American Hardcore
by Paul Rachman
List Price:
Our Price: $10.49
You Save: $4.45 (30%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $4.95 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Alex Gonzalez (IX), Alvin Robertson, Dave Smalley, Dez Cadena, Vic BondiDirector: Paul Rachman
Brand: Unknown
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 100 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-02-20
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Movie Reviews of American Hardcore
Movie Review: I was there!
Summary: 3 Stars
In a theater watching this movie with my band and the pile of VHS tapes (lots of Target Videos) by the TV of the band house at the time was far more in depth and informative than this flick. This is pretty much The Bad Brains/Black Flag story with other bands squeezed in here and there. If you are already into hardcore music then nothing new is presented here. It was cool however seeing all those band logos stretched wide on a massive screen. The omission of the Dead Kennedys was glaring, but maybe they were too intelligent for what this film is trying to present hardcore as.
One thing thats bothersome is that the movie claims hardcore ended in the mid-80s when it never really ended. You can't tell me that when there are thousands of hardcore bands playing today with thousands of shows all over America in basements, VFW halls, warehouses, house parties, and even ole fashioned venues. And yes its still actual hardcore. This movie is without a doubt for those who thought punk started with The Ramones and ended with The Sex Pistols and know little more. If you are "in the %$#@" as a vet would say this is just another slap in the face as one of the few documents of hardcore very accessible to the public (no doubt its probably shown IFC or Sundance) that cofirms then denies its existence. Its almost infuriating.
Other than that you have interviews you've heard a thousand times or haven't, SST Records still criminally under-represented by its owner, HR too cracked out to make sense and lots of VHS footage any fan has already seen clumped together in an uneven mess. If you've no idea about the original wave of hardcore bands then I guess this is for you.
Summary of American Hardcore
Fueled by a ferocious soundtrack, director Paul Rachman's American Hardcore gives fans an all-access pass to the rise and fall of the U.S. punk scene, an explosive musical and cultural phenomenon that shaped everything from the grunge movement to the emo and pop/punk music currently riding the charts. Set against the conservative early '80s political landscape, American Hardcore chronicles the homegrown hardcore scene that was a swift kick in the head to corporate rock and mainstream complacency, as disaffected teens adopted the same collective credo - harder, faster, louder. From downtown warehouses to suburban bedrooms, the scene spread from city to city like wildfire, uniting bored, angry outcasts into an authentic underground revolution. A raw blast of politics, passion, and rage, American Hardcore features never-before-seen live footage from Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, MDC, SSD, DOA, DRI, The Adolescents, 7 Seconds and many more, plus exclusive interviews with punk icons like Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Keith Morris and H.R. (Paul Hudson).The history of hardcore punk--the tougher, faster, and more politically minded stepchild of the '70s punk movement that arose in the '80s--is examined in exuberant detail in Paul Rachman's documentary American Hardcore. Rachman's cameras careen across the landscape of the U.S. to trace the movement's beginnings in cities like Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York, and cherrypicks interviews with the musicians that helped shape its sound and impact, including Henry Rollins and Greg Ginn of Black Flag, H.R. (frontman for the highly influential, all-African American outfit Bad Brains), Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat (and now Fugazi), and many others. Hardcore's violent reaction against the Reagan administration and the complacent mindset of middle-class America is also detailed in countless performance footage clips and poster-art reproductions, which do much to dismiss the popular opinion of hardcore as nothing more than mindless hooliganism. Some fans may find the omission of certain bands a considerable oversight (San Francisco's lethally satirical Dead Kennedys are not mentioned only in passing), but for most punk devotees, American Hardcore will be vital and essential viewing. The DVD includes several deleted scenes and bonus performances, commentary by Rachman and writer Steven Blush (whose book of the same name provided the inspiration for the film), and a gallery of photos from photographer Edward Colver, who covered the hardcore scene in detail during its heyday. -- Paul Gaita
Stills from American Hardcore (click for larger image)
 |  |
 |  |
Documentary DVD Video
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Movies most talked about in My list of good documentaries I have viewed this year so far.......
NOVA: Mind of a Serial KillerRelease date: 2005-03-22; DVD
Best price: $10.58
Price in other shops:
Open Road - America Looks at AgingRelease date: 2005-07-19; DVD
Best price: $6.00
Price in other shops:
Harvest of FearUNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP DISTRIBUTION; Release date: 2006-03-07; DVD
Best price: $2.59
Price in other shops:
NOVA: Volcano Under the CityRelease date: 2006-02-07; DVD
Best price: $9.98
Price in other shops:
Secret of the Holy GrailRelease date: 2005-05-17; DVD
Best price: $3.20
Price in other shops:
Crusade - The Life of Billy GrahamParamount; Release date: 2005-03-08; DVD
Best price: $8.44
Price in other shops:
Opus Dei and the Da Vinci CodeRelease date: 2006-04-11; DVD
Best price: $9.50
Price in other shops:
Me & Isaac NewtonRelease date: 2001-09-21; DVD
Best price: $9.98
Price in other shops:
Wisconsin Death TripImage Entertainment; Release date: 2004-02-24; DVD
Best price: $17.98
Price in other shops:
Hands on a Hard BodyRelease date: 2000-01-18; DVD
Best price: $199.99
Similar DVD Movies
Boston Beatdown, Vol. 2Release date: 2004-06-22; DVD
Best price: $13.49
Price in other shops:
SuburbiaRelease date: 2005-12-26; DVD
Best price: $47.49
Minor Threat - Complete DiscographyRelease date: 1990-02-26; Music CD
Best price: $8.57
Price in other shops:
Punk's Not DeadRelease date: 2008-07-08; DVD
Best price: $9.53
Price in other shops:
We Jam Econo - The Story of the MinutemenRelease date: 2006-06-27; DVD
Best price: $15.31
Price in other shops:
Bad Brains Live - CBGB 1982Release date: 2006-09-19; DVD
Best price: $9.53
Price in other shops:
Another State of MindRelease date: 2004-08-24; DVD
Best price: $10.37
Price in other shops:
Original Soundtrack - American Hardcore: The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986Release date: 2006-10-10; Music CD
Best price: $9.91
Price in other shops:
N.Y.H.C. (Documentary)Ryko Distribution; Release date: 2008-03-25; DVD
Best price: $13.82
Price in other shops:
American Hardcore: A Tribal Historyby Steven Blush
Feral House; Published: 2001-11-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.02
Price in other shops: