The Broadway smash Hedwig and the Angry Inch hit theaters in late summer 2001 and a campy selection of songs accompanying the film also showcased the story’s zany appeal. It’s delightfully poppy with a dazzling glam rock twist, and John Cameron Mitchell’s scowling vocals provoke a naughty disposition similar to the likes of David Bowie and the New York Dolls’ David Johansen. It’s fantastically sassy with riveting guitars; a desire to compose another vision of one’s self fully takes form like the film project. “Angry Inch” and “Exquisite Corpse” thrive on T. Rex-like swagger and crunchy licks and define the escalating mood of the movie itself. Hedwig and the Angry Inch’s Stephen Trask, the film’s Tommy Gnosis, swivels his way into lead vocals on “Wicked Little Town” and “In Your Arms Tonight”; Bob Mould plays lead guitar, a nice surprise among these particularly soulful tracks. Girls Against Boys’ “Freaks” echoes post-punk desire quite like the Stooges’ angry rock chants, but it’s the hidden trails of love throughout this warped story of self-acceptance and discovery that makes Hedwig and the Angry Inch enchanting like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Moulin Rouge. – MacKenzie Wilson