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IMDbPro

CBGB

  • 2013
  • R
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
12K
YOUR RATING
Alan Rickman, Malin Akerman, Rupert Grint, and Ashley Greene in CBGB (2013)
 A look at the New York City punk-rock scene and the venerable nightclub, CBGB, run by the incomparable Hilly Kristal.
Play trailer2:03
24 Videos
99+ Photos
CrimeDramaMusicRomance

A look at the New York City punk-rock scene and the venerable nightclub, CBGB.A look at the New York City punk-rock scene and the venerable nightclub, CBGB.A look at the New York City punk-rock scene and the venerable nightclub, CBGB.

  • Director
    • Randall Miller
  • Writers
    • Jody Savin
    • Randall Miller
  • Stars
    • Alan Rickman
    • Malin Akerman
    • Justin Bartha
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    12K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Randall Miller
    • Writers
      • Jody Savin
      • Randall Miller
    • Stars
      • Alan Rickman
      • Malin Akerman
      • Justin Bartha
    • 69User reviews
    • 39Critic reviews
    • 30Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos24

    Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:03
    Trailer #1
    CBGB
    Clip 1:45
    CBGB
    CBGB
    Clip 1:45
    CBGB
    CBGB
    Clip 0:31
    CBGB
    CBGB
    Clip 1:20
    CBGB
    CBGB
    Clip 0:56
    CBGB
    CBGB: Idaho Feeds The Rat
    Clip 1:20
    CBGB: Idaho Feeds The Rat

    Photos179

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    + 173
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    Top cast60

    Edit
    Alan Rickman
    Alan Rickman
    • Hilly Kristal
    Malin Akerman
    Malin Akerman
    • Debbie Harry
    Justin Bartha
    Justin Bartha
    • Stiv Bators
    Richard de Klerk
    Richard de Klerk
    • Taxi
    Johnny Galecki
    Johnny Galecki
    • Terry Ork
    Kyle Gallner
    Kyle Gallner
    • Lou Reed
    Ashley Greene
    Ashley Greene
    • Lisa Kristal
    Rupert Grint
    Rupert Grint
    • Cheetah Chrome
    Estelle Harris
    Estelle Harris
    • Bertha Kristal
    Taylor Hawkins
    Taylor Hawkins
    • Iggy Pop
    Ryan Hurst
    Ryan Hurst
    • Mad Mountain
    Stana Katic
    Stana Katic
    • Genya Ravan
    Joel David Moore
    Joel David Moore
    • Joey Ramone
    Ahna O'Reilly
    Ahna O'Reilly
    • Mary Harron
    Freddy Rodríguez
    Freddy Rodríguez
    • Idaho
    Mickey Sumner
    Mickey Sumner
    • Patti Smith
    Bradley Whitford
    Bradley Whitford
    • Nicky Gant
    Josh Zuckerman
    Josh Zuckerman
    • John Holmstrom
    • Director
      • Randall Miller
    • Writers
      • Jody Savin
      • Randall Miller
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews69

    6.611.7K
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    Featured reviews

    7cosmo_tiger

    I really ended up liking this much more then I thought I would. This isn't a good movie about music, this is a good movie period.

    "There's something there, there's definitely something there." After two failed attempts at running a bar and on the verge of bankruptcy Hilly Kristal (Rickman) throws everything he has into a bar where he wants to feature local country, bluegrass or blues bands. What it turns out to be is the launching pad for an entirely new sound for a new generation. As the legend goes punk wasn't born here but after bands such as Blondie, The Ramones, The Police and Iggy Pop punk was discovered here. I have to admit I am not a fan of punk music. I did like the Police and some songs by the bigger named artists but overall it's not one of my favorite genres. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this going in but I really ended up liking it. Alan Rickman is great in this (as always) and the story moved fast enough that there really wasn't a boring part in this at all. The actors they picked to play the bands were spot on, Malin Akerman, Rupert Grint and Kyle Gallner are all interesting choices. I really ended up liking this much more then I thought I would. Overall, this is not just a good movie about music, this is a good movie period. I give it a B+.
    7Sergeant_Tibbs

    Sure, the accents are terrible and it's very glossy for a film about punk but it's so much fun.

    I was a fan of CBGB music before I even knew what it was. I remember going to a second hand record store and asking them if they had any John Cale records. They said, yes, in the CBGB pile. The what? CBGB. Seeby-Jeeby..? And then they pointed at the section and there was a bunch of punk/new wave that I love. Heaven? Yes. Randall Miller seems to have a big passion for this music of the 70s and 80s too. I'm way more interested in the other upcoming project he had in mind called The Drummer, which was to star Vera Farmiga as Christine McVie and Aaron Eckhart as Dennis Wilson, but that film seems to not be happening anytime soon. Instead, I'm happy to check out CBGB to at least learn more about the place than 'it was a club.' The film prominently features musicians such as Television, The Dead Boys, Talking Heads, Blondie and Iggy Pop, but this story is about Hilly Kristal, the founder of the club, played by Alan Rickman. Although the film appears to glide through the narrative without much of a sense of jeopardy or pressure, it's very entertaining and colourful, designed in a magazine style with split screens and annotations every now and then. Even though that caricature tone does not match the gritty punk attitude of its topics, it's an accessible and simplified version that's great fun to watch, even if most of the accents are terrible.

    7/10
    7jimmi-598-813159

    It was good!

