Prey for Rock & Roll Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Prey for Rock & Roll Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 20, 2024

Alex Steyermark's "Prey for Rock & Roll" (2003) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new program with Alex Steyermark and writer Cheri Lovedog; archival program with Gena Gershon; behind the scenes material; re-release trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Jacki (Gena Gershon) is about to turn forty and does not feel old. But for quite some time, her mind has insisted that how she feels and where she is heading are two different things. Age could very well be nothing but a number. She will soon find out. But eventually, everyone runs out of time, even the luckiest ones. So, how much time does Jacki have left?

The question, a rather simple one, has spooked Jacki. But not because it has suddenly dawned on her that she is mortal, too. For the first time, Jacki has started wondering whether the journey and the prize at the end of it she and her bandmates have been fixated on are still worthy of their struggles. If she is about to turn forty, how much time do they have left before it becomes painfully obvious that they could not make it? How many rock bands, particularly all-girl rock bands, get a big record contract that changes their fortune forever after their leader turns forty?

Tracy (Drea De Matteo), Faith (Lori Petty), and Sally (Shelly Cole) have been too busy with pointless relationships and addictions to think about the big picture. But all three are much younger, so Jacki has figured out they are just further behind her and cannot yet recognize what she has. Several years from now, when they suddenly notice the big sign with the four and zero on it approaching, they will get spooked, too. It is only a matter of time. And if it is, at what point do they have a serious conversation about keeping the band alive or calling it quits?

As if to prove that good things happen to those who wait, fate unexpectedly intervenes and presents Jacki with a contract offer signed by the manager of a small but popular LA club. However, before the contract reaches her, several other unexpected developments test Jacki and her bandmates’ commitment to the lifestyle they have chosen and shared for years.

It is immediately obvious that Prey for Rock & Roll was directed by a man who once had long hair and a cassette player that played the music of Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Vixen, and Heart. It is not because it is loaded with their classic tracks. It is because it gets the essence of the lifestyle that all-girl rock bands lead and observes their journey from the right angle. This journey, regardless of whether it is a successful one or a total failure, is destined to be shorter than that of an all-boy rock band.

But director Alex Steyermark places Jacki and her bandmates in a drastically different, contemporary environment. These girls perform pure punk rock in lousy clubs that would never attract a record label scout, or at least not a sober one, so as Jacki has come to realize, they are running out of time to even stay alive as a band. In other words, their lifestyle and journey are the two sides of the same lie with a timer.

Unsurprisingly, the lie turns out to be very dangerous, too. Before the contract offer is revealed, two of the girls are brutally raped, one nearly dies from a drug overdose, and an accident resets the band’s path forward. All of this happens while the girls are surrounded by ‘friends’ and people who supposedly support their efforts to make it big.

Prey for Rock & Roll is loosely based on original material scripted by Cheri Lovedog, a former rocker, whose band fell apart.

Gershon recorded all of the vocals in the songs that her character sings. Later, Gershon even toured with her rock band to promote the release of Prey for Rock & Roll. Footage from the tour was included in Rocked with Gina Gershon.

Prey for Rock & Roll Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Prey for Rock & Roll arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

Prey for Rock & Roll has clearly seen some type of remastering work because it looks outstanding on Blu-ray. Indeed, it is very healthy and its visuals are as vibrant and nicely detailed as I hoped they would be. However, I must also immediately mention that its production limitations are rather obvious, too. Why? The entire film was shot with a modest budget, so some of the nighttime and indoor footage reveals inconsistencies that can impact highlights, contrast levels, and depth. In a few spots, even some colors are affected, which is hardly surprising, too. The rest looks great, if you keep in mind that the entire film has a distinct 'clean' contemporary appearance. Image stability is outstanding. There are no encoding anomalies. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Prey for Rock & Roll Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Even though there is a lot of music, which sounds great, dynamic variety is unimpressive. I expected this to be the case for two reasons. First, as mentioned elsewhere, Prey for Rock & Roll is not a big-budget production. Second, it is clear its creators wanted it to have an organic soundtrack, with plenty of unmanipulated sounds and noises penetrating it to enhance the desired atmosphere. The dialog is clear and easy to follow, but in some areas it could somewhat uneven.

Prey for Rock & Roll Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Alex Steyermark and Cheri Lovedog - in this new program, director Alex Steyermark interviews writer Cheri Lovedog, who was once in a band and dreamed the dream that Gina Gershon's character chases in Prey for Rock & Roll. In English, not subtitled. (57 min).

• Gena Gershon - in this archival program, Gena Gershon explains how she was offered to play her character in Prey for Rock & Roll, how she learned to play an electric guitar, and what gave her the confidence to begin singing again. Gershon also discusses her decision to produce the film, as well as Alex Steyermark's involvement with it. Also included is raw footage from the shooting of the film. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Promo - presented here is a new promo video for Prey for Rock & Roll. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Camera Coverage - presented here is footage from the "post nuclear celebration party song" finale, seen from multiple camera angles. The final footage is included as well. (20+ min).

• Photo Gallery - presented here is a collection of polaroids taken during the production of Prey for Rock & Roll in 2002. These photos were used to keep track of props, wardrobe, makeup and other details important for scene continuity while filming. Presenetd with music. (10 min).

• Re-Release Trailer - presented here is a recent trailer for the theatrical re-release of Prey for Rock & Roll. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Alex Steyermark in 2003. It is essentially one big, very information trip down memory lane, with plenty of recollections about the production of Prey for Rock & Roll.

Prey for Rock & Roll Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Earlier this year, I saw a very interesting program about one of my favorite rock bands from the 1980s, Vixen, which is still around and touring. The ladies of Vixen lived the dream, during the best decade for rock music too, but their journey was, as the program revealed, never easy. Prey for Rock & Roll is about another rock band like Vixen chasing the dream, but in a different decade and without any hope of securing a big record contract. It is a small but wonderfully made film, begging to be rediscovered on Blu-ray more than twenty years after its theatrical premiere. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.