The Perfect Man - Dennis appearance

[mr.v]

I saw a sneak of "The Perfect Man" last night and i would recomend it to anyone with younger daughters or if you just like a sweet romantic comedy. Dennis Deyoung is in it as the singer of a STYX cover band named KILROY. For STYX fans it will make you laugh out loud when he makes his entrance. You see him perform part of two songs "Roboto" and "Babe", The music for "Lady" plays a huge part in the funniest part of the movie and "Best Of Times" is also featured. STYX is a huge part of this movie and it should be a shot in the arm to Dennis and STYX if the Film does well.

[DarrenUK]

Dennis as a singer of a Styx cover band.....theres a perfect one liner in there but I will refrain from saying it as unlike Its My Sad Life I have diplomacy.........most of the time.

[sadie65]

Dennis as a singer of a Styx cover band.....theres a perfect one liner in there but I will refrain from saying it as unlike Its My Sad Life I have diplomacy.........most of the time.

Too bad you haven't exactly shown in your most recent posts.

Enjoy the shows.

[DarrenUK]

And neither has alot of other people like Froy and Its My Strife........If people dont like crap levelled at DDY then they shouldnt post it regarding current Styx.....ide stop right now if the board went civil but try telling that to others............not once have i seen any DDY fans cuss out Froys & Its My Sad Lifes posts......but I will stand up for the current band and will only refrain from attacks back when others cease........but that wont happen. Its a democracy on here and I wont be dictated to by anyone........dictatorship is what split the band in the first place but even tho I appreciate Dennis's fans loving his music i dont they should adopt his Castro attitude.

[swwskj]

Two facts for consumption:

1. Dennis is playing the "role" of the lead singer of a cover band in a major motion picture release, which should help Styx catalog sales and hence actually benefit all members of Styx past and present.

2. Glen is actually in a cover band.

Take it for what it's worth.

Scott

[DarrenUK]

Oh and my last post was not directed solely at you Sadie....

[sadie65]

And neither has alot of other people like Froy and Its My Strife........If people dont like crap levelled at DDY then they shouldnt post it regarding current Styx.....ide stop right now if the board went civil but try telling that to others............not once have i seen any DDY fans cuss out Froys & Its My Sad Lifes posts......but I will stand up for the current band and will only refrain from attacks back when others cease........but that wont happen. Its a democracy on here and I wont be dictated to by anyone........dictatorship is what split the band in the first place but even tho I appreciate Dennis's fans loving his music i dont they should adopt his Castro attitude.

You know I am so sick of reading that. I myself have taken both men to task over many of their posts. I know others have as well. It didn't a change a darn thing. I do not have a dictatorship attitude and don't appreciate being compared as such. We all surmise at what split this band. And unless any of us was/is a member of this band, it's all conjecture. Why is it that you cannot recognize that the majority of Dennis' fans do try to get along. You take 2 that are obviously out to get a rise out of everyone here and make that your benchmark.

I agree, stand up for the band. Enjoy them. But please stop lumping people together. And please stop making assumptions about those same people.

[sadie65]

To get back on track. I know Dennis attended the premiere on Monday in Los Angeles. He looked well and seemed in great spirits from the photos.

Hopefully the movie does respectably against all the other summer blockbusters being released. And if not, I think it's nice that he will have that as a memento and something he could share with his son (Matt played the drummer of the band in the scene).

[Monker]

You know I am so sick of reading that. I myself have taken both men to task over many of their posts. I know others have as well. It didn't a change a darn thing.

You're right. It doesn't change anything. As long as people "on their side" empower them by acknowledging them or posting in agreement with their angry and resentful posts, then they will continue.

Quite honestly, I hope they continue. It's a lot of fun for me.

[SuiteMadameBlue]

Mr. V, thank you SO much for posting the review of the movie. I'm so excited, I can't wait to see it. I was wondering what was left in the movie or what may have ended up on the cutting room floor.

I'm glad there were a lot of pictures from Monday's Premiere. Sadie, I thought he looked good too and seemed very happy

Scott, your right, the Styx catalog sales should do pretty good with the movie and it will benefit all members of Styx, past and present

It's a win-win for everyone

[ChicagoSTYX]

What sin did Heather Locklear commit to deserve her role in The Perfect Man? The former Melrose Place vixen is now old enough to portray Hilary Duff's mom, which in Hollywood counts as sin enough. In The Perfect Man, she's a single mother so desperate for male company that she thinks she deserves no better than the loser who drives a Trans-Am and woos her with his late-night-on-the-sidewalk performance of Styx's ''Lady.'' To remedy her mom's dating woes, Duff, who grows perkier the worse her movies get, invents a fictional secret admirer who ''pursues'' Locklear with flowers and cloying e-mail notes. This is the story, in other words, of a woman being wooed by a nonentity; it's You've Got Mail with one hand typing. Duff's character has problems too (she's tired of moving from city to city), but no actress this synthetically wholesome should engage in this much whining. It renders her about as appealing as a lost Olsen triplet.

