Mittwoch, 27. Dez 2006, 1:24
It's been about an hour since I saw this movie. It's based on the book "American Hardcore: A Tribal History" by Steven Blush, which has been a book I've enjoyed since it came out in 2001. I enjoyed the film quite a bit. Harley Flanagan, H.R., Jimmy Gestapo, and Vinny Stigma are all hilarious!
The film jumps around from scene to scene addressing the general mentality of the burgeoning hardcore punk movements in each region during the rise and fall of the genre (according to the film, roughly 1980/81-1985/86, which naturally I disagreed with, because I'm a child of the Youth Crew 88 sound, but that's for later…), interviewing personalities from their respective scenes.
The film basically focused on The Bad Brains and Black Flag, with a fair amount of attention being paid to Orange County (TSOL) and Boston (SSD, DYS, Gang Green). This was really well done, and fair, because, frankly, these are the bands that defined the movement.
The biggest problems with the documentary were the key players who were basically ignored. The ENTIRE midwest scene was reduced to an interview with a guy who looked like a total lesbian, who was the frontman of a band I wasn't really familiar with, whose name is escaping me, and a brief discussion with Joey Shithead from DOA, who are from Canada, which was apparently strange in some way. So basically, the Necros and Negative Approach didn't get the attention they deserved. There was a brief clip of NA playing "Ready to Fight" (which was amazing. John Brannon was a god in his prime.) and the Necros playing something I don't remember.
Then the real, major, ridiculous, terrible flaw. The Misfits AND the Dead Kennedys were left out. Completely. Bobby Steele (Misfits (12 Hits from Hell), Undead) spoke a little, but not about either of his bands. Jello Biafra wasn't even mentioned AT ALL. I despise Jello, and don't really like the DK's that much, but to have left them out of the film, in favor of using fucking Flipper (fuck that band) as the main focus for the SF bay scene… insane.
H.R. from the Bad Brains was interviewed sitting on the grass, at a wedding, which was naturally amazing for every second he spoke. Dr. Know (from BB) was interviewed in a dark room, with a lamp behind him that Ace kept insisting was a bong sitting behind him.
The guy who owned the studio/store/squat in NYC where BB and Cro-Mags, and well, every other NYHC band from the first wave recorded was interviewed in the desert. And he looks like Colonel Sanders. So we laughed at him quite a bit.
Henry Rollins has a good sense of humor, but anyone who has ever read any of his books already knows that. He was very informative, and well spoken. I was a little annoyed that Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks) was only on screen during the first segment of the film, introducing the basic concept of Hardcore.
I love Al Barile and all of the Boston Crew bands even more now. Hate Edge. But before it was Hardline.
And as I said, Harley Flanagan is FUNNY as hell to watch. He's… dumb. But important.
Anyone interested in learning more about these bands, or whatever, lemme know. I love talking about it.
YDIThe MisfitsBattalion of SaintsBad BrainsD.O.A.Negative ApproachCro-MagsBlack FlagSS DecontrolFEARMinor ThreatMDCCircle JerksDYSTSOLGang GreenAgnostic FrontNecrosJerrys KidsVoidPoison IdeaArticles of Faith7 SecondsDRIWhite CrossCorrosion of ConformityFlipperadolescentsDead Kennedys