Product Details

• Actors: 7 Year Bitch, Valerie M. Agnew, Carrie Akre, Jeff Ament, Dawn Anderson
• Directors: Doug Pray
• Producers: Lisanne Dutton, Peter J. Vogt, Steven Helvey
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Letterboxed, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Republic Pictures
• VHS Release Date: September 16, 1997
• Run Time: 84 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0782008119
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,005 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This hip look at the Seattle music scene of the past decade treats the hype with bemused humor but treats the music with respect. Packed with witty interviews with band members, record execs, and Seattle music aficionados, much of the film places a welcome spotlight on the bands that didn't become part of the national "grunge" phenomenon and scores of live clips and rare recordings show that "the Seattle Sound" didn't begin with Nirvana or end with Soundgarden. You don't have to be a fan to enjoy this ebullient rockumentary, and if you're not careful, director Doug Pray's infectious love of the music may even make you one. This video features performances by Blood Circus, Coffin Break, Crackerbash, Dead Moon, Fastbacks, Flop, Gas Huffer, The Gits, Hammerbox, Love Battery, The Melvins, The Mono Men, Mudhoney, Nirvana, The Posies, Seaweed, 7 Year Bitch, Some Velvet Sidewalk, Soundgarden, Supersuckers, Young Fresh Fellows, and Zipgun, and includes Nirvana's first live performance of the grunge anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit." --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow, time flys!, January 23, 2005

By 

Eddie Spaghetti of the SUPERSUCKERS (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hype! (DVD)

This is a great documentary and a cool time capsule. My band had the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time and were included in this great flick so, obviously, I'm a little biased in my praise. A killer cast of characters, some great music and a super interesting glimpse into a wild time. Hype delivers! We all look so young, it's hard to believe it was over ten years ago that this all happened. My only complaint is that Rontrose looks exactly the same as he does now! What's up with that?!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart, well documented, funny = I love it, August 1, 2001

By 

Rebecca Benchetrit (St-Laurent, Quebec Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hype [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Everything you need to know about the grunge scene : when it started, first bands to break out of seattle etc. Hype! did a really good job in more than one way, it gave us the facts about the North West, how these facts played a major role in what happened with the music(all told by people who actually live in Seatlle). The interviews are great especially the one with the two colorful Sub pop founders : Jonthan Poneman and Bruce Pavitt, and the ones with the bands are especially funny, except for the interview with Eddie Veder(he's from San Diego: no sense of humour!). This tape doesn't limit itself to explaining the grunge scene and sound, it talks about the tragedies of sucess, and the media's negative impact on the scene by mass marketing it. You'll watch this one over and over again, see some great concert footage, hear about the tragedy surrounding Kurt Cobain and deceased Mother Love Bone singer Andy Wood. It's comforting, being a musician myself, knowing that the bands responsible for the great music scene did it because the enjoyed it and that's should be the only motivation for beeing in a band and playing music.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HYPE!, January 4, 2005

By 

Dart "I just want it on BLU!" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hype! (DVD)

After watching HYPE for the first time last year, I was left in awe at the beautifully created masterpiece that I had witnessed. It came as a shock to me that this film was largely unheard of, and very upsetting when I tried to get my hands on a copy for myself but could not find one. Therefore I am very pleased that Lionsgate decided to take on HYPE and release it in DVD format. This movie opened my eyes to the wonders of the Seattle "scene" and the grunge music that I had previously ignored. The film even inspired me to travle to Seattle and explore it myself! You do not need to be a fan of NIRVANA or Soundgarden to enjoy this film as it deals with many other grunge acts besides the popular ones, and it is more of an exploration into the societal aspects of this large cultural movement than a direct focus on certain bands. Enough said, I highly reccommend this movie to anyone interested in musical history. HYPE is a crowning achievement in my books!