''Kilroy Was Here'' is a

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

made to tie in with the

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; grc, Στύξ ) is a river that forms the boundary between Earth (Gaia) and the Underworld. The rivers Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Styx all converge at the centre of the underworld on a great marsh, whic ...

album of the same name. It was played at the beginning of each Styx show on their 1983 tour. It was written and directed by Brian Gibson of ''

Still Crazy ''Still Crazy'' is a 1998 British comedy film directed by Brian Gibson (his final film before his death in 2004). The plot concerns a fictional 1970s rock band named Strange Fruit, who, after being split up for two decades, are persuaded to get ...

'', '' What's Love Got to Do With It'', ''

The Josephine Baker Story ''The Josephine Baker Story'' is an American television film that first aired on HBO on March 16, 1991. It stars Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker, who was an international African-American star, who was especially successful in Europe. The film w ...

'' and ''

Poltergeist II ''Poltergeist II: The Other Side'' (also known simply as ''Poltergeist II'') is a 1986 American supernatural horror film directed by Brian Gibson, and starring JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O'Rourke, Oliver Robins, Zelda Rubinst ...

'' fame. The VHS video release of the mini-film and live concert is also known as ''Caught in the Act'' in the United States.

Plot

The film tells of a future where rock music is outlawed by a

fascist Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...

theocratic Theocracy is a form of government in which one or more deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries who manage the government's daily affairs. Etymology The word theocracy originates fro ...

government and the "MMM (the Majority for Musical Morality)". The story's protagonist, Robert Orin Charles Kilroy, is a former rock star who has been framed for murder and imprisoned by MMM leader Dr. Everett Righteous. In this future society, policing and other peacekeeping duties are maintained by robots; in the prison where Kilroy is kept, "Roboto" humanoid models act as prison guards. Meanwhile, a young musician/activist, Jonathan Chance, is on a mission to bring rock music back. He is shown leaving a

shibboleth A shibboleth (; hbo, , šībbōleṯ) is any custom or tradition, usually a choice of phrasing or even a single word, that distinguishes one group of people from another. Shibboleths have been used throughout history in many societies as passwor ...

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

tag, and later comes to the attention of Kilroy when he pirates an MMM video broadcast with a Kilroy video (actually the Styx music video for " Borrowed Time" dubbed over with DeYoung clean shaven). This inspires Kilroy to disable a Roboto, steal its mask as a disguise, and escape prison. At night, Chance breaks into the Paradise Theatre, the site of the Kilroy concert where an MMM member was allegedly killed by Kilroy. The theater has since been turned into an MMM museum against rock music, filled with animatronic replicas of "decadent" rock stars such as

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

, and Kilroy. Still disguised as a Roboto, the real Kilroy emerges from the shadows and reveals himself to Chance. At this point the film ends (when shown in concert, this would segue into the opening song by the band, "

Mr. Roboto "Mr. Roboto" is a song by American rock band Styx, released as the lead single from their eleventh studio album, '' Kilroy Was Here'' (1983). It was written by band member Dennis DeYoung. In Canada, it went to #1 on the '' RPM'' national single ...

").

Cast

* Dennis DeYoung as Robert Orin Charles Kilroy (R.O.C.K.), a former rock star, the protagonist of the story * Tommy Shaw as Jonathan Chance, a young musician who allies himself with Kilroy * James "J.Y." Young as Dr. Everett Righteous, MMM leader, the antagonist of the story *

Chuck Panozzo Charles Salvatore Panozzo (born September 20, 1948) is an American musician best known as a co-founder of the rock band Styx. He is currently a part-time bass player in the band, sharing bass duties with Ricky Phillips. Panozzo suffers from HIV ...

as Lt. Vanish, Righteous henchman/Voice of the Roboto * John Panozzo as Col. Hyde, Righteous henchman/Prisoner *

Robert Romanus Robert Romanus (born July 17, 1956), also billed as Bob Romanus, is an American actor and musician who has starred in film and television. He is perhaps best known for his role as ticket scalper Mike Damone in the 1982 comedy ''Fast Times at Rid ...

as Jonathan Chance's Friend *

Michael Winslow Michael Leslie Winslow (born September 6, 1958) is an American actor, comedian and beatboxer billed as The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects for his ability to make realistic sounds using only his voice. He is best known for his roles in all seven ''Po ...

as Jimi (uncredited)

References

External links

* 1983 films 1983 short films Films directed by Brian Gibson British short films Styx (band) 1980s English-language films {{1980s-UK-film-stub