Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

moebius1900 Brilliant movie! If you were ever interested in the subtle--or sometimes not so subtle--interplay between music, politics and zeitgeist, watch this. We get to see how suburban high school friends develop a vision, how their vision is shattered and ultimately destroyed--partly because of the big evil Wolf music-industry, partly because these musicians weren't able neither to be Little Red Riding Hood nor hunters. Rather something in between, like most of us. The dialectics in this film are not to be dismissed: it features great music, revealing interviews and thinking people behind the camera. Excellent!

klofkorn This film represents the work of people who obviously both did their homework and then produced a fair representation of the career of the influential band, the MC5. In the space of two hours they provide substantial insight into the genesis, the career path, and the influence of the MC5. Anyone curious concerning the intersection of rock music and politics, or the evolution of "punk rock," or concerning the counter-culture movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s would be well advised to have a look at this film.Those even more curious would be well advised to go have a look at the Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan and begin their own delvings into this historically significant era. There examine the collection of period publications like "The Ann Arbor Argus," "The Ann Arbor Sun," the papers of Lawerence Plamondon, and more that await serious exploration. Anyone curious about how that earlier anti-war movement progressed could begin the inquiry there.

Russ Mallen This is one of my 10 favorite films of all time. In the "truth is stranger than fiction" vein, this documentary was more like a narrated movie for me. The MC5 was your stereotypical 60's band that imploded due to various abuses. The stories range from hysterical to tragic. The Greek tragedy continues, as apparently the filmmaker and wayne kramer are at odds over rights to the film. The public is being denied a 4 star DVD with hours of deleted footage from some rock 'n roll greats giving testimonials on the MC5's influence. It amazes me that this movie got no fanfare at the academy awards for best documentary - proving what a sham the academy is. For classic rock fans and punk fans, this is a must see - if the DVD ever sees the light of day.

hectomatic999 This long overdue documentary tells the (abridged) tale of one of the most threatening and dangerous bands ever to grace the American music scene. Sporting the level of desperation only recognized by true cast-out socially degenerate miscreants, The MC5 proved over their short existence that even the most lost and hopeless souls will have a voice.And it's a voice that absolutely refuses to be ignored.While still widely hailed in the underground scene as the 'Grandfathers of Punk Rock' (though often just mentioned as a footnote to Iggy Pop and the Stooges, a band that would never have existed had it not been for the MC5), few people know much of the history that has earned The 5 such acclaim.This film aspires to correct that little disparity. From their humble Lincoln Park, MI beginning (where working in an auto factory was 'a birthright') to their ironic coup de grâce (back in the Grande Ballroom, the same theater that gained them what little notoriety they achieved during their being), 'A True Testimonial' manages to seamlessly reinforce the urgency of the music with the urgency of day-to-day life in Detroit at that time. Here we stretch from a bunch of high school kids playing VFW halls to a slightly older band so associated with the threat of a 'revolution' that the FBI actually videotapes their performance at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Later, we see the band's first album rejected from a prominent Detroit department store because of 'objectionable content' (kinda like Wal-Mart does now, 35 years later). The band's reaction is true and the rest is another glorious chapter of rock n roll history.This film is above all a classic example of the connection (and, more importantly, the discrepancy) between rock n roll and political activeness. Differences between the band and the management (not to mention the band members themselves) ultimately over-power the spirit that brought the MC5 into existence in the first place.8.5 out of 10