Hated: GG Allin & the Murder Junkies

Although he passed away in a typical rock star way (heroin overdose) in 1993, nothing else in GG's life could ever be considered typical. Yes, it is true that GG Allin makes Marilyn Manson look like a Sunday school teacher, but to focus on that is missing the point of this movie. As a fan of rock music, I can understand exactly where GG is coming from when he says that there is a great void in rock music today, that there is no soul behind the stars of the music industry. Where is the senseless destruction? Where is the violence? Where is the hyper-obscene sexuality that once offended legions of conservative suburbanites in the 1950's and 60's? Feeling that since he is the only one with the guts to do anything about it, GG took it upon himself to single-handedly compensate for all the boring cookie-cutter rock stars that anxiously collect royalty checks and live in $10 million mansions. GG willingly suffered to be a martyr for rock music, frequently going so far that once, warrants were out for his arrest in at least seven states at the same time! One scene that particularly hit me was this: GG is shown walking out of a court room after being handed down one of the many prison sentences he received in his life. As he walks by the camera, he exclaims triumphantly, "They're trying to destroy rock and roll but they CAN'T DO IT!" It is strange for me to admit that as a touching statement, especially when said by a man who is repeatedly shown sprawled out naked on stage, smothered in his own blood, urine, and feces, but at the same time, you wonder-- does anyone else out there in that nameless faceless monolith of rock give a damn about what they're doing enough to sacrifice their life for the name of it?

This movie is not for casual patrons of rock-- only a true lover of it will be able to transcend the gruesome, appetite-suppressing, often vomit-inducing qualities of the film. Endlessly fascinating, pathetic, disgusting, tragic, and perplexing, Hated is one the greatest rock documentaries ever made.

Todd Phillips directed this documentary about the infamous punk rock singer, GG Allin. GG Allin was infamous for giving concert goers more than they bargained for in his shows. People who were unfortunate enough to go to one of his shows were usually treated to a music set piece for about 20 to 45 minutes, and then all hell would break lose and GG Allin would then go around attacking audience members, raping women, defecating on stage and then throwing, mutilating himself with weird and sharp objects, and stripping naked and putting all sorts of different things into his anus. There would usually be semi-close riots and chaos, with a lot of people leaving within seconds, and the shows would end in a mess of blood and feces, with GG Allin usually getting arrested. GG Allin had a concert one day that GG Allin had threatened to kill himself on stage during. On the actual day of the concert, GG Allin ended up almost getting arrested by the cops when a riot broke out at the concert, the wide spread confusion was put aside by GG Allin, who ran naked through the streets of New York at twilight. He took shelter at a friend's apartment and overdosed on heroin. He died, and was buried in Littleton, New Hampshire, which is around 80 miles away from my house. This concert has been generously recorded and transfered to this DVD as a bonus feature. This documentary mostly explores the last tour that he was involved with with his then ban, The Murder Junkies, but the documentary also is about some of his friends and his excesses that usually came with his musical numbers. His concerts are truly a sight to behold. These concerts consist of a true form of chaos that people usually only imagine when listening to songs. What amazes me about GG Allin is that he was able to channel this chaos from his music into a reality. With his acts of mutilation, anal penetration, feces throwing, and his random outbursts of violence, GG Allin has been able to transfer all the insufferable confusions that we have as teenagers, and express them into totally outrageous facades and events. This documentary is not only able to show us these quirks, including one deeply memorable sequence that occurs on his birthday which has also been "generously" included on this documentary, but it is able to give us a kind of music icon that could probably never be translated into a modern day mainstream punk rock band. What the film also is able to give us at the same time is a question that all fan boys of punk rock should ask themselves. Is this what punk rock has come to? Where is the talent? Where is the musical genius that speaks to us? This film is able to show us that all of our expectations of rock and punk rock can be sworn on in new music that will never have half the guts that GG Allin had. I highly recommend this amazing and well crafted documentary, if that means anything to you...

Unpleasant to watch, but interesting as a documentary to learn about who and what GG Allin was and how he came to be like this.

Up to the viewer to decide how real GG Allin actually was in the end.

Is the GG Allin seen on-screen in this doco the "real" GG Allin? Frankly, THAT remains to be seen because GG on camera is a different GG to the guy who appeared occasionally at LA's Mondo-Video-A-Go-Go and shot the breeze with The Colonel, the store's proprietor.

The GG essayed on film by Todd Phillips is a force of angry nature, a punk with no discernible talent for music but a blazing talent for notoriety, anarchy and illegality.

What a true warts-and-all docu this is. Its jagged, freewheeling style perfectly mirrors the personal style of its fascinating subject. GG isn't likable in a standard way, but he's a damn courageous nutbag and intensely interesting for the angst he peddles.

Interviews with Deano (the naked drummer), brother Merle (with his Hitler moustache) and ex-members of GG's band, The Murder Junkies, are priceless. Also of bottomless merit is a wild clip where GG gets wasted, heads to a party and pays some skank to urinate into his mouth.

The concert footage is gold, and so is one live performance where a mean-spirited GG (is there any other kind?) slashes himself up and begs a female fan to finish the job. For her efforts, the fan cops a beating.

An interview with GG's old school principal, a vague ex-Hippie, is unforgettable.

One of the best rock docos going and entertaining from beginning to end.

Director Phillips, who also did the disturbing SCREWED, now directs Hollywood forgettables such as ROAD TRIP and OLD SCHOOL.

GG was talentless , GG was insane , GG was disturbed..yep thats all true. The man had no talent (even though I have all his albums..funny stuff)..he was basically just this hateful defiant violent person that didn't give a damn about his life or anyone elses. Todd Phillips disturbing documentary takes us into his world of defiance and destruction. It features some insane characters besides GG ..like Dino the naked drummer who exposed himself to a little girl only to reply "I was just teasing her"..and Allin's weirdo brother Merle with his scary moustache. Includes some very sick scenes , but the most disturbing has got to be the final concert at the Gas Station in New York..it is undescrible but almost a chaotic barrage of nudity , rioting , violence , and a search for heroin that would kill him the next day. No one will ever hold a candle to this sick individual ..maybe thats a good thing