★ 7 / 10
DESOLATION CENTER ON DESERTING Shuttle busing a murder
john s
DESOLATION CENTER ON DESERTING Shuttle busing a murder of LA kids out to the Mojave Desert and attempting a musical happening, Desolation Centre was the first…
DESOLATION CENTER
ON DESERTING
Shuttle busing a murder of LA kids out to the Mojave Desert and attempting a musical happening, Desolation Centre was the first punk version of Woodstock. The bare bones year one operation featured Savage Republic and the Minutemen, proveing successful enough to entice New York scenesters Sonic Youth, german industrial experimenters Einsturzende Neubauten, and mad scientist Mark Pauline blowing shit up, to join in on the action.
This was the early eighties, and though the rest of the world was chiefly unawares, the Desolation Center projects proved very influential, and pointed directly to such gargantuan beasts as Lollapalooza, Coachella and Burning Man. Luckily photos were taken, footage was shot, and many people survived to retell the tale. The resulting documentary, if a bit scrambled and rough, does a nice job of capturing the yahoo artistic explosion of a new generation looking to create their own identity, their own scene, their own happening.
Stuart Sweezey, who organized the festivals, also directs this doc, and thus offers crucial insider information, but very little distance from the source. It all sounds pretty cool and fabulous and often outta control, and maybe it was, but the film really works best when some of the outsiders like Thurston Moore (who came cross country because he was such a geeky fan) and Blixa Bargeld (who remembers almost nothing) have their say.
Desolation Center works as an historic document, a surprising bit of entertainment, and a look into a time and place few people knew or cared about, but should have.
- hipCRANK
Read full review
★ 9 / 10
Would Beethoven Enjoy This?
cjuhl-32077
During the early 1980s, I was living in China, playing viola music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. PUNK is not in my vocabulary, then and now. Desolation Center…
During the early 1980s, I was living in China, playing viola music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. PUNK is not in my vocabulary, then and now. Desolation Center was a shock as well as a treat to my ears and eyes.
The storytelling of the film is very engaging. I enjoyed watching the processing, the planning, the footage, the music, the audience, the unexpected visual and sounds.
The film is narrated by Stuart Swezey, the director. It adds a personal touch to the film, and it worked. Through many interviews from musicians, audience, producers, friends, the documentary flows nicely. During the watching of the film, I wished I was free and wild in my youth.
Although Beethoven lost his hearing, he still composed many compositions, including 6 late string quartets and the famous 9th symphony. I think Beethoven would love to be on that raw stage conducting his Punk Symphony, No. 10.
Read full review
100%
TOMATOMETER
· 17 reviews
100%
AUDIENCE
7.4/10
247
•••
Not having any worries with disturbing any Neighbors because there ISN'T ANY NEIGHBORS