CBGB (2013)

A look at the New York City punk-rock scene and the venerable nightclub, CBGB.

Director:

Randall Miller

Writers:

Jody Savin, Randall Miller

Stars:

Alan Rickman, Malin Akerman, Justin Bartha

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Rickman	...	Hilly Kristal
Malin Akerman	...	Debbie Harry
Justin Bartha	...	Stiv Bators
Richard de Klerk	...	Taxi
Johnny Galecki	...	Terry Ork
Kyle Gallner	...	Lou Reed
Ashley Greene	...	Lisa Kristal
Rupert Grint	...	Cheetah Chrome
Estelle Harris	...	Bertha Kristal
Taylor Hawkins	...	Iggy Pop
Ryan Hurst	...	Mad Mountain
Stana Katic	...	Genya Ravan
Joel David Moore	...	Joey Ramone
Ahna O'Reilly	...	Mary Harron
Freddy Rodríguez	...	Idaho

Storyline

CBGB follows the story of Hilly Kristal's New York club from its concept as a venue for Country, Bluegrass and Blues (CBGB) to what it ultimately became: the birthplace of underground rock 'n roll and punk. When Kristal had difficulty booking country bands in his club on the Bowery he opened his doors to other kinds of rock music. Kristal had one demand of the acts he booked; they could only play original music. No top 40's, no covers. It was the credo he lived by, support the artist at whatever the cost. Hilly Kristal ironically became known as the godfather of punk giving a chance to such bands as Blondie, Television, Ramones, Talking Heads, Dead Boys and The Police.

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Plot Keywords:

club | punk | blondie | nightclub | punk rock | 

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Taglines:

50,000 bands and 1 disgusting bathroom.

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, drug use, and a scene of violence.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Twitter

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

CBGB: O Berço do Punk Rock

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,000, 4 October 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$40,040, 20 October 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

Unclaimed Freight Productions, Rampart Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In CBGB, Ryan Hurst plays Mad Mountain,the lead biker in a gang called Titans of Hell. He also played Gerry Bertier in Remember the Titans (2000) as well as another biker, Opie, in Sons of Anarchy (2008).

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Goofs

When the Police perform "Roxanne" for Hilly, the studio version is used, complete with the infamous sound of Sting accidentally sitting on a piano during the recording at the beginning of the track. They edited out his laugh afterward but did not edit out the piano chord.

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Quotes

Hilly Kristal: You gotta spend money to make money.
Lisa Kristal: [irate] You gotta *have* money to spend money to make money. And since you spend all the money you make, you don't have any money to spend. So you might wanna think about saving the money you make, instead of spending the money you make.

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Crazy Credits

Dailies by: Nextlab Digital Services Nightlies by: Your Mom

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Connections

Referenced in Honest Trailers: Die Hard (2015)

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Soundtracks

All by Myself
Written by Walter Lure & Jerry Nolan
Performed by Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers
Courtesy of Jungle Records

User Reviews

Go see this movie!

Look, full disclosure: I didn't have any of the baggage of ever hearing of or being at CBGB. I lied to get into the preview: (I'm sixty one and the cutoff was 60). I didn't fancy myself a fan of punk. Didn't really even know what it was. I LOVED this movie start to finish. The story, the texture, the music all lifted me into a different world. The cuts between this punk magazine and this story amazed me as they worked. The music is a dream collection and the quirky story of the accidental birth of this genre of music made me smile end to end. That there is a Jewish back story to punk music, the Godfather of punk, the lunacy of swastika sporting musicians given their chance in life by a Yid, just made it the sweeter. If this movie makes it to your area ever (which it probably won't in Portland, Oregon), race to it and enjoy!