insistent instructions on how to exactly duplicate the sound of Steel Dragon -- itself a blend of Metallica (news - web sites), Aerosmith (news - web sites), AC/DC and Poison, to name a few.

Soon, Chris realizes he's on the outs when he arrives at a rehearsal and finds Bradley subbing for him on lead.In true fantasy form, though, Steel Dragon leader Kirk Cuddy (Dominic West, in full debauched glory) phones Chris and invites him to join him and the lads at their L.A. mansion/studio. With Emily accompanying, Chris arrives like an innocent abroad, dumbfounded by everything from the exotic, dangerous-looking band PR handler Tania (Dagmara Dominczyk, whose name says everything about her performance) to the band's mansion. Chris is whisked into an audition as the band singer, which he predictably passes with flying colors, though he's witness to an ugly breakup with Bobby.

At this point, ``Rock Star'' becomes a morality tale on the vices and dangers of rock 'n' roll living, and that it delivers this as news is only part of the movie's basic tin ear for pop culture attitudes. Even more unexamined is how Chris, who's a walking encyclopedia on Steel Dragon and who surely knows all the worst rumors and news about the groupies, the drugs and the libertinism that metal rock flaunts like a badge of honor, is amazed at how excessive it all is.

Chris is a trooper to be sure but his naivete about the life pushes this tale past the point of all credibility. Tour manager and band mother-hen Mats (Timothy Spall) is this couple's guide, and while Mats has an authentic backstory true to the roots of British rockers, he's also part of what reduces Chris and Emily to passive receivers of wisdom from the grizzled vets surrounding them.

Much more comfortable in this setting than some distant planet ruled by simians, Wahlberg is technically perfectly suited to the role: After all, his beginnings as rapper Marky Mark give him the experience in live performance (albeit in a different music mode) so that when he cranks it up here with several metal musicians (ranging from the Verve Pipe's Brian Vander Ark to Dokken's Jeff Pilson) in impressively staged live concerts, it sounds like the real thing to a far greater degree than the band performances in ``Almost Famous.'' Thesp, though, has repeated and pushed the persona of fallen innocent as far as it can go, and it's clearly time to move in a different direction.

Aniston and Spall lead the supporting cast with considerable conviction, even though their roles are rote. Spall has absorbed Mats' happy attitude of abandoning oneself to excess, while knowing when he must play nurse. West has fun playing dress-up as a metal god -- pic's original title, as seen in useless closing credit out-takes.

Production is physically impressive throughout, with Ueli Steiger's widescreen lensing, Mayne Berke's design and Aggie Guerard Rodgers' costumes fully capable of taking in the rock business' operatic extremes in the 1980s.

Chris Cole ....... Mark Wahlberg
Emily Poule ...... Jennifer Aniston
Bobby Beers ...... Jason Fleming
Rob .............. Timothy Olyphant
Mats ............. Timothy Spall
Kirk Cuddy ....... Dominic West
Tania ............ Dagmara Dominczyk
Joe Jr. .......... Matthew Glave
Bradley .......... Stephan Jenkins
Mrs. Cole ........ Beth Grant
A.C. ............. Jason Bonham
Kirk's Wife ...... Heidi Mark
Mr. Cole ......... Michael Shamus Wiles

With: Jeff Pilson, Zakk Wylde, Blas Elias, Nick Catanese, Brian Vander Ark, Rachel Hunter.

A Warner Bros. release and presentation in association with Bel-Air Entertainment of a Maysville Pictures/Robert Lawrence production. Produced by Robert Lawrence, Toby Jaffe. Executive producers, Steven Reuther, George Clooney, Mike Ockrent. Co-producer, Michael Fottrell.

