Hype!

Hype!
Directed by Doug Pray
Produced by Steven Helvey
Starring Numerous musicians
Cinematography Robert Bennett
Edited by Doug Pray
Joan Zapata
Distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment
Release date
  • November 8, 1996 (1996-11-08)
Running time
 87 min.
Country USA
Language English

Hype! (1996) is a documentary directed by Doug Pray about the popularity of grunge rock in the early to mid-1990s United States. It incorporates interviews and rare concert footage to trace the steps of grunge, from its subversive inception in neighborhood basements, to its explosion as a pop culture phenomenon. Hype! shows grunge from the point of view of people within the grunge scene, and attempts to dispel some of the myths of the genre promulgated by media hype, hence the title. The movie generally portrays the latter faction in a satirical way, though acknowledges that media hype helped to propel some of these obscure bands to brief fame.

Release

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1996. It opened to general audiences on November 8 of the same year.

Reception

Hype! received positive reviews from critics, as the film holds a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 26 reviews.

Appearances

Hype! includes interviews and performances from bands (primarily oriented with the Sub Pop Records axis) such as TAD, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Coffin Break, The Gits, Love Battery, Flop, The Melvins, Some Velvet Sidewalk, Mono Men, Supersuckers, Zipgun, Seaweed, Pearl Jam, 7 Year Bitch, Hovercraft, Gas Huffer, and Fastbacks.

Along with the DVD that comes with Nirvana's With the Lights Out, it is one of the few films to contain video footage of Nirvana's first performance of their breakthrough hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

In the film, Seattle producer/engineer Jack Endino is humorously referred to as "the godfather of grunge."[1]

Soundtrack

Sub Pop released a soundtrack to the film in 1996 on CD and a limited box set on colored 7" vinyl. AMG entry

Influence

Naomi Klein referenced an interview with Eddie Vedder from the documentary in her book No Logo. Vedder commented that Seattle should use its influence positively. Klein's argument is that grunge had already been co-opted by corporate America.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Jack Endino at allmusic.com". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-06-08.
  2. ↑ Naomi Klein (2001). No Logo. Flamingo. p. 82. ISBN 0-00-653040-0.


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