Look Away (2021 film)

Last updated

Look Away
Directed bySophie Cunningham
Ben Steele
Produced by
  • Sophie Cunningham
  • Sarah Foudy
  • Cheryl Hockey
  • Darren Kemp
  • Sarah Lambert
Starring
Music by Nainita Desai
Release date
  • 14 September 2021 (2021-09-14)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Look Away is a 2021 British documentary film about the sexual abuse of young girls in the rock music industry. The film was directed by Sophie Cunningham and Ben Steele, and produced by Sky Documentaries.

Contents

The film's title is derived a track of the same name on Iggy Pop's 1996 album Naughty Little Doggie , which is a "tribute" to one of the most famous "baby groupies" on Sunset Strip in the 1970s, Sable Starr. [1] The track of the same name mentions in its lyrics that Pop slept with Starr when she was 13, [2] with none of the reviews of the album addressing the lyrics. [3]

Look Away is built around extensive interviews with Kari Krome, the Runaways' bass guitarist Jackie Fuchs, and Julia Holcomb. The documentary describes several rapes and other sexual abuse, including a detailed account of the alleged rape of Jackie Fuchs by her band's then-manager Kim Fowley. It also tells the story of the relationship between Julia Holcomb and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler as well as the alleged sexual assault of former Penthouse Pet, model, and actress Sheila Kennedy at the hands of Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, and offers interviews of other people with experiences of sexual abuse in the United States rock scene in the 70s and 80s. [1]

According to Cunningham, the purpose of the film "is not necessarily about seeking justice in the legal sense, but having a voice – and trying to instigate change. Although we are focusing on a certain era in this film, the music industry is still functioning in a very, very similar way." [4]

Reception

Uncut rated the film three and a half stars out of five, while The Telegraph , The Guardian and the Financial Times rated it four stars out of five. [5]

The film was nominated for Broadcast Digital Award for Best Documentary Programme, [6] and the director Sophie Cunningham was nominated in the Best Emerging Talent category in BAFTA Craft Awards 2022 for the film. [7] [5]

After the film was nominated by BAFTA, it was discussed on Instagram by Courtney Love, where she supported some of the claims made, commenting that Steven Tyler also adopted another 13-year-old girl in a similar fashion. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Feldman</span> American actor (born 1971)

Corey Scott Feldman is an American actor. As a youth, he became well known for his roles in popular 1980s films such as Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Gremlins (1984), The Goonies (1985), and Stand by Me (1986). Feldman collaborated with Corey Haim starring in numerous films such as the comedy horror The Lost Boys (1987), the teen comedy License to Drive (1988) and the romantic comedy Dream a Little Dream (1989). They reunited for the A&E reality series The Two Coreys, which ran from 2007 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerosmith</span> American rock band

Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums), and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has also incorporated elements of pop rock, heavy metal, glam metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. Aerosmith is sometimes referred to as "the Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". The primary songwriting team of Tyler and Perry is sometimes referred to as the "Toxic Twins".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Axl Rose</span> American singer (born 1962)

W. Axl Rose is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has been the band's sole constant member since its inception in 1985. Possessing a distinctive and powerful wide-ranging voice, Rose has been named one of the greatest singers of all time by various media outlets, including Rolling Stone, NME and Billboard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Runaways</span> American rock band

The Runaways were an American rock band who recorded and performed from 1975 to 1979. Formed in 1975 in Los Angeles, the band released four studio albums and one live album during its run. Among their best-known songs are "Cherry Bomb", "Hollywood", "Queens of Noise" and a cover version of the Velvet Underground's "Rock & Roll". Never a major success in the United States, the Runaways became a sensation overseas, especially in Japan, thanks to the single "Cherry Bomb".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Jett</span> American rock musician (born 1958)

Joan Jett is an American rock musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for founding and performing with the Runaways, who recorded and released the hit song "Cherry Bomb". With the Blackhearts, Jett is known for her rendition of the song "I Love Rock 'n Roll" which was the number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks in 1982. Jett's other notable songs include "Bad Reputation", "Light of Day", "I Hate Myself for Loving You" and her covers of "Crimson and Clover", "Do You Wanna Touch Me " and "Dirty Deeds".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Roth</span> English actor (born 1961)

Timothy Simon Roth is an English actor and producer. He was among a group of prominent British actors known as the "Brit Pack".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Tyler</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1948)

Steven Victor Tallarico, known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, harmonica and percussion. He has been called the "Demon of Screamin'" due to his high screams and his powerful wide vocal range. He is also known for his on-stage acrobatics. During his performances, Tyler usually dresses in colorful, sometimes androgynous outfits and makeup with his trademark scarves hanging from his microphone stand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Sorum</span> American drummer