Directed by Stephen Herek. Screenplay, John Stockwell. Camera (Technicolor, Moviecam widescreen), Ueli Steiger; editor, Trudy Ship; music, Trevor Rabin; songs, Sammy Hagar, Peter Beckett, Steve Plunkett, Twiggy Ramirez, Desmond Childs, Jay Popoff, Jeremy Topan, Brian Vander Ark; music supervisor, Budd Carr; production designer, Mayne Berke; supervising art director, Caty Maxey; art director, Richard Schreiber; set designers, Betty S. Krul, Harry Otto; set decorator, Casey Hallenbeck; costume designer, Aggie Guerard Rodgers; sound (Dolby Digital/DTS/SDDS), Petur Hliddal ; supervising sound editors, Tim Chau, Donald J. Malouf, Carmen Hocson Baker; visual effects, Light Matters/Pixel Envy; visual effects supervisor, Mat Beck; special effects coordinator, Paul Lombardi; key makeup, Michael Mills; key hair stylist, Voni Hinkle; choreography, Eddie Baytos, Peggy Holmes; assistant director, Jeffrey Wetzel; live concert promotion, Bob Chiappardi; guitar coach, Kenneth Steiger; second unit camera, David Ellis; casting, Sharon Bialy. Reviewed at Warner Bros. Studios screening room, Burbank, Aug. 29, 2001.

SYDNEY (Variety) - Primates and prehistoric animals ruled the box office jungles in a bunch of markets last weekend, while medieval knights conquered Blighty.

``Planet of the Apes'' devoured $3.9 million in three days in Spain, hailed by Fox as an industry record -- a welcome turnaround for Hollywood after a disappointing summer season that saw no stand-out premieres in that territory.

The Tim Burton-helmed saga drummed up a muscular $5.1 million in four days in Germany and $695,000 in Belgium.

Given that the picture has been susceptible to second weekend drops of 50%-plus in some markets, its 45% decline in France was quite reasonable as it minted $3.9 million at the weekend, bringing the 12-day tally to $12.1 million.

After a heatwave-impacted bow in the Netherlands, the ''Apes'' remake improved by 12%, picking up $431,000, to elevate the territory total to $980,000. Data from some studios were not available due to the U.S. Labor Day holiday.

The Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker vehicle ``Rush Hour 2'' charged into France in second spot, whipping up $3.25 million in five days, which doubled the original's debut, according to New Line. The action comedy is drawing youngsters in France, while in the U.K. it snared an impressive $13.8 million through its fifth lap. The picture also bowed smartly in South Africa.

``Jurassic Park III'' kicked off the fall moviegoing season in Italy with an emphatic $1.8 million, and the flying dinos landed in Australia with a solid but not stellar $1.9 million.The sequel nabbed a uniformly good $512,000 in Thailand (trailing the third round of local click ``Suriyothai''), $251,000 in New Zealand and $216,000 in Poland. All told, ``Jurassic'' dug up $8.7 million from 26 countries, propelling its overseas total to $150.7 million.

``A Knight's Tale'' rang up a dashing $2.3 million in three days in the U.K., including previews, and dipped by 33% Down Under, where it's raked in a superb $2.3 million in 11 days. Attendances in Blighty on Saturday were markedly affected by a televised soccer match between Germany and England.

``Bridget Jones's Diary'' penned $5.3 million in 18 markets, hoisting its foreign total to $113.4 million.

Audiences in Latin America are embracing Baz Luhrmann's ''Moulin Rouge,'' which had rousing second weekends in Argentina (off 7%, whistling up $548,000 thus far), Mexico (down 24%; $1.5 million), and Brazil (sliding by 30%; $1 million).

John Madden's ``Captain Corelli's Mandolin'' has hit an off-note in Oz, where it's orchestrated $1.2 million in 11 days, easing by 26%.

HOLLYWOOD 

"I never lie," Mark Wahlberg says. "I believe everything I say, so it's not a lie." 

A sly look flits across his face.

He just has to remember which "truth" is suitable.

Combine this chameleon quality with driving ambition, and you get Walhberg, a 30-year-old high-school dropout with a criminal record who became a hip-hop singer and underwear model before morphing into a rising superstar.

Wahlberg banked $10 million for "Planet of the Apes." He just returned from six months in Paris, where he played the Cary Grant role in "The Truth About Charlie," a remake of "Charade."

And in "Rock Star," opening Sept. 7 with Jennifer Aniston, he takes on a role that in many ways mirrors his own life. He plays Chris Cole, a Pennsylvania copy-machine repairman who at night fronts a local cover band of the mythical metal group Steel Dragon. He imitates their lead singer's style so perfectly, that when the guy gets the boot, he replaces him. 

