Skum Rocks!

Part documentary, part madness. Coming out of left field is a film about a band (kind of) that you may or may have not heard of and their unusual path to their first album.

The first act of the film left me really intrigued as I wasn't sure what I was watching. It walks a fine line of being a reality TV show and a "mockumentary" but once the history of the band is explained it settles into a traditional narrative, showcasing the force that was SKUM! The film then takes a shift into present day showing the bands last attempt at proving that their reputation is not all non-sense, but something that does resemble a rock band.

Skum Rocks is an entertaining watch about a band that was huge on the 80's music scene without having any musical talent.

The film left me feeling incredulous. It's astounding how these men could be so talentless, unprofessional, and vulgar and still achieve success (in some form). The highlight of Skum Rocks is the hilarity in how ridiculous Skum's history and path of destruction is. The whole thing is like a lesson in scamming and publicity.

My issue with the film is with its subjects; once I realized that I hated these men, I had a hard time staying engaged with their story.

Overall, the documentary is pretty fun. It's funny in its look at the nature of celebrity and celebrity publicity -- Skum members and otherwise.

I had never heard of the band Skum and I will probably never hear of them again.... I LOVE them nonetheless! These guys took success and defined it in their own image and relentlessly pushed it to the limit. They leave nothing less than turmoil in their wake as they travel down their talentless pathway to glory, but that's what makes them so rock-n-roll!!! The long list of cameo's blew my mind! If there is one lesson to be learned from these absurd dilettantes, there's more to life than being talented. The enigma of their rise, the grace of their fall and the moxie of their return are a delight. The number of allies are few, and the foes are plentiful. They have truly mastered their ruse!

Skum Rocks tells the story of a rock band with no real talent who grew in popularity during the 1980's as a result of the wild parties that would coincide with their shows. Seemingly blurring the line between what really happened and taking on a life of its own through some possibly fictional detours, the documentary plays with the notion of what makes something objectively good. Ironically, by not playing on stage for any prolonged stretch of time, the band made something of their own that is wholly unique and rock 'n roll.

With some good laughs along the way, Skum Rocks is a quality time for rock fans all over.

Skum Rocks is the type of movie that gets stuck in your head when you're trying to fall asleep - something about the rock music, the zany characters, the unbelievable time line of the band, and the eccentric narrative the documentary prescribes really gives off a dynamite feel. The film does a great job of painting a picture for each band member, and not only who they are as an individual, but how they collectively come together to make their band such a train wreck. Yet, somehow, they keep chugging that train further into the ground. The film makes you want to sympathize with them, but the film also makes you see how crazy these guys were. You think - should I describe the things they're doing by 'genius' or 'insanely stupid'? It's not a story about how they became famous or how they got back together...it's a story of an epic, two decade long journey of so many highs and lows, the guys themselves can't keep track. It's obvious the passion behind why this film was made.