GRADE F

[ChicagoSTYX]

Review by JE Smith

THE PERFECT MAN is almost exactly as bad as you think it is. An Afterschool Special somehow greenlit as a feature film (well, Hilary Duff has to star in something, doesn’t she -- ?), this drab, dull, surprise-free movie might appeal to 13 year old girls who haven’t already seen SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS, but the rest of the human race needs to stay far, far away.

Whiny Holly (Duff, whose mascara does most of the acting) keeps an on-line blog about the travels of her fractured family; see, the gimmick is that every time her single mother Jean (Heather Locklear) breaks up with a boyfriend, she uproots the family unit (which also includes adorable Aria Wallace as the standard-issue little sis) and moves them cross-country. Their most recent relocation lands them in NYC, and another potential loser of a boyfriend (Mike O’Malley) prompts Holly to create a fictional “perfect man” to woo her mum via e-mail, based on the romantic stylings of her best friend’s uncle Ben (Chris Noth). The usual misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and general shenanigans ensure. Just synopsizing the plot makes me feel very, very tired.

I realize I’m hardly the target audience for this crap, but the script is so utterly soulless and bereft of anything resembling style, humor, class, or originality, that it feels absolutely turgid. Director Mark Rosman (a TV vet – big surprise – whose main feature credit is the earlier Duff vehicle A CINDERELLA STORY) keeps the camera in focus, but can’t manage much in the way of pacing or visual interest. The film isn’t incompetent, just horribly generic. When the basic plot of your movie is so old-hat it was spoofed by THE SIMPSONS over a decade ago, it might be time to re-think things just a bit.

On the other hand, one could concoct a good drinking game by trying to name all the TV shows these various actors have starred in. Locklear, Noth, O’Malley, along with Vanessa Lengies (as Holly’s BFF), and QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY alum Carson Cressley (who earns most of the film’s few scattered laughs with the usual swishy-gay cliché that at least isn’t an act in this case), all go through the motions well enough to keep their SAG cards, but this is not one of those movies where a mediocre script is saved by the brilliant performances. As for Duff, she does have some natural charm, but seems vaguely annoying here. Which might be the point, I dunno.

This movie isn’t worth putting much energy into reviewing, so I’ll go for the obvious: THE PERFECT MAN is perfectly dreadful. Even the ‘tweeners this was built for should not accept such lifeless rubbish as entertainment. After all, don’t 13 year old girls deserve better?

RATING: 2/5

--JE SMITH

[ChicagoSTYX]

"The Perfect Man" is a cutesy-poo, happy-go-lucky little movie about horrible, irresponsible, selfish people.

A blindly disconcerting fantasy aimed at girls in their early teens -- no one else could stomach it -- the movie stars Hilary Duff as Holly, a perky 16-year-old who isn't smart enough to realize that inventing a secret admirer to woo her lonely, romantically desperate mom is not just a gross invasion of privacy, but also downright cruel.

She sends flowers, and exchanges flirtatious emails and instant messages, toying with her mother's heart. She models the mystery man after a friend's handsome uncle (even using his picture, thus running the risk of Mom awkwardly bumping into the guy) and enlists another friend to call and pretend to be him.

As her scheme spins out of control, she causes $100,000-plus in damage to a friend's restaurant (which would certainly have to close for repairs) and ruins a perfect stranger's wedding in an insultingly contrived misunderstanding. But Holly doesn't learn a single lesson from any of this and never apologizes -- not even to her mom -- because these terrible blunders that could destroy people's lives are all supposed to be just oh so adorable and funny.

It's hard to imagine what kind of warped Hollywood psyches wouldn't be able to recognize that this premise is -- at the very least -- in appallingly poor taste. But director Mark Rosman (coming off of Duff's last vehicle, "A Cinderella Story") and the picture's quartet of paint-by-numbers screenwriters don't stop there. It seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Holly's imaginary matchmaking is motivated by the fact that her stinking-of-desperation mother (Heather Locklear, finally starting to look her age and playing the role well) is so self-centered and reckless that she pulls up stakes and drags her kids (Holly and her geeky-cute 8-year-old sister) across the country whenever she gets dumped or cheated on by one of her string of loser boyfriends. The family has landed in a studio backlot version of Brooklyn this time (insert bad accents here), and Holly's meddling is a half-baked attempt to stay put for once.

