Hype!

1996
7.5| 1h24m| en| More Info
Released: 08 November 1996 Released
Producted By: Helvey-Pray Production
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

This documentary examines the Seattle scene as it became the focus of a merging of punk rock, heavy metal, and innovation. Building from the grass roots, self-promoted and self-recorded until break-out success of bands like Nirvana brought the record industry to the Pacific Northwest, a phenomenon was born.

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Reviews

eimpson This movie establishes two things: 1. Seattle has a great music scene. 2. So does every other large city. 2 and a half. Eventually the media finds you and ruins you.The events that went down in Seattle are nothing new and nothing old. Left to develop itself any local music scene will mature into something great. Whether or not the press/industry discovers this and shows up to suck the life out of it is up to fate. Hype! is a snapshot of money finding talent. The results range from crappy albums to suicide.What this film does accomplish is to procure a reaction of artists caught in the overwhelming process of being found. Suddenly you are being offered loads of cash to do the same thing you've been doing for years, or even decades, for next to nothing. This changes your output - you stop playing to the crowd and start playing to the money. The interviewees in Hype! recognize this and speak to it. This is where the movie succeeds. The musicians see what is happening for what it is and call it out. What they fail to do is reject it, but at least they leave a document for the next generation.At the end of the film there is a warning: Your town is next. Will the next town take the advice?
Tom Meade If you're a fan of grunge, or suffering from an inexplicable bout of 90s nostalgia, then this film will no doubt make fascinating viewing. If, however, you want a film that goes beyond the story that everybody already knows, and delivers something more than a load of concert footage and an unnecessary (because really, who the hell doesn't already know this?) portrait of the cynical and exploitative nature of corporate America when faced with a new, marketable sub-culture, then it might not be worth bothering. Yes, the people from the bands all seem lovely, and there are a few neat moments here and there, but in the end this is really just an excuse for eighty minutes of second-tier, never-was grunge bands rocking. And do you really want to subject yourself to that? Hopefully, someone will eventually make a film about the history of punk rock that manages to be both entertaining and informative, and not just another tedious anti-corporate screed (apparently The Decline of Western Civilisation is such a film. I haven't seen it, but I intend to check it out) padded with footage of everyone's favourite bands from their first year of University.It's not bad. It's just not that great, either.
doulikejimi This documentary is, very simply, great. It is basically about the music scene in Seattle during and before the "grunge" scene exploded.I really liked how most of the people that were interviewed were not the really famous bands that everyone knows. Of course there is a part of that in the film, but it is not presented in a way that is really shoving it in your face like how all the mainstream media tends to do. It had more to do with the relatively unknown or underground music that erupted from Seattle during that time.I also liked how it was put together in a way that really gave you a solid history and background of the music that was present before "grunge", and how that music influenced the next generation of music, which then influenced the NEXT generation of music.As a whole, it is a very solid documentary that gives the perspective of the people who were around during the "grunge" movement, and the artists' opinions and responses to it. And, of course, there is a lot of fantastic music (and some not so much). ^_^ Enjoy.
noxvomica-3 This film documents what was is referred to as the "Grunge", or "Seattle scene". It goes into depth exploring the tools the media, and corporations used to exploit and market this scene.It goes back to the roots of grunge siting such bands as Skin Yard, Green River, and Mudhoney. One great thing about this film is the soundtrack. It's the best soundtrack since "Singles". It features The Gits, Mudhoney, Green River, The Fastbacks, etc.Watch this film. Watch live performances, interviews with SoundGarden, Pearl Jam, etc.