"It's always a guy's dream to be able to get the girls, of course," Wahlberg says. "I'd experienced that on some sort of level with my music career.

"But my audience consisted of 13-year-old girls and their moms, and 40-year-old guys who were interested in seeing me in my underwear. I realized pretty quickly they weren't interested in Mark Wahlberg the person. So the fun didn't last very long."

He may want to be loved for himself, but there are many different Mark Wahlbergs from which to choose. 

John Stockwell, who wrote "Rock Star" and spent lots of time with him while researching heavy-metal concerts, hasn't quite figured out his leading man.

"Mark is hard to penetrate," Stockwell says. "He's not a softie, that's for sure. He can take care of himself. He's not a guy who opens up his deepest, darkest secrets. He retains mystery. He connects with people — if he wants to. But he decides. What I thought most telling was when he had to get together with other musicians, there were no gaps between them, no movie-star trips.

"He feels authentic," the writer says. "He, too, was plucked from obscurity and went from a nobody to a somebody."

Living the Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle

Wahlberg says it was important for him to bond with the seasoned rock 'n' rollers, "to live the life with these guys" — including Zakk Wylde (former guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne) and Jason Bonham (son of former Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham). But he quickly adds that it was impossible to keep up with them.

"And I had practice, because I was working on 'Perfect Storm' before I jumped into this movie, and I was hanging out with fishermen, who do their share of drinking and partying," he says. "Still, it wasn't enough to prepare me for the rock world."

Despite some similarities with his character, Wahlberg says, he's a very different person.

"I'm a lot more confident and certainly surer of myself as an individual," he says. "I had to be. It was the only way I was going to survive where I came from. I'm the youngest of nine kids from a pretty tough neighborhood [the Dorchester area of Boston].

"I came from a world where things were very dysfunctional. I'd gotten into a lot of trouble, but I realized that the only person who could change the situation was me."

Wahlberg's juvenile delinquency and involvement with drugs led to a two-month jail stint when he was 16. His older brother Donnie — then a member of New Kids on the Block and now an actor too — helped him develop as hip-hop artist Marky Mark. That led to modeling underwear for Calvin Klein, which in turn led to Hollywood.

His dedication to acting has earned the respect of his fellow actors. Joaquin Phoenix, his co-star in "The Yards," says, "Mark is a subtle, thoughtful and sensitive actor. You see him taking in the world and the characters, and when he projects that, it's incredibly complex and layered."

Looking at the cuffs of his neatly pressed, white button-down shirt, Wahlberg says softly, "Realizing what I had to do was the tough part. Doing the work was the easy part."

Wahlberg has not lost touch with his former life. "I've got so much money now that I started a youth foundation," he says. "I know if I'd had someone I could have really related to and connected with on a personal level who was doing something positive — as opposed to the guy hanging on the corner and selling drugs, who I was looking up to because he had a nice car and a good-looking girl — then I'd have been a lot better off.

"But there was the parish priest, the Boys' Club, the guys who never gave up. They're the real heroes of my life, the ones that I never looked at in that way because they're guys who were just doing the right thing. My parish priest doesn't have any chicks."

Since his breakthrough in "Boogie Nights" four years ago, Wahlberg has not stopped working. He says his career makes it impossible to focus on a personal life. He recently broke off a two-year relationship with actress Jordana Brewster.

"It kills me that I'm the only one in my family that's not either married or has kids," he says. But Mark Walhberg the actor is the Mark Wahlberg who matters most now. 

"If Tim Burton wants to do another 'Apes' movie, I'd be more than happy to make another one with Tim Burton," he says. "I don't want to work with some video director or one of these shooters who have no sense of story and aren't really concerned with it. They want to make a trailer.

"These guys make movies that make a lot of money, but I have no interest in seeing them. I'd rather have a limb severed before I take part in one."

