The Godfathers of Hardcore

There are things in this world that matter. There are people in this world that make a difference.

I went into this movie thinking that I would see a film about a legendary hardcore band. I walked out realizing that Ian McFarland captured something that has mattered to me and so many like me and that Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma have made a difference. Don't just tell your friends about this movie. Take your folks. Take your family. The Godfathers of Hardcore is an amazing look into our life through our generations voice.

Ian McFarland's Godfathers of Hardcore isn't merely a great rock doc. It's the rare sort of film created by and entrenched within a genuine DiY ethos that is, at its core, a genuine human story. In it's portrait of the friendship between Cuban born Agnostic Front frontman, Roger Miret and Little Italy born-and-bred guitarist Vinnie Stigma, McFarland has exceeded every film (and there have been a number of them) to date to spring from punk's roughest underbelly: Hardcore.

First and foremost, this is a great story about Agnostic Front's two mainstays: the thoughtful and often troubled Miret and his oft comedic, heart-of gold foil, Stigma. It's a great coming-of-age story, a great New York story and a great rock film. With the notable exception of Don Letts' Joe Strummer biopic, The Future is Unwritten, it hits marks in pacing and production values that make it a singular and affecting piece of work.

It's a buddy flick told with a Taxi Driver-like grit and a snarling soundtrack that tells the story of two men who defined New York Hardcore and never let go of their values. Now, nearly four decades later, there have been successes, failures, wives, children, heartbreak and triumphs with Agnostic Front still taking stages from Boston to Bangcock and waving the flag, not just for NYHC but for their very own spirit of independence.

I was lucky enough to get a ticket to see this at its London premiere as part of the Raindance festival. This is not your usual rockumentary, this is a story of how two influential members of the NY hardcore scene have remained part of those that want to see that scene thriving. It's candid at times as we learn more about the backgrounds and early lives of Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma but there is also a lot of (previously unseen) footage of their band, Agnostic Front, and others as they were in the early 80s and as they are now.

Stigma and Miret don't come across as pampered self-proclaiming rock stars, they come across as decent, honest, hard-working blokes that know their limitations but give their all to a scene they helped create and that they believe in still, today.

I loved the story, I loved the footage, I realised, again, how important hardcore music is as the very basis for so much of today's rock and punk scene.

This film is absolutely tremendous. Ian McFarland has done Roger Miret, Vinnie Stigma, and the Hardcore scene in general, proud. Watch it when you can.

As a punk hardcore kid myself, I went to the London premiere expecting a traditional rock documentary. You know, the regular talking heads, the story of the band, the ups and downs of life on the road....The Godfathers of Hardcore delivers something different. The director chose to focus on the human side of things, the two contrasting personalities whose friendship kept the band alive for almost 40 years now. I believe that adds so much more depth to the movie and it's quite a different way of telling the story. It feels more like a documentary about life than music itself.

Yes, it's a niche film and if you're not familiar with hardcore/punk and the overall history of Agnostic Front you will feel a bit left out sometimes. This is not a biopic of the band and its members. Maybe a bit more context could have been added at times to back some of the past events that are presented, and the more recent live footage from the gig in Germany doesn't really add that much to it, other than the "on-stage" perspective that the director explained further in the Q&A.

Ultimately this is the story of two special individuals that grew up in a very specific (and rough) time and place and a snapshot of what they done with their lives and the challenges they face in getting older. It's a very unorthodox and beautiful perspective, something that appeals more to human emotions than nostalgia.

I'm a sucker for music documentaries and I've always been a huge fan of Agnostic Front, so of course, I was going to watch this film. But, I wasn't expecting anything more than another Hardcore film full of the history of punk and the roots of hardcore and blah blah blah. Stuff I already know. So, was I surprised when I watched "The Godfather's of Hardcore". This film is great. I love how it focus' on the personal life's of Roger Merit and Vinnie Stigma rather than the band, Agnostic Front. This film taught me things I never knew about these two punk rock legends. I highly suggest that you watch this film, you will not be disappointed. I can't recommend it enough.