Detroit Rock City takes place in 1978 and centers on four kids from Ohio who go to extreme lengths to see a Kiss concert in Detroit. They initially have tickets to the show but unfortunately a mom destroys them. If you can remember the 70šs, you might recall the conservative hype about the satanic influences of the make-up wearing rockers whose name was supposedly an acronym for Knights In Satan's Service. The kids make getting into the concert their quest and much mayhem ensues.

Yes, KISS will appear in the movie in their full regalia. Initially, Carl thought he'd be lucky to get a few songs and maybe the KISS logo. "I'm counting my lucky stars because when I wrote this I didnšt have a connection to Kiss at all, itšs been a series of small miracles," said Carl. When the band and their manager read the script, they were all for the project and have been extremely cooperative.

Detroit Rock City is scheduled to be released in April before the Star Wars prequel bursts it celluloid and smothers the competition. "They had originally slated an August release but pushed it up. I think it means they have a little more faith in the project." said Carl, who is on his way to check out the production as it wraps up in Toronto later this week.

Although Carl has now become a flavor of the month L.A.-style, due to the favorable buzz of the movie, he has been a working writer for years. In fact, he has co-writer credits on The Prophecy, Part III, starring Christopher Walken, which is presently being shot and will go straight to video in March.

The excitement of making it in Hollywood is great but Carl says he'd give his right arm for a grinder and a tall glass of coffee milk. He grew up on Charles Street in Providence and attended Moses Brown on the East Side where, after classes, he and his friends would head for the Avon, plop down 99 cents and see great movies like Annie Hall and Catch-22. Carl had the itch early on and would go to the movies every chance he got. But his favorite Rhode Island memory is eating Casertašs Wimpy Skimpies at Scarborough Beach. Carl says that for all its movie stars and swimming pools, Los Angeles just canšt do Italian food right. And as for the people, Carl believes "there are a handful of real, genuine people and the rest of them are out of their minds."

When asked if he'd write a screenplay about Rhode Island, Carl said, "I'd like to do a sort of Fargo-esque thing about R.I. Something involving license plates, maybe someone wanting to be buried with their low number plate thatšs just the number 11."

oso.com will catch up with Carl Dupre again as Detroit Rock City gets closer to rockin' the big screen here in the Ocean State.

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