Stars and bars 

Mark Wahlberg, in jeans, a pec-flattering T-shirt, heavy-duty work shoes, and a Red Sox cap, hopped from DJ to DJ at the Summer Jam at the Sam Adams Brewery in Jamaica Plain yesterday. Wahlberg was promoting his movie ''Rock Star,'' a romantic comedy with Jennifer Aniston about a tribute band. The movie is due out Sept. 7.

Before Wahlberg blew out of the party in a black SUV, he gently shook hands with Sam Adams founder Jim Koch, who was wearing a cast on his right arm. Koch had a nasty bike crash at the Boston University bridge last weekend that left him with a concussion, a broken hand, and a few broken ribs.

''I only hurt myself when I'm completely sober,'' said Koch, beer in hand. ''But I literally do not know what happened.''

Among the radio stations packed under a sweltering tent was WBCN-FM (104.1) and its deposed drive-time DJ Nik Carter, who said it was irritating being around so many other airwave personalities, each ''trying to make their voices a little deeper.'' And speaking of ego, Carter said his is on the mend after he was bumped to an earlier time slot to make room for the Opie & Anthony show.

''Opie called me the other day and said, `Are you mad?' And I said, `Why would I be mad at you for being successful?' And besides, now I'm in the bars four hours earlier.''

Matt Damon was also on the scene, arriving in low-key fashion not with a security posse but with a bevy of blondes.

Like Wahlberg, Damon wore a T-shirt, work shoes, and a Red Sox cap - is this the start of a new Hollywood fashion trend? Anyway, Damon, dragging on a cigarette and sipping coffee, talked about the partnership between Sam Adams and Project Greenlight, the independent film incubator he founded with Ben Affleck, one subject Damon did not have time to chat about.

Going Ape-Sh*t: A sequel to Planet of the Apes, though seemingly inevitable, may be difficult to pull off. Weirdo director Tim Burton has made it clear he's not interested in trying to explain that nonsensical ending in another installment (either that, or he wants a whole lotta money).

And his star, Rock Star's Mark Wahlberg, tells me he's not in it without Burton directing. "There's a good chance I won't do it. You saw what happened to Batman," Wahlberg says. "We'll get George Clooney to play the part...he'll wear the loincloth. I told [Tim] I would be more than happy to go another round with him, but it's really up to him--if he wants to do it."

Either way, Wahlberg first plans to reunite with the directors who helped ensure we'd eventually know him for more than how he looks in a pair of Calvins (pretty great, if I remember correctly). 

He's teaming up with Boogie Nights director and mentor P.T. Anderson for a still untitled movie, with Boogie pals Philip Seymour Hoffman and John Reilly (Magnolia). 

Then he'll work with David O. Russell (Three Kings) again on a film that may also star Téa Leoni. He's also committed to a project with The Yards' James Gray, which I'm betting will have something to do with law enforcement.

As a rocker's bride in Rock Star — opening Sept. 7 — Jennifer Aniston faces a horde of hussies out to bed her heavy-metal man, Mark Wahlberg. Now, considering she's the real-life Mrs. Brad Pitt (and quite a celebrity dish in her own right), we'll wager the Friends belle knows plenty about groupies.

"You know, they're swooning and they don't know who you are at all," Aniston says disdainfully. "They know an image of you. You know you, and you know your crappy sides and good sides that make you you. These men and women who swoon, they're shameless, truly. It's kind of pathetic in a way." Even so, she and Pitt slough it off as the price of fame and fortune. "It sort of comes with the dinner," she shrugs. "You stay grounded. You help each other do that, too." 

All that said, it's not as if Aniston can't relate to starry-eyed fans who take their idol worship a bit too far. "I was never a rock groupie," she grins, "although I did have one of those bad moments in my life, where I think I slept out in front of a hotel with a friend waiting for a band member of Duran Duran. That was the first and only time."

Though Aniston had "a lot of fun" shooting Rock Star, she regrets that the 1980s "wasn't the greatest decade in terms of fashion." More worrisome than donning leather pants and too much makeup, however, was filming the scene wherein she gives Wahlberg — ouch! — a home nipple-piercing. "We were actually a little mortified," she admits. "That was kind of in the beginning, when we really didn't know each other. We had been shooting for two weeks at that point, and I was going back and forth doing Friends. So it was two strangers in the room with a needle, fake whiskey, ice cubes and all that. We were all sitting there trying to be comfortable, but it was almost impossible."