    I saw it on the big screen, and it was good! The film comes with a great soundtrack and lots of laughs too. The theater audience around me seemed to be enjoying the film. I was there at CBGB during this time period, and my band The Laughing Dogs played there. One of our songs is in the soundtrack. I am glad that this movie was made and I appreciate that the movie preserves the history of the place and of Hilly Kristal. Hilly provided opportunities to a lot of bands and a place for bands to play their original music. Many bands got signed with record labels after performing at CBGB. I found the sets and characters looked like the real thing, as if I was back there. I have written a more thorough review on my website.
    7HotToastyRag

    A hilarious time capsule

    From the director of Bottle Shock comes another love letter to the 1970s: CBGB. If you have no idea what that means, or if you know what it means but don't know what the letters stand for, you'll be very entertained by this movie. Full of literally dozens of songs from 1970s rock and grunge bands, it's a must-see for classic rock lovers. As you listen to Television, Blondie, The Velvet Underground, Talking Heads, The Stooges, The Ramones, The Police, and countless others, you'll get to see modern actors dressed up and lip-synching to their songs!

    CBGB is a New York nightclub started by Hilly Kristal, played by a hilarious wigged-out Alan Rickman. His dive bar isn't paying his bills, so he transforms it into a nightclub where people can chill out and listen to "Country, Blue Grass, and Blues" bands. It gets turned into a hot spot where undiscovered punk bands play before they become famous. The beautiful Malin Akerman plays Debbie Harry, Taylor Hawkins plays Iggy Pop, Joel David Moore plays Joey Ramone, and countless others perform in a sort of "candid camera" that shows behind-the-scenes fun as well as performances from "way back when". This film completely captures the 1970s music scene, and the colors, lighting, incredibly grungy interior design, costumes, and wigs make it feel like a time capsule. If you know your bands, you'll get even more out of the humor, and if you don't, you'll just get a kick out of Alan Rickman's hilarious scenes with his mother, Estelle Harris, and his scenes with a grown up Rupert Grint. There's a lot to love about this tribute to the 1970s, but if you don't like that decade, don't even think about renting it.
    9natrc2003

    Great film about an important moment in music history

    As someone who was "there" but as an outsider (14-year-old kid from NJ who idolized Punk magazine and especially the Ramones), I loved this film. Yes, I recognize a number of liberties were taken with the truth, but this film allowed me to relive the thrill I used to experience going to CBGB's (as we called it) back in the day (I started going around 1976 or so). Even more than that, it's great to get a glimpse of how CBGB's came to be.

    More than that, the film works great as a film in and of itself -- the directing, pacing, acting and cinematography are all first rate, with nary a dull or dead spot throughout (until the end, but I'll get to that). I'm not generally one for tricks like the use of Holmstrom's art to frame the story, but since it's Punk magazine we're talking about, it makes perfect sense for this film.

    The film just sails along -- I suppose partly because it's so much fun to see the various bands, and how much fun the actors had portraying the band members' quirks (the Joey Ramone character is spot on... ). In fact, I would have liked it if the film had been extended to include more of the early groups (they left out Suicide, who were everywhere back then) and more of the live performances. I'm a little torn by the decision to have them lip sync to album material -- on the one hand, it's the music we remember, on the other hand, most of the bands have live material available, even recorded at CBGB's, why not use some of that?

    However, by the end... the film runs out of steam a bit. I think that comes partly from the decision to focus a bit too much on the Dead Boys storyline, knowing how doomed that band was, and how entirely outclassed they were by most of the other bands featured (Television, Talking Heads, Ramones, Blondie). Fortunately, the film only sags in the last 15 minutes or so, and it's still not enough to spoil a fine film dealing with a very important part of American -- and world -- music history.

    For me, personally, this period shaped my entire life, certainly from an aesthetic point of view.

    And great news! There's now a Best of Punk Magazine book available! (I still have my original copies around somewhere, but I can't wait to show this book to my kids!)

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Lou Reed is featured; he died of liver disease sixteen days after the release of this film.
    • Goofs
      Several shots show the corner of Bleecker Street and the Bowery. The street signs have white letters on a green background. In the 1970s, Manhattan street signs had black letters on a yellow background.
    • Quotes

      Hilly Kristal: [Being introduced to the Ramones] What do you guys have for me?

      Joey Ramone: We got four songs. "I Don't Wanna Walk Around With You," "I Don't Wanna Be Learned," "I Don't Wanna Be Tamed," and "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement."

      Hilly Kristal: Lot of things you don't wanna do.

      Joey Ramone: Yeah.

      Hilly Kristal: Anything you wanna do?

      Joey Ramone: We're workin' on something now.

      Hilly Kristal: Something positive?

      Joey Ramone: Yeah. It's - it's called, "I Wanna Sniff Some Glue."

      Hilly Kristal: Good to have a point of view.

    • Crazy credits
      "This film is dedicated to... Hilly Kristal and all those who worked at and lived at CBGB. MAY THEY ROCK ON FOREVER! No animals were harmed during the making of this film... The cockroach guts were Fig Newtons. And we know that Iggy Pop never played at CBGB... Just deal with it."
    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movie Biopics That Got It Wrong (2020)
    • Soundtracks
      Kick Out the Jams
      Written by Michael Davis, Rob Tyner (as Robert Derminer), Wayne Kramer, Fred 'Sonic' Smith (as Frederick Smith), Dennis Thompson (as Dennis Tomich)

      Performed by MC5

      Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group

      By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

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    FAQ

    • How long is CBGB?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 11, 2013 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Twitter
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Клуб CBGB
    • Filming locations
      • Savannah, Georgia, USA
    • Production companies
      • Unclaimed Freight Productions
      • Rampart Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $40,400
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,909
      • Oct 6, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $40,400
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 42 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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