A feminist look at punk rock
“Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains” is a 1981 Canadian film that was marketed in two major American cities to disastrous results and withheld from release by Paramount for several years. It ultimately showed up on late-night cable TV where it became a cult favorite.<br /><br />Corinne Burns (Diane Lane, “Unfaithful”) is the lead singer of a teenage all-female punk band. When her mother dies, she and her sister Tracy (Marin Kanter, “Endangered Species”) form a new band with their cousin Jessica (Laura Dern, “Jurassic Park”) and play gigs on the road as the Fabulous Stains. Corinne’s stage attire—a bright red see-through blouse, black bikini briefs, and fishnet stockings, along with two-tone hair and exaggerated eye make-up—is intentionally provocative. Yet an impromptu line at an early gig, “We’re the Stains and we don’t put out,” becomes the group’s catchphrase. Corinne explains that the phrase means, “Don’t be taken advantage of, don’t be a fool, be responsible for your own destiny.”<br /><br />The Stains wind up as the opening act for the established but nearly washed up Metal Corpses. When one of its members overdoses, the Stains go on in their place and attract media attention because of Corinne’s bizarre outfits and the one-liners she spits out that become perfect sound bites for the nightly news. About the death of the Metal Corpses’ bassist, Corinne casually notes, “He was an old man in a young girl’s world.” Her quick, witty comments suggest that Corinne is intelligent and observant and able to present her thoughts in concise, clever terms.<br /><br />The Stains’ shows sell out, fans replicate Corinne’s stage outfits, and the group becomes the next Big Thing. With fame, problems ensue and Corinne becomes more savvy about her own image, the music business, and the way it marginalizes women. Corinne eventually meets Billy (Ray Winstone), a vocalist of the all-male punk band the Looters, and a romance develops as the Stains’ trajectory slows and eventually reverses itself.<br /><br />Diane Lane, 15 years old at the time, inhabits the character of Corinne, a young tough woman whose life draws her to the punk milieu. The only adult family she has left is Aunt Linda (Christine Lahti), who has a lackadaisical attitude toward Corinne’s choices and fails to understand anything about her niece. Lane does a lot with expressions and reactions, which convey exactly what she’s thinking. Her Corinne is charismatic and holds our attention but it’s difficult to sympathize with her. Outwardly, she projects coolness, even coldness, but we never feel there is a warmer version of Corinne within.<br /><br />Laura Dern, 13 at the time, has less to do dramatically and, like her character of Tracy, is clearly a secondary presence. Ray Winstone has some powerful scenes as a punk performer on the cusp of irrelevance, and his chemistry with Lane is effective. His high energy contrasts with Lane’s more subdued, reflective portrayal. Barry Ford, as Rastafarian road manager/bus driver Lawnboy, has a few good scenes. Peter Donat opens the film as an interviewer who asks Corinne about her rise to fame. She rolls her eyes at the unimaginative queries and offers halfhearted replies.<br /><br />For authenticity, the cast includes some real-life punk artists, including Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols, Fee Waybill of the Tubes, and Paul Simonson of the Clash. The Stains perform “Waste of Time” and “Professionals,” the Metal Corpses perform “Roadmap of My Tears,” and the Looters perform “Don’t Blow It All Away” and “La La La.”<br /><br />Director Lou Adler (“Up in Smoke”) takes the viewer inside the machinations of the punk movement with its instant stardom, transitory success, cult following, and arrogant disdain of mainstream music. The early scenes depict the rigors of being on the road, living in cheap hotels, and working in dingy venues with sparse audiences.These scenes underscore the struggles of trying to make it in show biz.<br /><br />The story of the Stains has a feminist slant. The three young women set out to establish themselves in an unfamiliar, male-dominated world. At one point, Corinne comments that everyone assumes female musicians on the road are merely groupies. Corinne is outspoken, self-confident, and fiercely determined to make it on her own terms, without reliance on or help from men. The Stains are breaking barriers. The finale leaves us wondering, “Is this what the Stains aspired to, or have they sold out?”<br /><br />It seems odd that the media, as portrayed in the movie, are just becoming aware of punk through the Stains since, by 1982, the movement had been around for several years. It’s also unlikely that mainstream news would devote so much attention to a single subculture band.<br /><br />The characters in general are hardly warm and fuzzy types, and that’s the point of their punk culture, but it’s hard to get on board as they thumb their noses at the establishment and build their success on being rebellious and nonconformist. Corinne is charismatic, and it’s clear to see why she makes a dent in an otherwise cookie-cutter industry, but she and her crowd simply fail to fully engage.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the R-rated, All Region Blu-ray release include 3 commentaries, featurette, interviews, and photo gallery.<br /><br />“Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains” is a fascinating period piece that takes aim at music industry corruption while championing feminism and perseverance as a determined trio push boundaries and defy the odds<br />in an emerging musical form. There’s also a significant statement about what women wear not being an invitation for sex. The story about rebellion and sexual freedom leading to conformity is ironic and reflects the power of performers to influence their fans.
The movie title "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.3 from 174 reviewers. 
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This title falls under the categories of Movies & TV, Featured Categories, Blu-ray and Comedy. 
The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Genre": "Comedy", "Format": "Import", "Contributor": "Lou Adler, David Clennon, Lou Lombardo, John Lehne, Diane Lane, Peter Donat, Joe Roth", "Language": "English", "Runtime": "87 minutes"}

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