A Band Called Death is a story of rebirth. And that would probably have seemed entirely appropriate to the late David Hackney, had he lived to see it. Hackney and his two brothers, Bobby and Dannis, formed their band, Death, in the early 1970’s. Three African-American teenagers, sons of a Baptist preacher, they played unapologetically fierce and compelling proto-punk in the soul/funk Mecca of Motown. The music they made would languish in obscurity for almost 40 years, until the world came knocking, just as David Hackney knew they would…
The film, by Marc Christopher Covino and Jeff Howlett, set fire to the festival circuit last year, earning almost unanimous critical praise, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray last month. Something more than your average rockumentary, it corrects a historical and aesthetic injustice by allowing the visionary brilliance of this forgotten band of brothers to shine for all the world to see,...
The film, by Marc Christopher Covino and Jeff Howlett, set fire to the festival circuit last year, earning almost unanimous critical praise, and was released on DVD and Blu-ray last month. Something more than your average rockumentary, it corrects a historical and aesthetic injustice by allowing the visionary brilliance of this forgotten band of brothers to shine for all the world to see,...
- 9/3/2013
- by Matt J. Popham
- Obsessed with Film
A Band Called Death - Drafthouse Films - Blu-ray and DVD Director: Mark Christopher Covino, Jeff Howlett Cast: Bobby Hackney, Dannis Hackney, David Hackney, Henry Rollins, Alice Cooper To quote my interview with the stars of this fine film: "A Band Called Death has one of the best stories you'll see in a movie this year. Or next year. Or any year. It's almost too good to be true, but it all really happened." It's pretty common for documentaries to knock you off your feet, though most of the time that happens when the subject matter is just plain depressing. That's not the case here. This is an incredibly uplifting, wondrous story about a trio of brothers who were well ahead of their time musically. But it's way, way more than that. The story of...
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- 8/13/2013
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
Drafthouse Films' A Band Called Death has several new clips up from the rockumentary directed by Jeff Howlett and Mark Covino. The film opened in theaters this past weekend, and includes Bobby Hackney, Sr., Dannis Hackney, David Hackney and Bobbie Duncan. Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was a band called Death. Punk before punk existed, three teenage brothers in the early '70s formed a band in their spare bedroom, began playing a few local gigs and even pressed a single in the hopes of getting signed. But this was the era of Motown and emerging disco. Record companies found Death's music - and band name - too intimidating, and the group were never given a fair shot, disbanding before they even completed one album. Equal parts...
- 6/30/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
A Band Called Death has one of the best stories you'll see in a movie this year. Or next year. Or any year. It's almost too good to be true, but it all really happened. On the surface it seems like just a simple documentary about, well, a band from the '70s who called themselves Death. They were never a big deal, but they should have been. They were a trio of brothers (Bobby, Dannis and David Hackney) living in Detroit who were playing punk music before punk was even a thing. They predated the Sex Pistols and the Ramones, but unfortunately they were never able to break out. No one was interested in watching black teenagers play heavy, fast "white-boy music" in the home of Motown, and, on top of that, no one wanted to book a group with such a morbid name...
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- 6/29/2013
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
Brothers From the Attic: Unexpected Afterlife for Protopunk Band
After cutting their debut album in 1974, “Death” found that nobody in the record industry wanted to touch their music. That is, until 35 long years later when, in a story that yet again confirms the greater strangeness of truth to fiction, “Death” is miraculously rediscovered, their album finally released to great acclaim by music aficionados and fans, and, soon after, A Band Called Death, the richly-textured and deeply-moving documentary under review here by Mark Covino and Jeff Howlett appears about them. The best part of the story is, it couldn’t have happened to a more admirable and engaging group of people than the Hackney brothers and their musically-inclined offspring, most of whom are drummers and in bands themselves.
In choosing the name “Death” for the punk band that David Hackney and his two brothers, Bobby and Dannis, started out of their parents’ house in Detroit,...
After cutting their debut album in 1974, “Death” found that nobody in the record industry wanted to touch their music. That is, until 35 long years later when, in a story that yet again confirms the greater strangeness of truth to fiction, “Death” is miraculously rediscovered, their album finally released to great acclaim by music aficionados and fans, and, soon after, A Band Called Death, the richly-textured and deeply-moving documentary under review here by Mark Covino and Jeff Howlett appears about them. The best part of the story is, it couldn’t have happened to a more admirable and engaging group of people than the Hackney brothers and their musically-inclined offspring, most of whom are drummers and in bands themselves.
In choosing the name “Death” for the punk band that David Hackney and his two brothers, Bobby and Dannis, started out of their parents’ house in Detroit,...
- 6/28/2013
- by Paul Cantagallo
- IONCINEMA.com
Chicago – Wouldn’t we all like to believe that if one is true to their passion, honest with their creative vision, and unwavering in the world’s inability to embrace them that it is only a matter of time before that changes? We’ve always loved this theme in fiction and the encouraging idea that cream rises to the top propelled “Searching For Sugar Man” to an Oscar because of the goodwill it engendered.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Less than a year later, here comes another (superior) documentary about a Detroit musician for whom fame remained elusive until the next generation discovered his talents. Opening this week in most markets, “A Band Called Death” captures the joy of music, the remarkable influence it can have on future talents, and the importance of appeasing nothing but the creative drive within. It’s been a very strong year for documentaries already with “Stories We Tell” and “The Gatekeepers.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Less than a year later, here comes another (superior) documentary about a Detroit musician for whom fame remained elusive until the next generation discovered his talents. Opening this week in most markets, “A Band Called Death” captures the joy of music, the remarkable influence it can have on future talents, and the importance of appeasing nothing but the creative drive within. It’s been a very strong year for documentaries already with “Stories We Tell” and “The Gatekeepers.
- 6/26/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Title: A band called Death Director: Mark Covino & Jeff Howlett Starring: Bobby Hackney Sr., Dannis Hackney, David Hackney Bobbie Duncan. Mike Rubin, reporter of The New York Times, titled his article on Death band: “This Band Was Punk Before Punk Was Punk.” And indeed it was, since the trio – composed by Bobby Hackney Sr., Dannis Hackney, David Hackney – preceded the Sex Pistols and Bad Brains in the early 70s, when they were just teenagers in Detroit. Mark Covino and Jeff Howlett, through the rockumentary ‘A band called Death,’ reconstruct the spiritual voyage of a music (and band) that seemed destined to never emerge. Record companies found Death’s music [ Read More ]
The post A band called Death Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post A band called Death Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 6/18/2013
- by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
- ShockYa
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