Urgh!

 

 (imdb)

URGH! A MUSIC WAR-1982-Over thirty bands from the early '80's punk and new wave scene are crammed into this. The Police start things off as they were the biggest band at the time. Then Wall of Voodoo, Toyah Wilcox, poet/rapper John Cooper Clarke, OMD, Chelsea, echo andOingo Boingo, Echo & The BunnyMen, Jools Holland, XTC, Klaus Nomi, Athletico, Spizz 80, The Go-Gos, Dead Kennedys, Steel Pulse, Joan Jett, Magazine, Surf Punks, Members, Au Pairs, Cramps, Invisible Sex (in their only performance), Pere Ubu, Devo, Alley Cats, John Otway, Gang of 4, 999, Fleshtones, Skafish, UB40. The version I saw had two performers cut: Gary Numan and Splodgeness Abounds. 

Some of the venues are in London, France, LA and NYC. It's an excellent time capsule with some really great performances, directed by Derek Burbidge who directed many music videos before this and even more later on.

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Boredom Radio

BORDER RADIO-1987-This pretentious black and white "punk" film seems ripe for "cult-dom". The boring story concerns a musician named Jeff Bailey (Chris D., the lead vocalist for The Flesheaters) who's hiding out in Mexico after he and his two friends Chris (Chris Shearer) and Dean (John Doe, guitarist in X) steal the money they were owed from a gig they played. Jeff's wife Lu (Luanna Anders, the director's daughter) searches for him. The confused plot also uses out of place documentary style interviews to move the story along. The acting is terrible. It had three directors. Allison Anders (who later made GAS FOOD LODGING and MI VIDA LOCA) co-directed with cinematographer Dean Lett. The other credited director is Kurt Voss who later made POISON IVY: THE NEW SEDUCTION. BR also features The Blasters' guitarist Dave Alvin and Green On Red performing in one scene.

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Strummer!

LET’S ROCK AGAIN!-2004-This is a great documentary/tribute to punk-rock legend Joe Strummer and his group The Mescalaros as they tour America and Japan. There’s a lot of music footage and Strummer is interviewed throughout and is both serious and funny. It’s hard to believe the singer/guitar player from THE CLASH had to do his own promoting for a few gigs but he seems to take it all in stride as a part of the changing times.

Director Dick Rude wrote the Alex Cox film STRAIGHT TO HELL which Strummer had a role in. Joe (who was born in Turkey) passed away in 2002.

I'm glad I got to see them live! Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

3 More!

THE FALLEN ONES-2005-Saw this weird movie on the Sci-Fi Channel. A giant mummy, the offspring of a fallen angel and a human woman is discovered in the desert. His “father” returns to start trouble by making a new giant out of human bodies! Little mummies appear too and a Rabbi is played rather stereotypically by Tom Bosley! Casper Van Dien stars along with Robert Wagner, Kristin Miller, Geoffrey Lewis and Carel Struycken who gets killed in the first scene. It’s pretty silly and unintentionally funny and of course was edited for TV.





PUNK ATTITUDE-2005-This is an excellent documentary that provides a great overview into the origins of the punk scene both in The US and UK. Through numerous interviews it explores punk’s beginnings, influences and it’s legacy. Among those interviewed are: Mick Jones, Wayne Kramer, David Johanson, Tommy Ramone, Capt. Sensible, Arri Up, Siouxsie Sioux, Chrissie Hynde, Jello Biafra and others. Henry Rollins, Thruston Moore, Jim Jarmusch also offer their own insight. It goes on to cover the scene in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s but how come no mention of “Operation Ivy”?

Director Don Letts was a former DJ who made the crude but excellent time capsule PUNK ROCK MOVIE in 1978. He later directed a few music videos and was a member of the first version of Mick Jones’ “Big Audio Dynamite”. He directed several other documentaries about The Clash including WESTWAY TO THE WORLD in 2000.



PLAIN JANE TO THE RESCUE-1982-Hong Kong comedy about a nerdy woman named Jenny (“Josephine” Siao Fong Fong, also one of the producers) who has trouble holding a job. She is eventually hired by the evil owner of Z-Corp, a large conglomerate. He wants Jenny to teach his father some manners. He feels his old man is an embarrassment. She also discovers a plot against the old man’s life. Her childhood sweetheart, the very timid Fang (Ricky Hui) helps her rescue him. There is a lot of slapstick and outrageous comedy scenes but some of them go on too long. Director John Woo made this a couple of years before his most well-known action films (he made A BETTER TOMORROW in 1986). It’s based on a character Siao became famous for on TV. She later played Jet Li’s mother in THE LEGEND l & 2.

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Have To Keep Them Short Tonight...

ROCK REVOLUTION-1986-This strange compilation brings together several videos and live concert footage of bands circa the late ‘70’s –earlier ‘80’s. The live footage has The Clash doing “I’m So Bored With The USA” and “London’s Burning”, Ian Dury (“Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll” and “What A Waste”), The Jam (“In The City”) and The Sex Pistols (“Anarchy In The UK). There are also some videos thrown in by The Talking Heads (“Once In A Lifetime”), Hello Sailor (“Son Of Sam”), Lena Lovich (“Number One”), Graham Parker (“Protection”) and The Ramones with the uncensored version of “Psychotherapy”. I got this way back when for like 7 dollars at a now defunct bargain store. It’s only around 30 mins. but it’s a great time capsule.




PSYCHO DIVER-1995-Kuroiwa is the title character a guy who can "dive" into a person's brain. After another Diver is killed trying to help a mysterious woman it's up to Kuroiwa to figure out what's going on. A great but violently graphic story that's based on a novel.

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