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      A Band Called Death

      Now Playing 1 hr. 38 min. Documentary Biography Music List
      94% 53 Reviews Tomatometer 85% 5,000+ Ratings Audience Score Filmmakers Mark Covino and Jeff Howlett tell the story of the Hackney brothers and how the discovery of their long-lost demo tape led to their band's newfound popularity. Read More Read Less Now in Theaters Now Playing Buy Tickets
      A Band Called Death

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      Critics Consensus

      A Band Called Death is not only a fascinating portrait of a pioneering rock group, but also a tribute to family ties and perseverance in the face of hardship.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Must see for any fan of rock and roll. As The New York Times said, punk before punk was punk. Unknown story of incredible band. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member What a sweet success story. Long story short, a band of three brothers in Detroit in the 70s make some punk music a few years before punk is a thing. Offered a record deal by Clive Davis if only they would change their name, they (mainly one of them, the defacto leader David) refuse. They manage to press up 500 singles, but have a hard time getting anyone to play it. People didn't like their name and thought it was weird that these young African American men were playing this kind of music. Death was basically dead in 1976 as they moved on…to other bands and two of them ended up in Vermont. Sadly the leader David passed away in 2000. At some point the single they pressed became a highly collectible item among in-the-know collectors and people also started listening to it. The songs on the 7" made the rounds and eventually one of the brother's hipster musician sons heard his father's unmistakable voice on this punk song at a party. They had no idea that their dad or uncle was ever in a punk band and were pretty floored when they found out. The kids covered Death's songs in their band and eventually Drag City reissued a longer demo. They reformed the band, toured, and their late brother David's prediction that eventually people would want to hear them came true. If you haven't seen it, it's well worth it. Seems like everyone I know saw it when it came out, and it's been on my to-watch list for 8 years. I give it 8/10. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member 83. Very interesting. If you like this you'll love Searching For Sugarman. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/20/19 Full Review Audience Member A trio of African American brothers from Detroit formed the band "Death" in the early 70's. They are a loud, stripped down hard rock band with a bit of a political edge, which was far from typical for an African American band in those days (hell, it ain't typical in these days). The fact that they fit no clean genre mold compounded by resistance to their name caused them to fade into obscurity after one self-released single in 1995. When they were rediscovered in the 2000's, the album of tracks they had recorded was released to much acclaim. This is a cool story, and to some degree I like the film. I'm not a big fan of the band. Their fine, but the notion that they were some kind of punk rock pioneers is wildly overstated. The film really over hypes this angle, seeming to forget that bands like the MC5 exist, were from the same state as "Death" and released an album 7 years before this band recorded anything. I think it's fascinating to hear a band that steps this far out of their expected niche, but this film goes way over the top. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member what an education. An important story in music history to be told ... that's based in Detroit :) Fascinating! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/25/18 Full Review Audience Member "A Band Called Death" is a very different type of rockumentary. It's a film about close family ties, belief in God, staying true to oneself regardless if this determination leads to missed opportunities, and finally a redemption of sorts. It also IS about death (of the lead guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter) and concentrates on that more than anything else. The film celebrates the band's writing and sound, but there is not that much of their music included. Was "Death" musically way ahead of their time? To an extent yes. But a band named "The Stooges" came before them. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Geoff Pevere Globe and Mail An especially pointed variation on one of music's most oft-told tales: A band formed ahead of its time sits in muffled obscurity while others reap the harvest of what it first planted. Aug 16, 2013 Full Review Peter Keough Boston Globe Fortunately, Bobby and Dannis, the surviving brothers, prove genial company. Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 12, 2013 Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader If the brothers seem a little drunk on their own myth, they're also genuinely humbled by the band's rediscovery and warmed by the fact that their kids have carried on the family tradition. Jul 3, 2013 Full Review Graeme Tuckett Stuff.co.nz This is a great doco for anyone who cares about rock and punk, and a brilliant primer on just how conservative, biased and cautious even the most seemingly rebellious of cultural movements can be. May 24, 2021 Full Review Brent McKnight The Last Thing I See There are laughs, tears, and most of all, a success story so unique and interesting that if you tried to pitch it as fiction, no one would believe you. Rated: A Jul 9, 2020 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens This is one of the best rockumentary documentaries you will ever see. Nov 26, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Filmmakers Mark Covino and Jeff Howlett tell the story of the Hackney brothers and how the discovery of their long-lost demo tape led to their band's newfound popularity.
      Director
      Mark Christopher Covino, Jeff Howlett
      Distributor
      Drafthouse Films
      Production Co
      Haven Entertainment
      Genre
      Documentary, Biography, Music
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jun 28, 2013, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 19, 2016