Bandslam | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Todd Graff |
Produced by | Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas |
Screenplay by | Josh A. Cagan Todd Graff |
Story by | Josh A. Cagan |
Starring |
Aly Michalka Vanessa Hudgens Gaelan Connell Scott Porter Lisa Kudrow |
Music by |
Adam Lasus Linda Cohen Joseph Magee |
Cinematography | Eric Steelberg |
Edited by | John Gilbert |
Production
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Distributed by | Summit Entertainment |
Release date
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Running time
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111 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $20 million |
Box office | $12,225,023 |
Bandslam also known as High School Rock is a 2009 American musical and romantic comedy drama film produced by Summit Entertainment and Walden Media. Written by Josh A. Cagan and Todd Graff, it stars Aly Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Lisa Kudrow, Scott Porter,Ryan Donowho, and Tim Jo. The story revolves around Will and Charlotte, who form an unlikely bond through their shared love of music. Assembling a like-minded crew of misfits, the friends form a rock group and perform in a battle of the bands competition called "Bandslam". Bandslam was shot in Austin, Texas, with additional scenes filmed in New York City. The film generated mostly positive reviews but it failed to chart in the top 10 when it was released on August 14, 2009 in the US, where it grossed only $2,250,000 on the weekend. In a brief cameo, this was David Bowie's final film appearance before his death in 2016.
Will Burton (Gaelan Connell) is a music enthusiast and a David Bowie fan with a hint of rock and roll and boy next door. Throughout the movie, Will writes journal-like e-mails to Bowie every day, although Bowie never answers. When Will's mother Karen (Lisa Kudrow) finds a new job, he switches to a new school, which he is eager to do since he was bullied at his previous one. During lunch one day at his new school, he meets a girl who says her name is written Sa5m but pronounced Sam, the 5 is silent (Vanessa Hudgens). She tells him about Bandslam, an annual music competition in which the winning band gets a recording contract. Will and Sa5m quickly become friends but, shortly after, he is sought after by another girl named Charlotte Barnes (Aly Michalka). One afternoon, Charlotte asks Will to join her in an after-school day-care center. When she starts inviting him to hang out with her, the teenager is stunned—as is his single mother Karen. Impressed by his eclectic knowledge of music, Charlotte, who is a gifted singer-songwriter, asks Will to manage her rock/ska band. Her goal is apparently to take revenge on her egocentric musician ex-boyfriend Ben Wheatley (Scott Porter) during Bandslam.