When "The Perfect Man" isn't busy dressing up rampant family dysfunction in candy-coated sweetness and light, it seems to be doing cartwheels in an attempt to make every detail of the plot as clichéd as possible, as when Holly arrives at her new school and meets a new best friend and a dreamy, charming, confident but non-threatening boy (ooo! -- and he's an artist too!) before the bell rings for her very first class. And in an apparent attempt to make the film grating and dated too, Rosman gives Holly her own internet blog (as an excuse for twinkly narration) and tosses in an extended cameo by "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's" stereotype-flogging screaming queen Carson Kressley.

This putrid movie -- which might have made a decent dark comedy if it weren't so busy trying to be cute -- has only two things going for it:

1) Hilary Duff has a realistic body type, and looks lovely with hips and a 27- or 28-inch waist, so if she must be a role model, at least she's one that won't inspire young girls to put their fingers down their throats.

2) Through the sheer power of a his good performance as the unwitting uncle used to bait Holly's mom, Chris Noth ("Sex and the City") manages to make his cardboard cutout of a "Perfect Man" seem the most human of all the movie's characters.

[ChicagoSTYX]

Phil Villarreal
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Whenever one of Mom's relationships goes the way of "Melrose Place," it's moving time. Her daughters know the routine all too well: Pack up, say goodbye to old friends, get ready for a new, unasked-for adventure.

Mom, a woman named Jean played by Heather Locklear in "The Perfect Man," has a penchant for choosing crummy boyfriends, which is why she and her girls are always skipping town, and why her oldest, teenage Holly (Hilary Duff), runs a Web site devoted to chronicling the sorry plight of a teen constantly uprooted.

Little Zoe (Aria Wallace) is too young to be as jaded as her older sister. Zoe is still at that cute age in which she has a smart-aleck, scene-transition-enabling reply for everything the grown-ups say.

The family has moved to New York, possibly leaving a forwarding address from Sitcomville. This week's very special episode features Holly's zany idea to break up her mother's latest hookup with an undesirable by writing phony letters and e-mails under the guise of a secret admirer. With the proactive help of her mischievous friend, Amy (Vanessa Lengies), and Amy's unwitting single uncle, Ben (Christopher Noth), Holly concocts scam after scam to convince Mom that somebody out there loves her.

Holly is a clever one. She rigs up a fake persona, slyly picks Ben's brain for gems of world-weary, elegant courtship and keeps Mom fooled all the while. Maybe Holly is too clever, because if she'd just set aside all the scheming, she'd see that Ben would be perfect for Mom, and she'd just give him her number.

Mom relishes the letters from Holly's made-up Ben. Mom isn't so much gullible as she is desperate to believe that she's finally found the right guy.

Meanwhile, Holly is so busy keeping up the ruse she hardly notices that she's neglecting her own love life, using an awestruck cartoonist classmate for his computer and Instant Message handle, as he gazes longingly into the back of her head while she types and narrates love messages to Mom.

Spend a few minutes with the film and you can see where it's all going, and that's not entirely a bad thing. This is one of those cute little movies that you pretty much know whether or not you'll like simply from watching the trailer. No surprises, good or bad.

Tucsonans may want to check it out just for the local connection, because the story is loosely based on real-life events involving Jan Robinson and her daughter, Heather.

Screenwriter Gina Wendkos ("Coyote Ugly," "The Princess Diaries"), who adapted a story by Heather Robinson, Michael McQuown and Katherine Torpey, has trouble overcoming blotches of plodding plotting. Occasional flourishes of humor and sentiment gasp for breath in a rote romantic-comedy airlock.

The occasionally interesting but mostly sleepwalking movie pales when compared to the far more interesting lives of the Robinsons, whose "perfect man" ordeal went far more out of control than what's depicted in the movie.

The film is also an artifact in the ongoing global takeover of ubiquitous singer/actress Duff. She has made a career of skipping through puddles of teen angst in Prada galoshes. Duff's greatest weakness is her inert happiness and indomitable confidence. Her characters always appear to have paged through to the end of the script ahead of time to make sure things turn out OK.

This is a delicate way of saying that maybe Miss Duff doesn't yet have the range to play a devious, cunning manipulator, even when the urge to deceive is born out of deep caring for her mother.

But, hey, nobody's perfect

[mr.v]

Dude you have way to much time on you hands.