At least she and Wahlberg had one comfort during that delicate scene: "It was a stand-in's nipple," Aniston laughs. "Just for that moment, he lent us his nipple hole, already pre-pierced." Phew! — Daniel R. Coleridge 

Summer summary: While it seems that only a few weeks ago we were talking about the summer of 2001's boxoffice potential, it's already Labor Day weekend and we're starting to think about the most likely Golden Globe and Oscar nominees. That makes today the perfect time to summarize this summer's victories and disappointments. 

The summer's biggest single success was DreamWorks' animated "Shrek," whose $261 million-plus domestic theatrical cume dwarfs everything else released this year. DreamWorks' marketing obviously was impeccable and its distribution timing was perfect. By opening May 18 it was able to establish the animated feature in the marketplace prior to the Memorial Day Weekend and the arrival of Buena Vista/Touchstone's "Pearl Harbor," the film everyone was then expecting to dominate the summer boxoffice. After its $42.4 million launch, "Shrek" did $55.2 million over the four-day holiday weekend. After 12 days, its cume was already $111.8 million and it still had the entire summer ahead of it. 

Besides firmly establishing DreamWorks as a major continuing force in the lucrative business of feature animation, "Shrek" should wind up being a major contender for awards nominations. It clearly has big Oscar potential in both the best picture and the new best animated feature categories.

The summer's greatest studio success was Universal, which orchestrated four consecutive $40 million-plus first place openings -- "The Mummy Returns," "The Fast and the Furious," "Jurassic Park III" and "American Pie 2" -- all of which grossed over $100 million in domestic theaters. Universal's marketing and distribution teams did everything right, starting with a pre-summer kick off for "Mummy" to $68.1 million the weekend of May 4-6. "Mummy" had already grossed about $150 million going into Memorial Day weekend. Going into Labor Day weekend, Universal's four blockbusters had a combined gross of about $625 million. Universal's late summer release "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" was its only disappointment, but that couldn't have surprised anyone given its disappointing run earlier this year in the U.K. and its mixed reviews. 

With a domestic cume of $201.5 million going into Labor Day weekend, "Mummy" presently ranks as the summer's second biggest grossing film. Over the next few weeks, however, it stands to be overtaken by New Line's late summer smash "Rush Hour 2," whose $183 million cume should climb to $210-215 million. Aside from "Rush 2," New Line wasn't a player this summer, but it certainly made the most of what it had and showed it could flex its marketing and distribution muscles as well as any other studio in town.

With "The Fast and the Furious" Universal scored a particularly impressive sleeper success since unlike "Mummy," "JP III" and "Pie 2" this wasn't a brand name sequel franchise. In fact, "Fast" lacked the high profile elements that are typically associated with summer blockbusters. It wasn't a sequel, didn't boast a superstar cast and wasn't based on a best-selling book. What it did have was ideal timing -- a move from spring to June 22 that Universal vice chairman Marc Shmuger proposed and that distribution president Nikki Rocco and marketing president Peter Adee implemented perfectly -- and impressive marketing. Its $40.1 million launch the weekend of June 22-24 was way more than anyone had anticipated. Its cume going into Labor Day is over $141 million, making it a huge success for the studio given its cost of only $38 million.

"Fast's" second weekend drop of 50 percent was typical of how films fared this summer. The bigger they were, the harder they fell. But unlike past summers when huge second weekend declines would spell disaster, this summer's big drops were just routine and the films continued to play on and mop up business for weeks. What accounted for the pattern of big openings and steep plunges? Aggressive marketing created widespread awareness of new product coming into the marketplace and the abundance of screens in megaplexes across the country made it possible for everyone who wanted to see a film to get in opening weekend. In the past, people would wind up being turned away because there were no seats available for a performance. That, in turn, created a spillover benefit for other films since people who had already made the effort to get to the theater wanted to see something rather than turn around and go back home. These days, if a film is drawing huge crowds megaplexes just open up a third or fourth or fifth screen and take people's money. 

