Calling all rock’n’roll and documentary fans because you’ll definitely want to give a damn about this one: the upcoming Joan Jett documentary “Bad Reputation.” The film dives headfirst into showing how Jett broke barriers in the 70’s and still today makes waves with her music.
Sitting in the director’s chair for this is the acclaimed music video and concert film director Kevin Kerslake. Kerslake’s previous work includes Nirvana’s “Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!” and “As I Am: The Life and Times of DJ AM.” And several of his frequent collaborators (who also happen to be some of the most iconic entertainers around) make appearances in the film. In addition to Jett herself and songwriter/ producer Kenny Laguna, Billie Joe Armstrong, Miley Cyrus, Debbie Harry, Nikki Haley, Iggy Pop, Pete Townshend, and Kristen Stewart all pop up. While Stewart might seem like the odd card out of this group, fans will remember that she played the rocker in the underrated 2010 biopic “The Runaways.”
“Bad Reputation” will be released simultaneously in theaters, on demand, and on Amazon Prime on September 28th.
The official synopsis and trailer are below:
Joan Jett is so much more than “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll.” It’s true, she became mega-famous from the number-one hit, and that fame intensified with the music video’s endless play on MTV. But that staple of popularity can’t properly define a musician. Jett put her hard work in long before the fame, ripping it up onstage as the backbone of the hard-rock legends The Runaways, influencing many musicians—both her cohort of punk rockers and generations of younger bands—with her no-bullshit style. Bad Reputation gives you a wild ride as Jett and her close friends tell you how it really was in the burgeoning ’70s punk scene, and their interviews are laced with amazing archival footage. The theme is clear: even though people tried to define Jett and keep her stuck to one hit, she never compromised. She will kick your ass, and you’ll love her all the more for it.