It's a cute movie aimed at 10 - 14 year old girls. If your looking for art go to a museum.

The only reason I posted my review here is because of DeYoungs appearance, hope you feel vendicated by your rash and over reactive posting of these reviews. (I quit reading them after the first one).

But just to make you feel better here you go..

"Oh Man, I am so embarassed that I could even consider enjoying this movie. Obviously I have no taste and should never form an opinion again. I bow down to you superior ability to prove you opinion and I admit that you are a stronger, more mature and obviously more savey movie patron. Thank you, thank you for putting me in my place!"

Jeez some people.

[bugsymalone]

The only reason I posted my review here is because of DeYoungs appearance, hope you feel vendicated by your rash and over reactive posting of these reviews. (I quit reading them after the first one).

Why mr. v, you must be under the impression that you could actually post something positive about Dennis on this board. Sorry. Someone should have warned you. NOT allowed here.

If you don't have something ugly or belittling to say about Dennis, then don't say anything at all.

Bugsy

[mr.v]

I actually find it kinda funny (from my normal view point as a lurker) how petty some people will become to stress their point. You have to wonder if these people show these same tendencies in their "real" lives. If so I bet they stay mad all the time, suffer from road rage, and have trouble keeping jobs.

[styxfanNH]

If it wasn't for our curiosity of Dennis' appearance, would anyone go to this movie?

Did/does anyone think before they go to this movie that it was going to be nimonated for an Oscar?

Come on guys....It's summer.......meaning lots of action adventure movies, some minor teen porn comedy or horror, and a few movies targeted at preteens. If you look to the summer for high quality, soul uplifting, spiritual drive, life changing message movies.....then you are fooling yourself.

[Monker]

If it wasn't for our curiosity of Dennis' appearance, would anyone go to this movie?

Not unless you are a pre-teen girl.

It's not going to be a 'win' for anything Styx related, except for fans who MUST see everything Dennis appears in...and maybe a personal accomplishment for Dennis.

It's not an Austin Powers, or Adam Sandler movie, or South Park, which are targeted to the same audience that Styx and Dennis share a fan base with. It's not going to sell Styx or Dennis CD's.

If you look to the summer for high quality, soul uplifting, spiritual drive, life changing message movies.....then you are fooling yourself.

Well, there was Hitchhiker's...and next there will be "War of the Worlds"...But, some silly pre-teen movie is not something I am going to care much about - no matter who is in it.

[Monker]

I actually find it kinda funny (from my normal view point as a lurker) how petty some people will become to stress their point.

And, your post prior to this one brought you down to the same level. Doesn't it feel wonderful?

You have to wonder if these people show these same tendencies in their "real" lives. If so I bet they stay mad all the time, suffer from road rage, and have trouble keeping jobs.

Don't forget: have no friends, will never be married, are diagnosed megalomaniacs, and work for Rolling Stone.

[Zan]

Why mr. v, you must be under the impression that you could actually post something positive about Dennis on this board. Sorry. Someone should have warned you. NOT allowed here.

If you don't have something ugly or belittling to say about Dennis, then don't say anything at all.

Bugsy

Is that the new mantra in the Froy/ItsMyLife secret society?

or were you speaking to them as well?

[sadie65]

From Dennis' website:

Hey everybody,

CarrieAnn Suzanne and I just retuned from the "Perfect man" premiere in L.A. at Universal Studios City Walk. Hillary Duff, Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora, Mike O'Malley, Carson Kressley from Queer Eye, Caroline Rea, Mr. Roboto blasting from the sound system, red carpet, countless paparazzi the usual suspects and... well me. How low can Hollywood stooooop.
As we walked the red carpet shouts of "Dennis, Dennis over here to your left, right behind you" were heard. I was really excited until I realized I was blocking their view of Heather and Hillary. Hmm, Heather and Hillary, I believe that's the Democratic ticket for 'O8.
Seriously it was quite exciting and the after party at the Hard Rock was..well noisy and crowded. Free food and drink brings out the worst in people.
The movie is fantastic. Warm heartfelt and funny, Marc Rossman did a terrific job telling the story and most importantly incorporating my songs into the plot. It's great family entertainment without being sappy. Everyone is great and Mike O'Malley is especially good as the die hard Styx fan. I of course play a singer in a Styx tribute band named "Kilroy". If you have trouble recognizing me I'm the guy who looks like the love child of Tommy Lee and Mike Reno. The band consists of Matthew my son on drums, Hank, Tommy, and John from my band all in disguise. I must say it made me laugh. Remeber now this is all in good fun and meant to bring a smile to your face.
The soundtrack CD is quite good and contains all four of my songs used in the movie, Mr. Roboto, Babe, Lady, and The Best of Times. It's available on Curb Records.
If a few years back you would have told me four of my songs would be in a movie, again and I'd actually be in it, well...you know...

