Tuesday, October 5, 2010

my brief thoughts on.... 'We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen'

before i get started, i just want to point out that The Minutemen were not skinheads, despite what the picture above would possibly lead you to believe.... they weren't punk rockers.... they weren't arena rock stars.... they were just The Minutemen.... and this documentary is their story....

i'm sure a handful of you will know who they are already.... but the majority of you will have never even heard of them.... which is a shame.... granted, they are an aquired taste.... you really have to be into the music scene at that time.... however, you should take a chance and check them out.... read their lyrics.... watch this movie.... if you weren't a fan before, you just might be afterwards.... i've known about them for a long time.... but it took me quite a bit of time to appreciate them for what they were.... like a lot of bands over the course of music as a whole who have been influencial, this is one of those bands.... like them or not.... and this documentary is so well done that it really lets the band shine.... the filmaker blends iterviews followed by a song followed by interview and so on.... it keeps the pace of the movie strong.... and while you're learning about the history of the band and all of their followers, you see them in action at the same time.... it's a good idea and a good blend.... that's what really makes this work....
D. Boon, Mike Watt and George Hurley are The Minutemen.... D. Boon and Mike were friends since high school and although George went to the same school and graduated with them, they never knew each other.... but after all was said and done, they got together and formed the band.... and magic happened.... or so the critics would say and the die hard fans.... and i mean some very prolific and well respected musicians share their thoughts and feelings about the band.... this entire movie is one big love letter to the band and everything they produced and the legacy they left behind....

i truly enjoyed this movie.... from start to finish i was fully invested in the bands story.... they were charasmatic, energetic and the music was something unique.... it made me appreciate them that much more.... even if you've never heard of them and may not like their music, it's still such a well done documentary that its worth watching regardless.... i gav it a strong 4 out of 5 stars.... and i think it stands as an excellent musicial document of a period in time and one bands part in it....

i won't recommend any other options, rather i'll just say to watch this.

1 comment:

  1. Hi joel, i stumbled into your blog, I directed this film, and coincidentally i was also a camera man on the film awful normal that you reviewed below. Thanks for the kind words about the films.

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