The summer brought mixed results for other studios. Last spring, of course, the buzz around the industry was that Buena Vista/Touchstone's "Pearl Harbor" would soon be sailing into "Titanic" boxoffice waters. The optimists were talking about anywhere from $600 million to the $1 billion in domestic theatrical grosses that "Titanic" nailed down. The pessimists were figuring $300 million or thereabouts. "Pearl," of course, was shot down by the critics and didn't get anywhere near that total. On the other hand, with a cume to date of over $195 million and an expansion in its run for Labor Day weekend, it's heading for the $200 million mark in domestic theaters. Although the picture cost around $140 million, Disney won't get hurt given the film's worldwide theatrical take of $400 million or more and its ultimate revenue streams from ancillary media. Nonetheless, $200 million on the domestic side certainly isn't what they'd hoped for.

Disney's animated feature "Atlantis" was overshadowed by DreamWorks' mega-blockbuster success with "Shrek." "Atlantis," however, wasn't a title that insiders were predicting big things for and its $81 million gross over the summer was in line with those expectations. 

Where Disney did score solidly was with its late summer release of the G-rated "The Princess Diaries." The combination of Garry Marshall directing and Julie Andrews starring in "Diaries" plus Disney's first class marketing and distribution work spelled sleeper success to the tune of over $82 million so far. It also put Disney on the track to future success in the same genre. Earlier this week the studio acquired the rights to "All-American Girl," the next book by Meg Cabot, who wrote the novel "Princess" was based on. "Girl," which HarperCollins will publish next year, is to be produced by "Princess" producer Debra Martin Chase and adapted by "Princess" screenwriter Gina Wendkos. 

It really wasn't much of a summer for Paramount. The studio hit a mid-summer double with Mandalay Pictures' drama "The Score," which has grossed over $67 million, but it struck out with its critically drubbed late summer comedy "Rat Race." Paramount's big hopes this summer were pinned on Mutual Films' "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," a major video game success that reached the big screen as a vehicle for Angelina Jolie. "Tomb," which reportedly cost $80 million to make, had only grossed about $130 million going into Labor Day weekend. That keeps Jolie in the Hollywood celebrity camp, but doesn't catapult her into the movie superstar front lines. After a one week run in first place, where it opened June 15-17 to a promising $47.7 million, "Tomb" plunged 59 percent to third place in its second weekend, certainly one of the bigger drops in a summer marked by big drops. In the end, when international ticket sales and ancillary revenues are factored in, Paramount probably won't get hurt with "Tomb." 

On the other hand, while there weren't any big industry expectations for MGM's romantic comedy "Legally Blonde," the studio wound up with a highly profitable sleeper success. The film, which cost only $18 million to make, opened July 13-15 to $20.4 million and showed good legs throughout the remaining summer weeks. Going into Labor Day weekend, it's got a cume of over $86 million. Not only did it raise director Robert Luketic's profile as a very commercial young director, but it catapulted Reese Witherspoon to A List actress status and gave MGM a new franchise. The studio worked out a deal with Witherspoon to star in and be a producer on a "Blonde" sequel. MGM beefed up its executive roster this summer by bringing Bob Levin, former marketing chief at Sony Pictures and Disney, on board as its new president of both marketing and distribution. One of Levin's first moves was to shift the futuristic action adventure "Rollerball" out of August and into early 2002, a smart move that will probably put it in the marketplace at about the same time that MGM's blockbuster "Hannibal" opened last year. Clearly, "Rollerball" will benefit from having more time in post-production, more time to develop its marketing campaign and a better release date; this summer, it would have had to compete for the same audience with other high profile action films like "Rush Hour 2" and "Planet of the Apes." 

MGM didn't get anywhere with its sexy late summer thriller "Original Sin," but it may scare up some Labor Day weekend ticket sales with its opening today of "Jeepers Creepers." 

