Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains

Fifteen-year-old Corinne, having lost her mother, forms a band with two relatives. They cannot play. A provocative local television interview makes them famous fast, and teenage girls start copying her hair and makeup. The fame goes as quickly as it came. Lou Adler directed. Diane Lane plays Corinne, Marin Kanter her sister, Laura Dern her cousin. Real musicians are in the cast: Steve Jones and Paul Cook from the Sex Pistols and Paul Simonon from The Clash play members of the same fictional band. The studio shelved it once finished and it never had a proper release. It became a cult item when it turned up in late-night American television slots in the eighties and is said to have been particularly influential on women musicians. What the film saw early is the manufacture of fame: what sells is not talent but a pose and an image. Diane Lane was sixteen during filming and her performance is the most discussed thing in it. Who it is for: viewers who like punk culture and forgotten cult films. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a well-made film; the production is rough and scattered.