 |
Director: |
Doug Pray
|
Starring: |
Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, Mudhoney, The Melvins, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Posies, Soundgarden
|
Genres: |
Music, Documentary, Performing Arts, US Premier
|
Origin: |
USA
|
Certificate: |
MA
|
Languages: |
English
|
Running Time: |
84 min
|
|
|
From the early 1980s, when a handful of isolated bands played among their friends – to the beer-inspired mix of punk rock and heavy metal that Sub Pop Records exploited as “the Seattle Sound” – from the 1991 release of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, which hit #1 worldwide and culminated in ridiculous fashion displays around the world and “Grunge” commercials on TV – to mass migration of wanna-be bands to Seattle – and the tragic suicide of Kurt Cobain; the Northwest experience is one of epic irony. HYPE! comprehensively documents the music, history and absurdity of the most-hyped local rock’n’roll scene of the 20th century.
The film combines the best of two popular genres; the rock concert film and the socially-relevant documentary. HYPE! explores a fascinating American subculture and the philosophy, humour, and aspirations of its inhabitants, while delivering a full “woodstock”-style dose of cutting edge rock.
HYPE! features in-depth interviews with Seattle luminaries such as Eddie Vedder, early Nirvana producer Jack Endino, members of Tad, Screaming Trees, Sub Pop Records founders – Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman, and numerous other local musos and promoters who were the core of the Northwest rock community. HYPE! also includes live performances by Soundgarden, Mudhoney, The Posies, 7 Year Bitch, The Melvins, and Supersuckers among others, playing to overpacked crowds and frenzied mosh-pits. Also included is a never before seen live performances of Pearl Jam and rare archival footage of Nirvana playing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” live for the first-time ever.
|
