Rokk í Reykjavík

Rokk i Reykjavik is a documentary about Icelandic rock groups of the eightees, where bands like Ego, Tappi Tikarass (Bjorks first band), Q4U, Fræbbblarnir, Purkur Pilnikk and many more are filmed live. It also includes interwiev´s with some band members and common people with attitude. Anarcy is the main word! The title of the movie isn´t right thought, because it should have been called Punk in Reykjavik, because the bands performing in the documentary are actually all punk bands. Punk hit Iceland like an atombomb in the eightees, actually four years later than the wave struck other Vest-Euorpean contries. The film is a must see for all punk fans and fans of Bjork, because it´s really weird to see her as a little girl performing in a punk band.

Most people see this film for the wrong reasons. They either are a huge Bjork fan, and see it only for that reason and then say "No bands in here are any good besides Bjork's band", or they see it expecting some elaborate documentary analysis of the importance of the Icelandic music scene in the early eighties. C'mon, give me a break. It's all about the music, and that's what this film is all about. To get an idea of a similar film with a similar format, first watch Urgh! A Music War (1981), as it is a similar film made in the USA. Mostly, Rokk i Reykjavik (1982) is full of Icelandic punk bands that are just trying to get exposure in the early eighties. Not all are good, but watching the film can give you an idea whether or not you want to purchase the soundtrack for the film, much more readily available than the film itself. As for obtaining a rental copy, that might be harder. If you live in or around Los Angeles County, CA, USA, you can either go to Rocket Video in Hollywood, or Video Paradiso in Claremont (next to Rhino Records). I'm sure it is available other places, but I'm also sure that you are only going to find it at independent rental places that go out of their way to get indie films and cult classics, as well as imports. So don't expect to find it at your local Blockbuster or Hollywood Video store. The version I saw was on VHS in NTSC format with English subtitles (it is mostly in Icelandic). The music is hit and miss, but my only complaint is that it does not say the name of bands/songs when they are playing, so there is no way to find out without buying the soundtrack. This is disappointing, because if one band is liked, it is hard to know who they are, so the film is self-depreciating in that way. Otherwise, it is decent. I wonder if it will ever be released on DVD.