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IMDbPro

1991: The Year Punk Broke

  • 19921992
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992)
  • Documentary
  • History
  • Music
David Markey's documentary of life on the road with Sonic Youth and Nirvana during their tour of Europe in late 1991. Also featuring live performances by Dinosaur Jr, Babes In Toyland, The R... Read allDavid Markey's documentary of life on the road with Sonic Youth and Nirvana during their tour of Europe in late 1991. Also featuring live performances by Dinosaur Jr, Babes In Toyland, The Ramones and Gumball.David Markey's documentary of life on the road with Sonic Youth and Nirvana during their tour of Europe in late 1991. Also featuring live performances by Dinosaur Jr, Babes In Toyland, The Ramones and Gumball.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • David Markey
  • Stars
    • Sonic Youth
    • Kim Gordon
    • Lee Ranaldo
Top credits
  • Director
    • David Markey
  • Stars
    • Sonic Youth
    • Kim Gordon
    • Lee Ranaldo
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 7User reviews
    • 14Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos7

    Thurston Moore in 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992)
    Courtney Love in 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992)
    Courtney Love, Kat Bjelland, and Kim Gordon in 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992)
    Courtney Love and Kim Gordon in 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992)
    Kurt Cobain, Kim Gordon, and David Markey in 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992)
    David Markey, Thurston Moore, and Steve Shelley in 1991: The Year Punk Broke (1992)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sonic Youth
    Sonic Youth
    • Themselves
    Kim Gordon
    Kim Gordon
    • Self - Sonic Youth
    Lee Ranaldo
    Lee Ranaldo
    • Self - Sonic Youth
    Steve Shelley
    Steve Shelley
    • Self - Sonic Youth
    Thurston Moore
    Thurston Moore
    • Self - Sonic Youth
    Nirvana
    Nirvana
    • Themselves
    Kurt Cobain
    Kurt Cobain
    • Self - Nirvana
    Dave Grohl
    Dave Grohl
    • Self - Nirvana
    Krist Novoselic
    Krist Novoselic
    • Self - Nirvana
    • (as Chris Novoselic)
    Dinosaur Jr.
    Dinosaur Jr.
    • Themselves
    Mike Johnson
    • Self - Dinosaur Jr.
    J. Mascis
    J. Mascis
    • Self - Dinosaur Jr.
    Murph
    Murph
    • Self - Dinosaur Jr.
    Babes In Toyland
    Babes In Toyland
    • Themselves
    Lori Barbero
    Lori Barbero
    • Self - Babes in Toyland
    Kat Bjelland
    • Self - Babes in Toyland
    Michelle Leon
    • Self - Babes in Toyland
    Gumball
    • Themselves
    • Director
      • David Markey
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

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    • Connections
      Featured in Silver Rockets/Kool Things: 20 Years of Sonic Youth (2000)

    User reviews7

    Review
    Top review
    'Ice! I love my Ice! We dont have Ice in Holland!"
    The 'grunge' explosion of the early and mid nineties was quite possibly the single most contrived piece of marketing in the history of western civilisation, neatly packaging raw emotion and powerful self expression, diluting it into managable and meanigless chunks, and then reselling it to emotionally challanged teenagers. All the bad stuff that came with that social mini revolution often makes us forget all the fun we used to have before 1991 and Nevermind. But this documentary provides ample reminder of that time. Fusing blistering live performances from some of THE great underground bands of the 1980's - 1990's (stand up Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jnr, Gumball and Babes in Toyland), with tiny snippets of backstage larks that truly portray the excitment of the period. What is truly exceptional about this piece is its subtlety in the presentation of the major issues of the time, namely the issue of old school punk ethics versus the attitudes of the increasingly main stream fans the bands were attracting. A good example of this is the way Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth dispenses a mocking impersenation of a grumpy Irish scooter 'fan' ("I'm planning to put the front cover of 'Goo' on me scooter" Oh PLEASE!). The actual moment itself was so brief you could easily miss it, but it brilliantly sums up the attitudes of all the bands to this new audience they were attracting, and with whom they shared no common ideas or beliefs. Ao=nother joy of this film is that you get to see a pre-fame Nirvana, Shock Horror!, having FUN. Since his suicide the media has tended to paint Kurt Cobain as a tragic figure, consumed by inner - demons and constantly living under a black cloud. Yet here Kevin Kerslake shows a lighter, more human, side to this near mythological individual and also offers us what l feel to be one of the most powerful images of the century. After falling of stage and into the crowed, Kurt is pulled back onto the stage by Thurston, both with big smiles on their faces, having fun, and totally unaware of the tragedy that we, with the benfit of hindsight, know will soon befall them. Kerslake further emphasizes this moment by freezing it for just enough time to allow the full meaning of the image to sink in. A truly exceptional representation of the unifying spirit of the old, and sadly long gone, underground network.



    OR maybe they were just all having a laff. You know, a bunch of really cool bands with alot to say and a big noise to make who just wanted to get out their and make some eardrums bleed. Oh well, its only rock and roll but l like it.
    helpful•9
    0
    • voot
    • Jan 10, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 20, 1992 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • We Got Power Films
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tooth or Hair
    • Filming locations
      • Germany
    • Production companies
      • Geffen Pictures
      • Sonic Life
      • We Got Power
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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