Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: ROCKET STAHR’S DEATH OF A ROCK STAR [Fantaspoa Fantastic Film Festival 2021 - Porto Alegre Brazil - Virtual]

The aspect of a rock opera is sometimes the reflection of one specific person's vision. While Queen pushed it in the aspect of different layers of their sound, My Chemical Romance did "The Black Parade" in a similar style but never achieved their true vision. With "Rocket Stahr's Death Of A Rock Star" there is much missed of course but the verve and dispatch through which he achieved a certain feeling of these rock operas in animation and sounds is not to be diminished for, at many times, it is glorious if one appreciates this specific genre of music. The key with this type of genre was always the transitioning and melding of different styles to create different visuals and, by extension, emotions, however overwrought.

The movie is just cheeky enough while being innocent enough in its ideals. The overarching element of a society so corrupted by a conservative thought process that it doesn't see the values of rock n' roll is a tried and true idiom of the genre but the parable is just as true. "Death Of A rock Star" is also about the texture of creativity, love and, ultimately, the commercialization or subversion of that love. The music never stops which is why the movie is so specific in its vision. This is a singular vision (which might be why it is as good as it is --- another artists might not have had as much success as this does). All the songs are created and sung by Stahr with a female singer taking the form of his love. It is a large undertaking and that said, surprisingly focused in what it does.

The music seems to flow but the visuals seem beat for beat exact with the imagery and the story. It is not clear if one came before the other. Not an easy thing to do (though the animation at times knows to stay simple). Other sequences are not so simple but ultimately paint the aspect of a rock star simply trying to be who he is (though he might not be real anyway). The images of metaphor are rampant and Stahr's love of pop culture is built into every image fabric (his love of 80s movie predominantly) which shows a tongue in cheek purpose with a love of the craft and a belief in its ideals. B+

By Tim Wassberg