It's journalistic style to refer to subjects by their last name after first reference. But when talking about Rush -- you know, the influential, complex and "boring" Canadian "power trio" that has been overlooked by the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame and within many musical circles the past 36 years -- surnames don't seem to fit.

Geddy. Alex. Neil.

That's more like it. And with Thursday night's nationwide cinematic screening of "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage" playing at a sold-out Palladium IMAX at The Rim, those in attendance would likely agree.

The story of singer/bassist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer/lyricist Neil Peart came to life on the big screen yielding footage previously unseen and stories untold in both a comical and emotional way. The documentary is directed by Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen, both of whom directed Iron Maiden's acclaimed 2009 DVD "Flight 666."

The film's first 20 minutes are devoted to Rush's days with original drummer John Rutsey, who died in 2008. It chronicles the days of Geddy and Alex meeting in junior high school in Canada and visits some of the places they used to play starting out. Alex recounts how one gig netted $10 -- for the entire band.

Testimonials come courtesy of Dream Theater drummer and Rush tribute band member Mike Portnoy (who I'll be interviewing this afternoon), Nine Inch Nails singer Trent Reznor, Smashing Pumpkins singer/guitarist Billy Corgan, actor and Tenacious D singer Jack Black and more including family members, management, DJs and fans. There are accounts of Rush's early tours opening for KISS, Ted Nugent and UFO (stay tuned for my interview with former UFO guitarist Michael Schenker).

The film was originally labeled a one-night-only affair, but the IMAX will be showing it again at 8 p.m. today and Saturday. Tickets are available for each night and can be purchased here. You might want to get there early -- I arrived 40 minutes before showtime, and the line was about 85 people deep. And remember, Rush will be playing Moving Pictures in its entirety as part of its Sept. 23 concert at the AT&T Center (visit links under the photo).

Without giving too much away, here are my favorite highlights:

• Gene Simmons on taking Rush on the road in 1975: "My God, you can be an ugly bastard like me and still get laid. These guys never did."
• Sebastian Bach, who covered "What You're Doing" as a B-side while in Skid Row: "They're singing in French. I can't even figure out (Geddy's) English!"
• While talking about why Neil doesn't do meet-and-greets with fans and explaining how they deal with fame, a clip is shown of Geddy and Alex having lunch. A woman in her 50s wants Geddy's autograph and doesn't care that she's leaning over Alex to get it while he's trying to eat. When Geddy tells her to get Alex's signature, saying he's "the leader of the group," the woman says "Yes" -- but walks away.
• Geddy reveals that both of his parents were Holocaust survivors.
• Alex watches home video of the day he told his parents at the dinner table that he wanted to quit his senior year of high school and become a full-time musician.
• The band recounts its five-year sabbatical -- and near break-up -- after Neil lost his daughter and wife in a 10-month span in the late '90s. Get a load of how many miles Neil traveled on his motorcycle to get away from everything.

It's difficult to rate a documentary five stars unless it has no holes or weaknesses. This film deserves four (closer to 4 1/2), falling short of perfection for two reasons: 1) for as much time as it spends explaining the band's beginnings, it never explains why they call themselves Rush and 2) every single studio album is mentioned and/or dissected except for one, and it's one of my favorites: 1991's Roll The Bones. The omission has the feeling of a snafu in the editing process -- not the band's fault.

That being said, I walked into the theater psyched, with the intro to "Anthem" stuck in my head. I walked out with a larger appreciation for a band I thought I couldn't have appreciated any more.

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