“Scum Rock” is really two different stories that are similar, yet
worlds apart. One story is about Miles (Kyp Malone), a pretentious
filmmaker working on his masterpiece called “Death.” The other is about Roxxy (Amy Davis), the singer of The Puerto Ricans, a scum rock band that is on the verge of falling apart. Miles canÕt seem to get his movie made because the actors are flakes and nobody seems to have his level of dedication. Roxxy’s band has a new member who doesn’t seem to fit, and her arch rival just got signed while The Puerto Ricans are still struggling for recognition. So what do you do when your dreams are slowly dying?
This film, which is fairly amateurish looking but very ambitious, does a fine job of showing what life is like when the people around you aren’t up to your standards … which may be too high for the task at hand. We’ve all known people like Miles and Roxxy. They attract people as easily as they drive them away, and you know they’ll either accomplish great things or end up in the dustbin of history. It’s a tale that’s been told before (and sometimes better), but rarely has it been told so realistically. Yes, the film can sometimes come across as pointless and even boring, but that mirrors life. There are girlfriends dying, directors being called on their sexism, people begging for acceptance and more. It’s a lot to cram into a story, but it is done here almost as an
afterthought, which makes it work far better than could be expected.
This isn’t the best film of the year … or even close. But it is a
very competent and honest look at what life is like for artistic people who are trying to make their dreams reality and the problems they encounter in the process. If you’ve ever found yourself on the wrong end of a doomed project, this is for you … unless, of course, those memories are too painful.
