Detroit Rock City - The KISS box office flop that ROCKED

In today's episode, we'll be looking back on "DETROIT ROCK CITY" (1999) starring Edward Furlong, Sam Huntington, James DeBello, and Giuseppe Andrews. 🔴 Become a Member:    / @mediapastimes   🟠 Become a Patron:   / mediapastimes   🔵 Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/mediapastimes This episode takes a deep dive into Detroit Rock City, the 1999 KISS fueled teen comedy directed by Adam Rifkin, exploring how a movie with strong energy, confident directing, and genuine love for rock music still managed to crash at the box office. Set in 1978, the film follows four obsessed high school friends on a chaotic road trip to Detroit as they do whatever it takes to attend a sold out KISS concert, turning a simple goal into an all night misadventure filled with run ins with authority figures, religious outrage, bad luck, and plenty of late 70s attitude. The movie stars Edward Furlong, Sam Huntington, Giuseppe Andrews, and James DeBello as the core group of teens, with memorable supporting performances from Natasha Lyonne, Lin Shaye, Melanie Lynskey, Shannon Tweed, Gene Simmons, and Paul Stanley appearing as heightened versions of themselves. Despite a modest budget and a soundtrack powered by one of the most famous rock bands of all time, the film earned just over five million dollars during its theatrical run, leaving it labeled as a failure almost immediately. This retrospective looks at why Detroit Rock City struggled to find an audience in 1999, how its mix of teen comedy, road movie chaos, and old school rock spirit set it apart from its peers, and why it has since grown into a cult favorite for fans who see it as one of the last loud, sincere, and unapologetically fun teen comedies of its era. Songs (in order) Morning Coffee by Amine Maxwell & Soyb ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Vibing by Pufino ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Chill Vibes by Pufino ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired Feeling Good by Pufino ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Chill Day by Lakey Inspired Sunny Vibes by Aventure ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Daily by Lukrembo ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Chillout by Pufino ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Your Vibe by Pufino ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Cool Lofi by Pufino ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Departure by Soyb ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Coffee Time by Pufino ‪@FreeToUseMusic‬ Ambient by Mixkit (outro) _______________________________________ Morning Coffee by Amine Maxwell & Soyb Vibing by Pufino Chill Vibes by Pufino Feeling Good by Pufino Sunny Vibes by Aventure Daily by Lukrembo Chillout by Pufino Your Vibe by Pufino Cool Lofi by Pufino Departure by Soyb Coffee Time by Pufino Source: https://freetouse.com/music/ Music for Videos (Free Download) _______________________________________ Chapters 0:00 Intro 0:54 Writing "Detroit Rock City" 1:59 Gene Simmons Producer / Adam Rifkin Director 3:16 Casting (Jonathan Taylor Thomas almost played Jam) 4:54 KISS in 1978 6:33 Mortal Kombat Annihilation Ties 7:11 Character Lookalikes 8:21 Joe Flaherty Appreciation 9:22 Character Solo Missions 10:03 Bobby Bacala and Uncle Eddie 10:43 Confession Booth Shenanigans and KISS Protests 12:25 Trip's Convenience Store Trip and Chongo 13:10 Fake Fight 14:07 Filming the Concert 15:14 Star Studded Premiere 16:09 Promoting "Detroit Rock City" 16:33 Why did it flop? 17:33 People don't like KISS 18:10 Cult Following 18:45 Ace Frehley Dedication 19:21 Supporters and Outro #detroitrockcity #kissband #comedymovies