Purports to tell the story of a young Christian man's discovery that rock music is (allegedly) evil, and his subsequent salvation, but film ends up showing us a guy becoming so unlikeable, homophobic, and holier-than-thou that we start to root for his friends to save themselves, and get away from this fruitcake.He ends up completely alienated from all his friends, and his girlfriend, and becomes so utterly paranoid about the evils of rock music, that it ruins his life.There's this film's hero for you! Imagine if Jack Nicholson had found Christianity, rather than go bonkers, in The Shining, and it had been an after school special.Horribly outdated, even for the 1980s, it seems more like 1940s Bible belt propaganda for the already converted. Or, was the purpose of this film to show how religion can, and does, ruin some peoples' lives? The film's climactic sermon makes it especially difficult to tell.

Throughout the 1980s - 1990s, numerous "After School Specials" and Television Movies attempted to "connect" with young people in order to warn them to stay clear of dangerous and unhealthy activities.Production values generally ranged from low-budget to average, and many of these programs were (if nothing else) a well-meaning attempt to deal with a serious social problem affecting young people (i.e. bullying, peer pressure, drug addiction or AIDS) However, a fair number of these Television Specials -- often released directly on VHS -- featured some absurd attacks on whatever was considered "hip" popular culture, i.e. rock music, Dungeons & Dragons, Hollywood movies, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Action Figures, and video games.Rock: It's Your Decision falls into this category, meaning that it will probably be watched mainly for comedic satire or riffing. However, as this is a review of the film, I can no longer delay diving right into it.The film is set in the early 1980s -- in a "typical" (read: mostly white and middle class) American suburban community. It is in this glorious (insert sarcastic joke here) Reagan Era that we meet a trouble youth named, "Jeff".Jeff -- clearly played by an actor in his 20s or 30s -- listens to popular music, which greatly worries his parents who seem to believe that all rock n' roll is promoting free love, premarital sex, drugs and disrespect to authority figures.The parents have their son meet up with the local youth pastor, who persuades the teen to give up popular music for awhile, which means that Jeff cannot attend a concert with his girlfriend or go to a party where other kids from his church are playing amazingly generic (and bland) instrumental music.Throughout the (thankfully) short film Jeff tries to convinced his friends (and strangers he meets at a Record Store) that all rock music is evil, the rock musicians are are evil, and youth that listen to this modern music will become devil-worshiping, sex-crazed, gay maniacs who are also involved in the occult.The film ends with Jeff -- having not had much luck selling his ideas to his friends or strangers -- giving a speech to the church youth group about the evils of rock n' roll.Yes, it can be argued that certain rock n' roll songs are entirely inappropriate for children (Christian or otherwise), and yes, teenagers should respect their elders.However, Jeff only yells at his mother when she tells him to turn the music down, or when he sees her watching Soap Operas.This last point is one of the (many) odd things in the film.The film seems to acknowledge that the argument it is making could easily be applied to T.V. Soap Operas (quite popular with conservative Christian housewives in the 1980s). This is actually a valid point.If you take the position that all rock n' roll is immoral, and should be avoided, it does seem a bit hypocritical to give soap operas a free pass. But, I am not going to lose any sleep over this little bit of moral hypocrisy.This film is probably most famous for final speech that Jeff gives, because it perfectly captures not only the absurdity of the argument being made in the film, but (on top of everything else) the film manages to digs up a bit of homophobia in order to advance its absurd argument.Jeff reminds his peers that not only are rock n' roll stars heavily involved in devil worship and the occult (don't bother waiting for any facts or evidence on that point), but that many of them are also "avowed homosexuals".Granted, socially conservative, evangelical Christians are the target audience for this film, and, in 1982, homophobia (even hate crimes) was being actively promoted by powerful groups such as the "Moral Majority".However, by the end of the film you do not see much of a future for Jeff outside of suicide or an extended stay at an mental institution.Any potentially valid argument that the film could have made is tossed aside in favor of outrageous accusations, moral hypocrisy and some homophobia tossed in for good measure.

First off. I'm a Christian. I'm a good-two-shoes. I don't do drugs. But this is a one-sided debate. The movie can be displayed as a really rude method of displaying music is bad? Rock is that bad? Pffft. Wait till you get to some rap artist such as Snoop Dogg. I'm "ok" on rock as a taste. I listen to pop songs and techno. And even those have "suggestive themes" but its just music overall. The only that a music could do evil is if it shapes you as a person. But that is mainly your own fault, not the song. Just listening to it is nothing wrong and even God would have agreed. Its about if you take the music as a message for something. The movie is depressing. Our "protagonist", which I bet is more of an antagonist, is slowly being brainwashed by his parents. And it happens. We all get coached by our parents. And sometimes we go rogue. This movie is pretty much how I lived through. And I was given "coach" lessons about how video games are bad and ho I shouldn't be watching any movies containing a sex scene. As long as I don't go and jerk off to a nude scene in a movie I should be fine. Its not like the movie will melt my brain. -Back to the movie!- Apparently he starts to lose social connection and basically isolates himself who is now a "henchman" to his parent's opinions. Its really sad. He loses all his friends and close connections aside from family members. And his mother still watches Soap Operas which could have a nice set of arguments against too. But that is where I wonder if this is not supposed to be an "anti-rock" movie but a "anti-anti rock movie". The kid has a scene with his mom where he actually confronts his mom that she watches soap operas and talks about sexual advertisements. Which he has a fair point and I'd rather go towards that area instead. But his mother slaps him. That's my ideal point here. It clearly shows a nasty twist and basically puts his mom just or worse than his case in a perspective view.Most of the rock music does contain suggestive themes but I have heard a lot of non-Christian-related music that actually display a very a god moral like a plot in a book. Music shows emotions. And we react to music through our emotions. Just like horror movies can "scare" or "frighten" us or comedy can make us "laugh" and "smile" same with romance. We need emotions to be a social person and maintain our humanity. We cannot fully understand right and wrong without it nor share our careful decisions through it.Overall this is a terrible movie. Not because of acting, plot, etc. Its just terrible because it is indeed some sort of propaganda on the topic of something absolutely foolish at the times around the 80s. If this was the 60s or 70s that would make more sense but this is the 80s. Rock has already been acceptable to society an parents have allowed it. And let alone, Christian rock is now around the place. The kid in the end has a sermon preach about how its bad. It randomly accuses specific songs and artists such as The Eagles as being evil. Yet the song already has a meaning that is factual and his arguments go in some sort of panic mode because in the end he adds in homosexuality. That is the dumbest thing I ever heard.Overall, lets burn this movie to the pits of Hell. I even think God would damn this rubbish of a movie.By the way, I'm a Christian. I love rock, pop, country and classical and even Christian (also Christian dubstep). Nothing is wrong with the music. Its about you. Your choices, your methods on handling it as a mature person. You like rap, great. But never let music shape your personality. Be yourself. Cheesy end!

