The Blank Generation

1976 ""PUNKS ON THE RISE""
6.3| 0h53m| en| More Info
Released: 22 April 1976 Released
Producted By:
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

The cream of the New York new wave/punk crop, filmed live at CBGB when the scene was just beginning. Includes performances by Patti Smith, Blondie, Television, the Ramones, Talking Heads, the Heartbreakers, the Shirts, Wayne County, the Marbles, the Dolls, Miamis, Harry Toledo, and the Tuff Darts (w/Robert Gordon).

... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Director

Producted By

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Images

Reviews

Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
UnowPriceless hyped garbage
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.
Rexanne It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
InjunNose I have an old VHS copy of this, but now I'm definitely going to snatch it up on DVD. "The Blank Generation" (attention, previous reviewer: the title of the film comes from the Heartbreakers/Richard Hell song of the same name, which is played TWICE at the end; maybe you didn't enjoy this film much because you didn't know anything about the bands or the music they played) is loaded with atmosphere. It's a perfect snapshot of the CBGBs scene of the mid-to-late '70s. Yes, you could complain about the herky-jerky camera-work (I think they were going for an Andy Warhol sort of feel) or the fact that image and sound are out of sync with one another...but why would you? This is the only document of its kind, the only visual testament to the early genius of the Ramones, Television, Patti Smith, and Talking Heads. Even the obscurities (like the Harry Toledo song, 'Knots') are great! Amos Poe and Ivan Kral couldn't have captured the spirit of the New York "punk" era any more accurately; I always thought the vibe of the film was enhanced by its poor technical quality. Oh, one thing more: the bands *are* identified at the end of the film.
festiveday Yes, this film is all but unwatchable. The unsynched video and audio make for one of the most unsatisfying experiences ever. This is supposed to be a documentary, but what did I learn from this film? If there was a band I didn't recognize, I wasn't told who they were. I don't know when the performance was shot, or where, or who the musicians are, or what their influences were. We don't learn why this generation was called blank by the filmmakers. There are no shots of the audience, so we don't learn what effect the music was having on those who were actually there. This isn't a documentary, it's being trapped at someone's house who you don't like and they pull out their home movies of their kids.
geoff-29 This is so disappointing - all of these punk rock stars right there at the edge of the New York music explosion, on film. Unfortunately, although they had a camera they did not have a microphone, and all of the music of the raw performances is now lost forever. What could've been one of the best music documentaries ever becomes a film school project.Worse, they decided to put demo recordings over the concert footage. This is completely unsatisfying, worse than just silence, which would've forced viewers to focus on the differences in performance and facial expressions. It's the worst sort of compromise.
gnb Was there ever such a vibrant, exciting music scene as that of the punk/new wave CBGBs explosion?Amos Poe has made history by capturing some of the leading lights of the genre in their natural performing habitat well before they hit the big time. Filmed on wonderful, grainy 16mm silent film savour the sights of luminaries such as Talking Heads, Wayne County, Patti Smith, Blondie, Tuff Darts, New York Dolls and the Ramones complemented with dubbed live tracks/demos to provide the soundtrack.Ironic, that on any punk compilation a track from all of the above artists features, and yet here they are all in the same place and possibly all on the same night. A treat for all punk/CBGB fans - Poe has really captured the wonderfully inventive, innovative and spontaneous atmosphere of the era here.Thanks Amos.

Similar Movies to The Blank Generation