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IMDbPro

American Hardcore

  • 2006
  • R
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
American Hardcore (2006)
Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Play trailer1:53
1 Video
15 Photos
DocumentaryHistoryMusic

The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986

  • Director
    • Paul Rachman
  • Writer
    • Steven Blush
  • Stars
    • Greg Ginn
    • Ian MacKaye
    • James Drescher
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    3.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Paul Rachman
    • Writer
      • Steven Blush
    • Stars
      • Greg Ginn
      • Ian MacKaye
      • James Drescher
    • 38User reviews
    • 43Critic reviews
    • 69Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    American Hardcore
    Trailer 1:53
    American Hardcore

    Photos15

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    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Greg Ginn
    • Self
    Ian MacKaye
    Ian MacKaye
    • Self
    James Drescher
    • Self
    • (as Jimmy Gestapo)
    Lucky Lehrer
    • Self
    Vic Bondi
    • Self
    Joe Keithley
    Joe Keithley
    • Self
    • (as Joey 'Shithead' Keithley)
    Keith Morris
    Keith Morris
    • Self
    Angie Sciarappa
    • Self
    Nancy Barile
    • Self
    Mike Watt
    • Self
    David Markey
    • Self
    • (as Dave Markey)
    Jordan Schwartz
    • Self
    Howard Saunders
    • Self
    Perry Webb
    • Self
    Bobby Steele
    • Self
    Greg Hetson
    Greg Hetson
    • Self
    Richard 'Crispy' Crammer
    • Self
    Ken Inouye
    • Self
    • Director
      • Paul Rachman
    • Writer
      • Steven Blush
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews38

    7.33.6K
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    Featured reviews

    6tyroneyo

    awesome footage, incomplete story

    OK, As you would expect the footage of the bands in their prime is absolutely incredible... made me want to stage dive in the theater. the interviews of some of hardcore's icons lived up to my expectations - Keith morris, Ian Mackaye and Henry Rollins always have memorable sound bites - but the director also made sure to include lesser known "musicians" like the dudes from heart attack, die Kreuzen and death piggy. HOWEVER, my biggest complaint was the lack of a fully descriptive storyline and the exclusion of "non-thrash" hardcore bands As with most punk documentaries the opening setting really drew me in by explaining the social, cultural and political backdrop that spawned the scene. Surprisingly, there is almost no footage of the 77-80 punk rock influences that shaped hardcore...no Ramones or pistols or even fear or the germs and other just Pre-hardcore bands. it jumps right into the thrash full throttle, but unfortunately tries to let said footage carry the documentary, which it does not always do.

    Again, as with most punk documentaries, this one struggles to end. it builds up the scene, describes some of the regional tribes - affording WAY too much time to Boston and really skimping on Texas and the entire Midwest - and then realizes it's got to end somehow. The movie is a real jumble. It doesn't get into the "kids" that much (i can't think of any regular "fans" who were interviewed. everyone was either in a band or ran a label or was the girlfriend of a major player.) and does not detail just what kind of people were attracted to hardcore outside of the generic explanation of "angry outcasts" from the suburbs. (like what's the difference between a Misfits fan and your run of the mill Iron Maiden fan.) It doesn't really timeline the rise, peak and decline of the era. the interviewees just say how awesome and crazy and new it was, dude, the Bad Brains rule, and then Ian Mackaye realizes fighting is "uncool" (although fighting was totally awesome in '81) and then DYS and SSD really start to suck and it's all over by '86. Excessive intra-scene violence is mentioned, but except for Rollins pummeling a dude in a separate scene - no fighting footage is shown (there's got to be TONS of fight footage!). no mention of big labels coming in and trying to commodify the scene and no reference to metal bands incorporating hardcore beats to create thrash metal or how many of the HC participants led the college rock/indie movement of the late 80s into the 90s alternative explosion (although i'm glad they didn't end the film with Nirvana & Green Day). i realize the documentary is about HC, but the scene didn't just end, the music and the people just changed form. (on a side note, anyone involved in the hardcore scene after '86 will once again be frustrated by the blanket statement that the scene just ended one day and not the more sensible opinion that a new generation of kids have continually created new and different waves of HC scenes through the years...even if the newer scenes weren't as good it's a real slap in the face to suggest bands like YoT, Citizens Arrest, Integrity, Los Crudos, Tragedy and many more are not HC....MRR still publishes for Christsakes).

    This leads me to my second point that the range of bands covered - except for flipper and the Nig heist - were only awesome thrash bands. (yes, i know it's a strange complaint.) no reference to husker Du or the Butthole surfers and how those bands pushed the musical boundaries of HC or footage of some funky big boys or minutemen songs which would spotlight how bands like the chili peppers/faith no more would tweak the HC sound and successfully sell it to millions. i know you can't show every band from the era, but if you added the aforementioned bands and subtracted some (admittedly Slammin') YDI and Scream footage it may have shown the broader impact of that original HC scene. i should note that a couple obvious bands had to be omitted for legal reasons and a couple of your favorites were probably cut out in editing... mine being the Descendents, red cross, naked Raygun, AOD and GG Allin and the jabbers. i really don't know how to end this review... the archival footage is amazing and i'm glad this era of punk rock has finally been given the documentary treatment, but if you're not a crazy hardcore punk fan such as myself, you may get kinda bored after 45 minutes...just ask my girlfriend.
    10KRB-3

    Completely Awesome !

