The Blank Generation (1976)

The cream of New York new wave/punk filmed live at CBGB's when the scene was just beginning. Includes performances by Patti Smith, Blondie, Television, the Ramones, Talking Heads, the ... See full summary »

Director:

Ivan Král

Stars:

Blondie, David Byrne, Jayne County

Cast

Credited cast:
Blondie	...	Themselves
David Byrne	...	HImself (lead singer, Talking Heads)
Jayne County	...	Himself (as Wayne County)
Jay Dee Daugherty	...	Himself
Chris Frantz	...	Himself (member, Talking Heads)
Jerry Harrison	...	Himself (member, Talking Heads)
Deborah Harry	...	Herself (lead singer, Blondie)
Richard Hell	...	Himself
Lenny Kaye	...	Himself
Ivan Král	...	Himself
Patti Smith	...	Herself
Richard Sohl	...	Himself
Chris Stein	...	Himself
Talking Heads	...	Themselves
Johnny Thunders	...	Himself

Storyline

The cream of New York new wave/punk filmed live at CBGB's 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).

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Plot Keywords:

handheld camera | 1970s | rock music | punk | concert footage | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blank Generation: The Birth of Punk

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Poe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

55 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is based on silent footage.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s (2002)

User Reviews

If only they had brought a microphone...

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.