A Long Time Ago

Just finished the checking out the recently well reviewed and received indie documentary "American Hardcore" which chronicles the rise of hardcore punk from 1980-1986, based on the book by Steven Blush.

It's not that impressive a film from a filmic standpoint, as I felt the narrative was unfocused and it borrowed in places a little too much from films like "The Unheard Music."

The interviews with members of the "scene" looks as though they were captured whenever they could get the subject - Jesse Malin outside in the sunlight in a park; Ian MacKaye in some "swinging bachelor pad" - to reminisce a little. There were also just too many backgrounds filled with punk rock records, etc...but they subject are impressive deliver an insightful "we made this" narrative.

Among some of the standouts are Ian, Henry Rollins, Keith Morris, H.R., Greg Ginn, Matthew Barney (?) and my C.O.C. Raleigh boys, Mike Dean and Reed Mullen, who is filmed outside The Brewery.

For information’s sake, the film is an informative scattershot look at a phenomenon that happened and affected and involved me and a bunch of my friends in various and sundry ways. For students of music and sociology, I highly recommend it. For technique, look elsewhere… perhaps Errol Morris’ next film will tackle the same subject.

Was I really there? God, that seems like yesterday, and yet -

I'll resist another post about feeling old.

My best friend Toby and I, circa 1980. We were working on a slide-show narrative for his photography class while vacationing at his Grandparent's ranch in Texas, so we were in "character." Photo by "Auto Timer and Tripod."

Out of costume, we had just discovered "Discipline" by King Crimson.

Hüsker Dü was just around the corner.

I'm off to Nashville.