We regretted missing Bad Reputation, Kevin Kerslake’s documentary about rock icon Joan Jett, back at Sundance in January, but we knew that it’d get picked up by some enterprising distributor. Jett’s a beloved figure in the music community for a number of reasons — mainly that she broke through the glass ceiling by the at-the-time intensely misogynist rock community by making kick-ass music and refusing to take no for answer from the legions of assholes — and we’re sure that this’ll help us love her even more. Magnolia Pictures dropped a trailer for the film on Wednesday, and we’ve got it here for your viewing pleasure.
Take a look:
You know what? Normally we sort of hate documentaries stuffed full of talking heads, but we’ll make an exception when those heads are Iggy Pop, Kathleen Hanna and Billie Joe Armstrong. This looks like it’ll be a fun watch.
Here’s a synopsis:
“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.”
Bad Reputation hits theaters and VOD on September 28.
Featured image via Magnolia Pictures.