Customer Reviews

Afro Punk

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

AFRO PUNK (2003)

directed by James Spooner

approx. 66 minutes

This is a very good movie dealing with black identity in the world of hardcore punk. The movie is made up of testimonials from several black punks talking about subjects such as the relationship of traditional African culture to body modification in punk fashion, interracial dating, being a "safe black", and having mostly white friends. What I like about the movie is the way it doesn't distinguish between the experiences of black suburban high school kids and famous black punks such as D.H. Peligro (of DEAD KENNEDYS). The interviewees are all ages and from all over the country. The movie is edited in a way that emphasizes common thoughts and experiences (such as the importance of BAD BRAINS). They correct misconceptions that people may have about them and their background. Some of the punks do get a little more camera time, such as the zine author from California and the black nationalist singer of the band CIPHER. The more "in-depth" segments show some of the ways black punks set themselves apart and how central identity politics are in their projects.

This movie is NOT a collection of archival footage that aims to deliver a history of black punks. At the end of the movie, some of the interview subjects are asked to name as many punk bands with black members as they can. If you'd like a thorough directory of black involvement in punk rock, look up ROCTOBER magazine's website for an extensive list.

This movie is a welcome addition to the recent crop of punk movies since it examines an area of the music scene which often goes undocumented. I look forward to seeing more movies from the director James Spooner. You do not have to like punk music (or be black) to enjoy this movie.

This dvd was dope. Because it had artist who i didn't know existed, better the world doesn't really know exist. it had artist that can but inspirational but you'll never see their videos on b.e.t. which i think is wrong b.e.t needs to put black rock n roll artist on their channel. they need artist like, bad brains, fishbone and etc. Not just so damn gospel s... on the air so it can influnce black children to be rock n rollers not just singers n rappers.

if your racial identity has ever been questioned whether you are black, white, asian, latino, native american, middle eastern, or what have you, you should definitely check this dvd out. you dont even have to be black or into rock music at all to get something out of it.

maybe youre the only black kid on the lacrosse team

maybe youre a white rapper

maybe youre the only male hetero ballet dancer at your dance school

maybe youre the only asian dude on the basketball team

maybe youre the only girl on the football team

maybe youre the only muslim in idaho

this documentary in many ways tackles a lot of the existential realities related to those types of experiences; experiences of isolation and rejection by a larger more dominant society. of course, every different experience is unique but there are some commonalities among them and things to be learned.

When you get right down to the meat of things, life is a confusing prospect. The interviewees in this documentary have found themselves in a position to be able to look inward because of their isolation from societal norms. The one thing that holds together this short film is the humor and wisdom that has developed among the Afro-punks. They have managed to grow beyond the society around them by exploring the depths of a lifestyle that stereotypically, they should shun. Of course, their monologues are full of self-contradicting statements, but that's the nature of the beast. I've been a black rocker since 1982, and this film was a Godsend to me.

I bought this dvd without doing any research. Big Mistake! I should have gone to netflix and looked at the reviews. I bought it based on the credits on the dvd cover. Don't believe the hype! I'm glad if this dvd moved some people but please be honest about what is contained in the film!!! Dead Kenedys, Bad Brains (1:00 minute of club footage?) no real interviews with the stated bands. Unless you are a huge "Cipher" fan this dvd is probably not for you.

THIS MOVIE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PUNK!! EXPECT FOR BAD BRAINS AND THE DEAD KENNEDYS THAT COME OUT FOR LIKE 2 SECONDS.

I'm a suburban white girl, in my mid thirties, and I have come to realize that punk rock is for us old folks now. Having been in a few scenes here and there, there is always the token black kid among them. I was looking for a real innovation, perhaps a personal story or two. Instead, I got a very generalized look at why others are punk rock. Alienation, feeling outside of society, feeling misunderstood are all a part of it. These black kids that were profiled in this documentary were one of the few black people in their community. They will naturally look to what the white kids are doing for entertainment. Maybe this was with limited access to cable television and the Internet, but it's really not surprising how black teenagers will look to punk rock in some places and hip hop in others.

There are no surprises here. The only highlight was seeing a few interviews with members of the Dead Kennedys. Otherwise, not very entertaining.