"Winners are losers who got up and gave it one more try".......Dennis
(June 15, 2005)


The movie should be viewed as excapist entertainment. Nothing more. I figure it will not do well against the summer blockbusters, but still, I think taken in context the movie could be fun. Is it one I would go see myself...probably not. It would probably hit my rental list as some point.

Peace

[ChicagoSTYX]

I was not trying to slam anyone. I like a lot of movies that were trashed by the critics. I was not putting down Dennis either. Anytime you can get the name Styx out there it’s a good thing for Styx and Dennis. I found those reviews at RottenTomatoes.com which tracks reviews on all movies. So far they only have 5 reviews up buy by tomorrow they should have close to 100 of them. I’m sorry if I offended anyone.

[swwskj]

ChicagoStyx,

I knew why you posted the reviews-just to share info. You made no statement of your own opinion one way or the other, so there is no reason for anyone to take offense or for you to apologize. I knew the movie was mostly likely crap, as are most films these days. What does it say that half of the films made these days are either movie remakes or TV shows from the 1970's expanded and updated with new casts?

Still that's not to say it won't make some decent money at the box office and it is possible that the parents of those teenage girls may be Styx fans. So there will be some exposure, to what degree no one can be certain. Funny that some of the same people bemoaning those who rooted against Big Bang Theory's success are now trying to downplay any catalog sales boost that may occur due to this film.

Scott

[SuiteMadameBlue]

I've seen these reviews/recaps and a few others good & bad already.

I'm planning to take my daughter to see this movie, she's a huge Hilary Duff fan

I loved a lot of movies that had terrible reviews, to each his/her own.

Dennis was very happy to be on the red carpet on Monday and he's very, very, very, very happy to have 4 of his songs on the Soundtrack.

[Zan]

I've seen these reviews/recaps and a few others good & bad already.

I'm planning to take my daughter to see this movie, she's a huge Hilary Duff fan

I loved a lot of movies that had terrible reviews, to each his/her own.

Dennis was very happy to be on the red carpet on Monday and he's very, very, very, very happy to have 4 of his songs on the Soundtrack.

And it's not like Styx isn't used to being associated with bad reviews or anything. LOL

[Monker]

Why mr. v, you must be under the impression that you could actually post something positive about Dennis on this board. Sorry. Someone should have warned you. NOT allowed here.

If you don't have something ugly or belittling to say about Dennis, then don't say anything at all.

Bugsy

Is that the new mantra in the Froy/ItsMyLife secret society?

or were you speaking to them as well?

Eggsactly. it's a too weigh streat...but sum peepel only sea the traffik coming frum one derection.

[yogi]

I cant believe Froy didnt think of this, but what really would of been funny is if they would of gotten Gowan to sing lead in the Styx cover band!!!!!

[ek88]

I'll probably see this movie at some point in time, simply because Dennis is in it and my curiousity will get the best of me.

[mr.v]

What sin did Heather Locklear commit to deserve her role in The Perfect Man? The former Melrose Place vixen is now old enough to portray Hilary Duff's mom, which in Hollywood counts as sin enough. In The Perfect Man, she's a single mother so desperate for male company that she thinks she deserves no better than the loser who drives a Trans-Am and woos her with his late-night-on-the-sidewalk performance of Styx's ''Lady.'' To remedy her mom's dating woes, Duff, who grows perkier the worse her movies get, invents a fictional secret admirer who ''pursues'' Locklear with flowers and cloying e-mail notes. This is the story, in other words, of a woman being wooed by a nonentity; it's You've Got Mail with one hand typing. Duff's character has problems too (she's tired of moving from city to city), but no actress this synthetically wholesome should engage in this much whining. It renders her about as appealing as a lost Olsen triplet.

GRADE F

In that there was no credit given to this post I made the natural assumption that this was your personal opinion, that you then backed up with 3 bad reviews. If the above quote is from a published review then I do apologize for my sarcastic reply. Again I posted my review for those here that would be intrested in Dennis's appearance, so again your quick trashing of the movie as a whole caught me a bit off guard. It felt to me that it was a "Let's trash Dennis and everything he touches" moment, which is done quite often here, and I should add is returned 3 fold by those who feel the need to trash STYX and it's current members. Again IF I was mistaken by crediting you with the un-credited post I'm sorry.