20th Century Fox's biggest summer success was its new version of "Planet of the Apes," which has about $168 million in hand going into Labor Day weekend. It's also cracked the $100 million mark internationally and still has a number of major territories to open in the coming weeks, including Spain, Germany, Belgium and Austria this weekend and Italy and Russia on Sept. 14. Although insiders had been talking pre-summer about "Apes" being a likely $200 million hit, its worldwide success will put it in the plus column for Fox. 

While there were high hopes for Fox's romantic musical "Moulin Rouge," it didn't have the hoped for impact and isn't likely to spark a revival of the musical film genre the way it might have had it scored big time. But with about $56 million under its belt going as the summer winds down, "Rouge" stands to wind up in the black by the time all of its revenue streams trickle in. 

Although "Rouge" was the film that was supposed to give Nicole Kidman's career a shot in the arm, it turned out that her late summer thriller "The Others" for Miramax's Dimension Films label supplied that benefit. "Others" only cost $17 million to make and has already grossed over $46 million. The enthusiastic reviews that Kidman received for her performance are likely to put her in the best actress competition for Globes and Oscars. 

Fox had better luck with its comedy sequel "Dr. Dolittle 2" which is ending the summer with about $111 million in domestic ticket sales. 

Fox's specialized arm, Fox Searchlight Pictures, did well over the summer with two films aimed at adult moviegoers interested in seeing something other than the standard commercial popcorn fare. Its early summer British film noir "Sexy Beast" has done over $6 million while its late summer American thriller "The Deep End" is expanding well and has already done about $2.5 million. "Deep" will be playing in over 300 theaters this weekend. Both films should be nicely profitable for Searchlight given the company's modest investment to pick each of them up -- reportedly a little less than $3 million for "Beast" (North America, South America and some additional territories) and just under $4 million for "Deep" (worldwide except for France). 

In handicapping the summer boxoffice race most observers thought Warner Bros. and DreamWorks' "A.I., Artificial Intelligence" was a safe bet to wind up with $200 million in ticket sales considering that it was directed by Steven Spielberg and that the late Stanley Kubrick was involved for years in developing it with Spielberg. I thought it was one of the summer's best films, but it drew only mixed reviews and lackluster word of mouth. By summer's end, in its release through Warners it had generated only about $78 million. 

Warners did fine with its action thriller "Swordfish" from Village Roadshow Pictures, NPV Entertainment and producers Joel Silver and Jonathan Krane. Critics may not have liked "Swordfish," but moviegoers did. As summer fades away, it's grossed nearly $70 million and looms as a major success story down the road in home video and DVD. There have already been reports that in its research the studio has learned that moviegoers are excited about being able to view on DVD Halle Berry's topless scene in the film, which should make "Swordfish" a major sales item rather than rental DVD. 

Warners also did nicely with its family appeal animated-live action feature "Cats & Dogs" from Village Roadshow Pictures, which arrived over the post-July Fourth weekend, placing first with a five day gross of $35.8 million. As Labor Day approaches, it's got about $92 million under its domestic theatrical belt. 

Sony Pictures Entertainment's summer also had its ups and downs for Columbia Pictures. Before the summer began, there were big expectations for "Final Fantasy: The Sprits Within," whose CGI actors were said to be so believable they might wind up putting SAG actors out of work in the future. Despite the well-received computer generated actors, moviegoers' "Final" answer was "no." The picture managed to do only about $32 million over the summer. Although it reportedly cost $113 million to make, Sony was only in for domestic marketing and distribution costs so the studio won't get hurt. 

Audiences also didn't get overly excited about Columbia's "A Knight's Tale," which mustered about $56 million in domestic theaters. Here, too, Sony won't get hurt since "Tale" reportedly only cost about $40 million to produce. 

Columbia fared much better, however, with Revolution Studios' "America's Sweethearts," which despite mixed reviews had sold about $90 million worth of tickets going into Labor Day Weekend. While it didn't match some of Julia Roberts' recent hits, "Sweethearts" did OK for an adult appeal romantic comedy playing at a time when action sequels and youth appeal comedies rule. 

Columbia's release of Revolution's youth appeal comedy "The Animal" didn't come close to doing blockbuster business, grossing about $56 million over the summer. What saved the day once again for Sony was the film's very modest production cost, reportedly about $22 million. 

