Review: Watching this movie was like experiencing an intense migraine and epilepsy for an hour and a half and yet still finding yourself smiling at the end of it all. Hard to imagine, right? But it's true as Paul Rachman's film recreates the essence of early Punk Rock through fast edits and loud (very loud) music. The problem with is that no full length film can sustain this energy and interviews end up cutting against the grain of this idea. So viewers are constantly jolted between loud edits and eerily slow interviews. Don't get me wrong, the former punk rockers are great interviews and are surprisingly candid in their commentary and discussion. Unfortunately, what this documentary ends up being is a conglomeration of short stories and anecdotes without any true common thread or examination of the era or its impact on later music. This of course was upsetting to me because I specifically rented American Hardcore because it sold itself as showing the influence Punk music had on current musical trends. So don't rent/buy this expecting a coherent argument or storyline. Of course, not having a storyline isn't necessarily a bad thing, and if anything, seems to cut closer to the heart of punk then outsiders would want to believe. Unlike most musical movements, punk truly stemmed from an anarchist mentality and a desire to be completely pure and original. For that reason, this was less about a cohesive group of music lovers and more about a group of individuals (who sometimes got along and other times didn't) distinguishing themselves from the disco and rock and roll pack. I don't want to say anymore taking away from the interviews and stories would merely take the heart out of this film. Don't expect this to be a musical history lesson or really an attempt to build appreciation for a short lived era. Instead, grab a bunch of friends, turn on the surround sound system and enjoy the countless stories that will have you both laughing and questioning the very humanity of some of the musicians filmed. If you can outlast the drawn out middle section, you'll appreciate a beginning and end that will have you pumped and ready to rock out (or reach for the nearest Advil). Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 3- you learn about Punk Rock's Renaissance period but an examination of why it abruptly stopped isn't really explored. Entertainment: 4- you'll waffle between loving the stories people share and praying you never meet these people in an alley. Technical: 3- Great Punk montages and map effects, but abrupt changes become disconcerting and than down right annoying. Overall: 3- Great opening and closing 30 minutes, but could have been much better overall if it was cut down by at least 10 to 15 minutes.
American Hardcore
Format: DVD Year: 2006 Running Time: 100 Min Distributor: AHC Productions LLC and Sony Pictures Classics Producer: Steven Blush and Paul Rachman Director: Paul Rachman Date Reviewed: 5-10-2007 Story: Tracing punk-rock music's turbulent history from 1980 to '86, this retrospective documentary celebrates the hundreds of influential hard-core bands that paved the way for tamer acts such as Nirvana, Blink-182, the Beastie Boys, Green Day and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Archival footage includes performances from the Circle Jerks, Flipper, Gwar, Jerry's Kids, the Replacements, the Teen Idles and Wasted Youth (NetFlix).