Beyond the metric ton of starpower attached to it, Rock of Ages presents itself as being from the director of Hairspray and, knowing full well that the poster in the theatre lobby meant Adam Shankman—who helmed the uninspiring 2007 adaptation of the musical based on the seminal John Waters comedy—I briefly entertained the vision of Waters taking on a schlocky musical about the sleazy Los Angeles strip in the late-1980s—its glam rock foundation crumbled under the crushing weight of egotism, drugs, venereal disease, and Nirvana—and came away really wanting to see that movie. Even shedding Waters, the period of time covered by Rock of Ages is one rife with potential, during which rap was gaining clout, heavy metal was allegedly driving children to ill deeds, and the titanic trio of Frank Zappa, Dee Snyder, and John Denver fought against Tipper Gore and the P.M.R.C. before a Senate hearing on “porn rock.” Read more