While the summer brought other releases, the highlights noted above are a good indication of where the action was -- or wasn't. Overall, it was a very good summer for Hollywood. Last summer only one film cracked $200 million -- Paramount's "Mission: Impossible 2" with about $215 million over the summer. This time around two films had over $200 million prior to Labor Day -- DreamWorks' "Shrek" ($261 million-plus) and Universal's "The Mummy Returns" ($201 million-plus). There also are two films closing in on $200 million -- Buena Vista/Touchstone's "Pearl Harbor" ($195 million-plus) and New Line's "Rush Hour 2" ($183 million-plus). 

The summer's $100 million club also included another half-dozen titles -- Universal and Amblin Entertainment's "Jurassic Park III" ($172 million-plus), Fox's "Planet of the Apes" ($167 million-plus), Universal's "The Fast and the Furious" ($141 million-plus), Paramount's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" ($130 million-plus), Fox's "Dr. Dolittle 2" ($110 million-plus) and Universal's "American Pie 2" ($109 million-plus). 

And that was the summer that was. Now it's on to what looks like one of the most crowded fall and holiday seasons ever. Having already seen and enjoyed some of the films coming in September and October -- including Franchise Pictures' "Heist," written and directed by David Mamet (via Warner Bros.), Castle Rock Entertainment's "Hearts in Atlantis," directed by Scott Hicks (via Warner Bros.) and New Line's "Life As A House," directed by Irwin Winkler -- I'm anticipating a highly competitive awards season, which will be the principal focus here in the weeks ahead.

Billed as the story of a wannabe who got to be, the film Rock Star takes us back to the good old days of long hair, leather-clad, cock-rock that flourished in the eighties. Loosely based on the life of current Judas Priest singer Tim "Ripper" Owens, the film stars Mark Wahlberg as Chris Cole, lead singer in a tribute band to the metal giants of the day Steel Dragon. After being kicked out of the band he started, Chris is actually asked to join Steel Dragon. 

Living out every rocker's dream, Wahlberg's character gets to join his favorite band and reap the benefits of life on the road …we're talking full-blown sex, drugs and rock & roll.

“It was a tough movie to make,” Wahlberg comments. “There was a lot of work. Being on stage, it wasn't like my experience in the music world where you go out and do a show. We were filming these concerts, so it was take after take, 14-15 hour days. I went to a million concerts and hung out with a lot of [musicians]. I went out to the Rainbow [Bar and Grill on the famed Sunset Strip] a lot.” 

Some real-life musicians involved in the production include, Jason Bonham, son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, former Dokken guitarist Jeff Pilson – currently with Underground Moon, former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde, Third Eye Blind singer Stephan Jenkins and Verve Pipe singer Brian Vander Ark. 

Having never been a heavy metal fan, Wahlberg laments, “I had no interest in it whatsoever. That's why I was so excited to play the part, to see if I could pull it off.” 

Coming off onscreen like a total rock star, Wahlberg points out the differences between musicians and actors. “They're complete opposites,” he notes, “unless you get an actor behind closed doors and away from the public. Rock stars get away with murder, just about. They can do whatever they want. Actors are so busy lying and trying to portray some image.” 

Because no film about a rock band would be complete without its own soundtrack, Rock Star the record includes Ted Nugent's “Stranglehold,” Motley Crue's “Wild Side,” Bon Jovi's “Livin' On A Prayer,” KISS' “Lick It Up,” and INXS' “Devil Inside.” The soundtrack also includes five Steel Dragon originals written by Sammy Hagar, Twiggy Ramirez of Marilyn Manson, Desmond Child, and Vander Ark of the Verve Pipe. 

Part Spinal Tap, although not on par with Almost Famous, Rock Star does manage to capture the hedonism that existed in the metal days of the eighties. “It really gave me the sensation of what it was like,” bassist Pilson muses. “To me, it did the best possible job in two hours of doing what I did in 20 years. The decadence of the eighties and the whole lifestyle was a lot of fun but it had its pitfalls. I don't miss them to be honest with you. I'm really glad I did it and I don't regret a single minute, but I'm glad it's over.” 

- Jose Martinez