    You would go out at night with a friend or two, look for some no name building where you would see a couple of punks hanging outside, go inside, pay your $6.00 and walk through a door or a small hallway, go down the stairs and feel the heat & smell the sweat, and then the assault of noise would fill the "club". In L.A. it could be the Cathy De Grand with D.R.I. or the Circle Jerks at the Sunset Ballroom with Youth Brigade, or, well it didn't matter who you went to see, you just had to get there and be a part of it. It was 90 MPH music coming at you with every possible watt there was. It was Loud,Fast, and Relentelss. That is Hardcore punk rock. When the bands were done, you gathered yourself, took a deep breath, looked yourself over to make sure you were all there, and you walked outside to get some fresh air. You survived another show. As the cars drove past, you laughed at yourself thinking, No one know's what just went on inside here. Well, This movie lets you inside. It's the real deal. When I watched some of the videos of the bands playing, I could not help myself from belting out some of the words from these great songs. This is American Hardcore the way I remember it. Great job on telling this story.
    7Spiralzed

    Hardcore essence, hardcore absence

    This film puts you on the stage with (almost) all the protagonists of the scene. Now, I saw the efforts in the production: many interviews, many concerts, however, in the end, I cannot hide that it's remained in me a feeling of disappointment. There are many, too many bands ignored in this documentary that, according to its presentation, should talk about history of hardcore in the USA. Well, for example, I haven't heard of the Dead Kennedys even once. This is only one of the many absences (for me, the worst) that have petrified me. It's a good film and everyone who like this musical genre should watch it in my opinion, but what a pity.
    6philler2

    Somewhat of a disappointment

    I remember reading a review of American Hardcore in one of the weeklies in Portland. It stated something to the extent that if you know hardcore, you will not learn anything and if you know nothing about hardcore, you won't learn much. I can't agree more.

    As someone that has a fair amount of knowledge of the history of the American Hardcore movement, I don't feel like I learned much new about hardcore. And, I have talked to others that know little about hardcore and they had a hard time tracking.

    I was also surprised about some of the things that were missing. How could Maximum Rock n' Roll be left out? Maybe the Dead Kennedys were left out because of all the legal stuff going on with them now or maybe because a lot of old punks don't like them now. I know there is only so much room and info someone can squeeze into two hours, but it is hard to see how certain things were left out of it.

    I think it was a good attempt. The director should have made a better decision and either make it a movie for someone that knew nothing or a movie for the more advanced viewer. Still, if you are a fan of hardcore or you are perhaps a younger viewer that has some interest in the hardcore punk movement of the early 80's, it is worth renting.
    6cinemart

    Muddled Albeit Heartfelt

    Too young for hardcore and too young for grunge, I had to learn about most of the bands in Paul Rachman's documentary American HARDCORE after their demise or during their declining years. The emptiest screening I attended at the festival, Rachman covers the oft-overlooked hardcore music scene of the early 1980s via a montage of maps, concert footage, and talking head interviews. Feeling like it was edited with a food processor, American HARDCORE does a fair job of cracking the lid on the hardcore scene but doesn't come close to presenting the material in any kind of cohesive way.

    While the footage and photos of these myriad classic bands are fun to see (and the music is a blast), the film's narrative thrust is a muddled mess and some bands are conspicuously missing (old cliques die hard?). Hopefully a soundtrack will come from this.

    Related interests

    Dziga Vertov in L'Homme à la caméra (1929)
    Documentary
    Liam Neeson in La Liste de Schindler (1993)
    History
    Prince and Apollonia Kotero in Purple Rain (1984)
    Music

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Despite this movie talking about how Reagan's presidency gave inspiration to the whole hardcore punk scene, New York Hardcore Punk band Reagan Youth is nowhere to be heard in this documentary.
    • Connections
      Features Urban Struggle: The Battle of the Cuckoo's Nest (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Pay to Cum
      Written by H.R. (as P. Hudson), Gary 'Dr. Know' Miller (as G. Miller),

      Darryl Jenifer (as D. Jenifer), Earl Hudson (as E. Hudson)

      Performed by Bad Brains

      Caroline/EMI Records

      © Bad Brains Publishing (ASCAP) 1979

      Used by Permission

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    FAQ15

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 21, 2006 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980 - 1986
    • Filming locations
      • Boston, Massachusetts, USA
    • Production companies
      • AHC Productions
      • Envision Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $279,665
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $18,102
      • Sep 24, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $376,057
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 40m(100 min)
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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