I don't know if this was brainless ignorance or the smartest movie that show how being a blind fundamentalist without understanding the issue beforehand, can make a human being into a crude unlikable person. It's a great insight of the psychological level on how brainwashed some of these people are. This movie is very interesting, to the point, that in a way, it's has this downfall arch, that seem that it could happen. The kid destroys his life on the basis that the music he genuinely enjoys is made out to be 'evil' by his controlling parents. Clearly, I don't think that is the movie was going for, but as an audience member watching this. That is what I saw. I think the movie fails to get its message across on film, but not doing any research or provide any examples to back up their claim that rock music is Satan's work. Anyways, who are their target audience? Clearly, this movie wasn't made during the 1950's where old fashion parents thought rock music was threat. It would have made more sense. No, this movie was made in the 1980's, where at the time, most parents of 1980's were teenagers growing up at the 1950's or the 1960's, rebelling their previous generation by listening to the works of Elvis Pressley, Beatles and other rock bands at the time. Clearly, this movie wasn't made for them. Was this movie made for the Christians? Growing up, Christians, I have never heard that rock music is the devil's work. There is plenty of examples of Christian's rock bands that were playing in churches in the 1980's. I guess Norman Greenbaum and Petra are evil rock band. So, I don't understand the logic of this film. The message doesn't get across, as it's executed is so poorly done, that it just gets the audience to oppose the message of the movie. This movie should probably be preserved for future generations to admire its groundbreaking stupidity at the time. Just wait until they get hold off the music that 1990's and 2000s have product. Then, they have something to talk about. Even if, it was made today, I doubt people would think music is clearly evil, because many of people grew up with music, and for the most part, people turn out semi- alright after listening to those tunes. There are plenty of Christians that listen to Eagles, Rolling Stones, and other hits. They even had something against The Captain and Tennille. When I think of Death Metal, yeah Captain and Tennille are truly the bad seeds of hell. The acting is over the top, and has way too much depressing undertones. Jeff (Ty Taylor) is the man driven by his love of rock music, who only sin is that. He basically a good kid, but his mother becomes terrified about her son's attitude. Like she never heard a teenager rebellions. She force Jeff to speak to a youth pastor, who then influence Jeff into thinking that all rock music is against God. Soon, he become torture to the point that he alienated his friends. Ty Taylor's acting is so laughable, as it makes it sound like without music, it's like he's kicking heroin. There is no major struggle. You would think a movie like this would show bad things happening to the kids who like Rock music, like getting addicted to drugs, worshiping Satan, or having pre-marital sex, or something. While this movie is pretty brief, only clocking in for 53 minutes. It's just painful to watch. There is nothing really much to see, besides talking, and yelling. I really didn't his music choices really contradicting his belief to God. This movie was trite propaganda, it's no accident: the primary source for Jeff's research is Frank Garlock's "The Big Beat", one of several reactionary Christian literary works devoted to the supposed "evils" of rock music. It's funny in a way because Frank Garlock is a music professor. I guess, he doesn't see that he limiting his own passion. This is just nothing wrong, with listening to music, even if it's violence music, as long as you don't act upon what they're saying. Music is created by an individual and can be interpreted in many different ways. Going beyond that and using the music as an excuse to fling your religious beliefs at people is outlandish. If anything, most of the examples in this film are pretty tame, and mainstream. One would have to live a pretty sheltered life to think they're a Satan cult. This movie is deeply dated. The movie become too preachy that it lost value. As far as I can tell, God loves music, all kinds of music. I mean, if there is a God, he made it, right? It's a shame that the movie was basically extreme fundamentalist propaganda because it could have told a great story if it had an ounce of impartiality. Not only do they attack rock music, but foreign music because as the film put out, foreign music forced people to believe in their foreign beliefs. A bunch of hypocrites made this movie. So it's OK for the film to use Christian gospel music to get people to believe in Jesus, but foreign music is outlaw because might turn them Hindu or Muslim! It seem that the film want to destroy other outside influences that might foster interests other than Jesus. I don't know why homosexuals were also attack on this film, but it's seem like the movie is trying to make music to blame for all the homosexuals in the world. It wasn't needed. I don't think the company that made this movie should be preaching. Olive's Film did produce Christian movies in the early 1980s, but also they made porn in a later date. I try to look both ways on the coin with this issue, but, I just can't find anything to support this film's message. This movie is your decision to watch.