Stunt Rock

This film has a minor cult following and it's easy to see why. The story is about Australian stuntman Grant Page (playing himself) traveling to Hollywood to handle the stunts for the new TV series "Undercover Girl". Grant hooks up with his cousin, who is a member of a rock band called Sorcery. Sorcery uses real "magic" on stage with their music and their entire stage show is a rock opera that tells the story about a duel between the King of the Wizards (Paul Haynes) and the Prince of Darkness (Curtis Hyde). They go see Sorcery rehearse in the studio and then to an actual stage performance, where the band uses fire, and some pretty awesome prog-rock tunes to tell their story about good versus evil. That's about the entire plot of the film, as Grant performs a series of dangerous stunts (along with footage of other stunt men and women) and Sorcery performs a series of original tunes and magic to an appreciative audience. Director Brian Trenchard-Smith treads a fine line between fiction and reality and, by all accounts, he should have failed miserably. Surprisingly, though, this film is a total blast from beginning to end, thanks in no small part to Grant Page's on-screen charisma and devil-may-care stuntwork and Sorcery's kick-ass music and stage show. But none of this would have mattered if it didn't gel with the concert footage. Luckily, Trenchard-Smith chose SORCERY, a big-haired prog-rock Los Angeles band (the keyboard player wears a hood over his head and his voice is electronically altered) with a loyal cult following.

I must confess that I never heard of them or their music before this film, but their songs and stage show won me over pretty quickly. They are kind of like Emerson, Lake and Palmer mixed with an Arthurian Legend stage show, complete with a Merlin-like wizard (who at one point is spun on the tip of a sword and then impaled!) that performs many magic tricks. It's like watching a David Henning magic show with fist-pumping rock music, but without the extreme overbite. It's a feast for the eyes and the ears.

Alright, this movie is from the late 70's. Putting that aside, the movie is quite entertaining. My kids must have watched it 20 times so far. The music is surprisingly good. I liked the music so much after I bought the movie I found the soundtrack and bought that too, and it is even better on CD than in the movie. It really rocks. I remember the rock band Sorcery, and I'm glad to see they still have a web site and are active. I bought my CD from their web site. If you want to be entertained without sex or violence, give it a try.

Enjoyed the picture. The band "Sorcery" were amazing as well. Sorcery's stage show was the best presentation of music and magic ever seen!

The good vs. evil theme was never so well played out on any stage before. "Hard rock music/heavy metal magic" was the way to describe this group. They were and continue today to be the only magic/music show of it's kind in the history of ROCK! Not any other group ever came close to this! If you're into hard rock music and/or some of the best magic illusions ever performed live,don't miss this one. See the movie and the band.

Although this movie is somewhat dated, the rock band Sorcery makes it worth watching. I saw Sorcery live in LA at a concert where non-other than Van Halen opened for them. The movie showcases their music and their spectacular stage show. Not too much bad language so its OK for even little kids.

What a treasure from the 70's this film is. I recently watched this film and it was a true joy for me. I worked in the film industry as a camera man in L.A. back in the 70's and 80's when this was being made. I remember the buzz in Hollywood/L.A. about this picture about stunt work in the movies. The filming in part,took place in Hollywood Ca. and at the MGM studio's in Culver City Ca. I enjoyed the insight of the Director,Brian Trenchard Smith, in presenting the contribution stuntmen made in making motion pictures back then. Keep in mind, no CGI in 78', and most of the stuntmen working then took some pretty incredible risks to get the shot called for by the directors, to make scenes look as real as possible for the films they worked in. The stuntman,Grant Page, was excellent in the lead roll as he talks about the business of stuntwork in film, and what it took to be a stuntman back then. It is a inside look from the stuntman who made it look real. I also want to say something about the music. This band "SORCERY" from L.A. was a well respected band in Hollywood. They had a huge following as I remember. On one occasion I remember there was a line around the block to see them at the "Whiskey" on Sunset Blvd, when they were performing there. Sometime after that, I also had the pleasure of seeing Sorcery perform, playing with Van Halen (SORCERY was the headliner)and I never forgot them either. They had the most amazing live stage show I ever saw. They were unforgettable, and very accomplished musicians as well. A true a one of a kind group. Sorcery presented the battle of "good vs. evil" as Merlin against Satan played out live on stage. You really had to see this show live to appreciate it! They blended magic and music together like no one had ever done,or seen before. Very entertaining and they were years ahead of their time. It was Brians T. Smith's, masterstroke bringing these two entities together,for his vision for the film Stuntrock. Sorcery and Grant Page were perfect for this project. The movie showed only a small part of SORCERY's live stage show. I also think Sorcery is responsible for a large amount of the success now seen for the picture some 30 years after being made in 1978, and they are a major contributer to it's present day underground cult status. The musicianship Sorcery showed in concert was second to none! I know the musicians from Sorcery played on other movies,did TV music work, records and did Dick Clark specials as well from that period. Brian's vision to make this film was somewhat limited,with a small budget and short time to complete, however he was smart to put Sorcery and Grant Page together for this unique look at stuntwork and music together. I will watch this again and again,for it's entertainment value and Sorcery's great music.