Matthew William Sorum is an American drummer. He is best known as both a former member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he recorded three studio albums, and as a member of the supergroup Velvet Revolver. Sorum is currently on tour with Billy Gibbons, with whom he also records, is a member of the touring project Kings of Chaos, and is a former member of both The Cult and Y Kant Tori Read. Sorum was also a member of Guns N' Roses side projects, Slash's Snakepit and Neurotic Outsiders, and has released two solo albums, Hollywood Zen (2004) and Stratosphere (2014). He was the touring drummer for the supergroup Hollywood Vampires from 2015 to 2017. His latest project is Deadland Ritual, featuring Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, and Apocalyptica vocalist Franky Perez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Fowley</span> American record producer and songwriter (1939–2015)

Kim Vincent Fowley was an American record producer, songwriter and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s, and managed the Runaways in the 1970s. He has been described as "one of the most colorful characters in the annals of rock & roll", as well as "a shadowy cult figure well outside the margins of the mainstream".

<i>Chinese Democracy</i> 2008 studio album by Guns N Roses

Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on November 23, 2008, by Black Frog and Geffen Records. It was the first Guns N' Roses studio album since the 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?", and their first album of original studio material since Use Your Illusion I and II (1991). It languished in development hell for eight years, delayed by personnel and legal problems, label interference, and the perfectionism of vocalist Axl Rose. It was the first Guns N' Roses album without Izzy Stradlin, Slash, and Duff McKagan, and the first not produced by Mike Clink; instead it was produced by Rose and Caram Costanzo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patience (Guns N' Roses song)</span> 1989 single by Guns N Roses

"Patience" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses from their second studio album, G N' R Lies (1988), released as a single in March 1989. The song peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song is a ballad, played using three acoustic guitars and was recorded in a single session by producer Mike Clink. A music video of the song was shot and appears on the band's music video DVD, Welcome to the Videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guns N' Roses</span> American hard rock band

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band's formation was the result of a merger between local bands Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic lineup" consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. The current lineup consists of Rose, Slash, McKagan, guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Dern</span> American actress (born 1967)

Laura Elizabeth Dern is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back in the Saddle</span> 1977 single by Aerosmith

"Back in the Saddle" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. Written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, it was the first track on Aerosmith's popular studio album Rocks, which the band released in 1976. "Back in the Saddle" was also released as the third single from the album in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Fox</span> American bassist

Jacqueline Louise Fuchs is an American former musician. Under her stage name Jackie Fox, she played bass guitar for the pioneering all-girl teenage rock band The Runaways. She is the sister of screenwriter Carol Fuchs and sister-in-law of Castle Rock Entertainment co-founder Martin Shafer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 MTV Video Music Awards</span> Award ceremony

The 1992 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 9, 1992, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1991, to June 15, 1992. The show was hosted by Dana Carvey at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

Mick Wall is a British music journalist, author, and radio and TV presenter. He has been described as "the world's leading rock and metal writer".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Fabian</span> British film producer

Anthony Fabian is a British producer, writer and director of feature films, shorts, documentaries, and classical music programmes made through his company, Elysian Films. He is the director of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris starring Lesley Manville and Isabelle Huppert, released in the US by Focus Features in July 2022 and by Universal Pictures in the rest of the world later in the year. His first feature film, Skin, won 22 international awards. His feature documentary, Good Hope, about the past, present and potential future of South Africa, was released in 2020. He has also worked as music supervisor on a number of feature films, including Restoration, GoldenEye, Schubert and Hilary and Jackie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Carruthers</span> English music video and film director, based in London, England.

Richard Carruthers is an English music video and film director, based in London, England. He directed the Led Zeppelin Celebration Day film and The Rolling Stones Bridges To Babylon DVD as well as many other live music videos. Carruthers' work on the Oasis Definitely Maybe DVD was nominated for two BAFTAs.

References

  1. 1 2 Mangan, Lucy (13 September 2021). "Look Away review – horrifying stories of abuse at the hands of male rock stars". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  2. Feay, Suzy (10 September 2021). "Look Away examines sexual abuse in the music business". ft.com. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  3. Singh, Anita (13 September 2021). "Look Away, review: could this be the music industry's #MeToo reckoning?". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  4. Peplow, Gemma (21 September 2021). "Steven Tyler, Axl Rose and 'lots and lots of others': Rock stars and the abuse hidden in plain sight". Sky News. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Look Away". abacus media rights. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  6. "Broadcast Digital Awards Shortlist 2022" . Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  7. "Bafta Awards Search: Look Away" . Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  8. Ozden, Elif (5 April 2022). "Courtney Love Targets Axl Rose, Steven Tyler, And Jimmy Page For Underage Affairs". rockcelebrities.net. Retrieved 22 September 2022.