N.Y.H.C. (1999)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Frank Pavich

Release Date:

25 March 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

A documentary about New York's rawest underground music scene

Plot Keywords:

Punk | Singing | Singer | Hardcore Music | Musician

Cast

Freddy Cricien	...	Lead Singer, Madball
Vic Di Cara	...	Lead Guitarist, 108
Mike Dijan	...	Guitarist, Crown of Thornz
Mike Dixon	...	Lead Singer, No Redeeming Social Value
James Drescher	...	Lead Singer, Murphy's Law
Ezec	...	Lead Singer, Crown of Thornz
Rob Fish	...	Lead Singer, 108
Kevin Gill	...	President, SFT Records
Rick Healey	...	Lead Singer, 25 ta Life
Matt Henderson	...	Guitar, Madball
John Joseph	...	Lead Singer, Cro-Mags
Mike Kennedy	...	Guitarist, Vision of Disorder
Warren Lee	...	Bassist, 25 ta Life
Dean Miller	...	Lead Singer, No Redeeming Social Value
Roger Miret	...	Lead Singer, Agnostic Front
Cesar Ramirez	...	Guitarist, District 9
Tommy Rat	...	Lead Singer, Rejuvenate
Myke Rivera	...	Lead Singer, District 9
Will Schepler	...	Drummer, Madball
Vinnie Stigma	...	Guitarist, Madball
Vinnie Value	...	Drummer, No Redeeming Social Value
Tim Williams	...	Lead Singer, Vision of Disorder
Christopher Wynne	...	Publisher, In Effect Magazine (as Chris Wynne)

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Aviator Films

Quotes:

Lead Singer, Agnostic Front: What happened at the Madball show? You mean, why am I here in this wheelchair?

Real Kids Growing up in New York in the 1990s

Growing up in Wisconsin in the 1990s, I was not personally a part of the New York Hardcore scene. Some of the bigger names trickled down my direction -- H2O, Sick of It All and Orange 9MM, for example. The more localized hardcore bands -- No Redeeming Social Value and the like -- were absent from my friends' music collections. We knew there was more, but we didn't know what. The lines between punk, hardcore and the emerging genre of pop-punk were blurring and remain blurred to this day. What "NYHC" does is take me and those of my generation back to the 1990s (1991-1995) and reveal to us the world we knew existed but couldn't quite reach.

There isn't much need for me to heap praise on this documentary. When it was first released, the film won several awards. I don't suppose anyone could deny the vision of this film and how well it all came together. The violence, contrasted with the call for unity, is intact. The path of some bands (towards embracing the Hare Krishna lifestyle) and others (accepting drugs) that split are elucidated -- we can see the opposite sides of the same coin. And, what I found most amazing, we learn of the reality behind the lifestyle. Some of the youth lived pampered suburban lives on Long Island. But just as often there were horror stories -- one band member recounts those he knew who died of AIDS, an epidemic that had reached its bloom by this point.

Certainly, if you were not or are not a fan of the hardcore music you may find the film less interesting. You'll ask, "why should I expose myself to such noise?" and you may be right to avoid the movie. But I think you'd be wrong. Everyone can benefit from this film -- it's not just a story about music, but a story about diversity and a slice of life from America. These aren't just the kids of New York, but the kids of Wisconsin and everywhere else.

And while the documentary is solid enough by itself, the DVD package is a special treat for fans. There are plenty of bonus features -- most notably a ten-year review or "where are they now" featurette. Did the band members remain "hardcore" or did they grow up and enter mainstream America? Are the Hare Krishnas still chanting? I won't reveal the answers, but this is a video you'll really need to see to get the full story. (And don't ignore the other bonuses.) In short, I am highly recommending this disc for all audiences. I had my doubts about the timeliness of a documentary focusing on the 1990s (not exactly as iconic a decade as the 1960s, for example) but all doubts were washed away. The youth of America is constantly changing, but there's a current that runs through all generations. Catch it here in "NYHC".