Rock the Bells

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Rock the Bells

2006

1h 43m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Like a hip-hop version of indie rock festivals such as Coachella, Rock the Bells (named for the LL Cool J old-school classic) is a yearly gathering of hip-hop stars. This documentary by filmmaker Denis Hennelly chronicles the buildup to the first Rock the Bells festival, held in San Bernardino, California, in 2004 and headlined by a reunited Wu-Tang Clan. This would prove to be their final concert with original member Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died only months after the festival.

Bill Stamets

Chicago Sun-Times

06/29/2007

3/4

Rock the Bells deals with the mechanics of how to pull off a concert, not with what brought Wu-Tang Clan together or split them up. The impressive teamwork of the promoters upstages the egos of hip-hop divos and their rampaging fans.

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Kevin M. Williams

Chicago Tribune

06/28/2007

3/4

A flat-out stunner that combines a celebration of hip-hop culture with a disaster film.

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Neva Chonin

San Francisco Chronicle

06/08/2007

3/4

Humorously, but with knuckles bared, captures every twitch of angst, chaos and near-calamity that unfolds as the concert draws near and Weisberg's dream devolves into a nightmare.

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Karina Longworth

Cinematical

02/01/2008

A love letter to fans and fandom that is so heartfelt, it bleeds through the boundaries of musical taste.

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Los Angeles Daily News

05/05/2007

2.5/4

The show goes on -- despite the Wu-Tang Clan.

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11/27/2011

This documentary chronicling the final performance of the original Wu Tang Clan is a good insight about the nail biting lead up to the concert.

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08/13/2011

Inconsistent, much like the Clan themselves but for some it'd be worth the effort.

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02/13/2011

The world behind the end product... An overview of what it takes to pull of the last wu tang show - machinations a plenty and the crowd never know - good stuff!!

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12/24/2010

solid film. if you enjoyed chappelle's block part you'll definitely like this one. movie builds tension to deliver a satisfying conclusion.

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03/14/2010

I thought it was pretty interesting to see this massive show come together.

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02/18/2010

ill dvd! wu-tang is the best! wish i saw this live! :(

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Denis Hennelly

Director

Casey Suchan

Director

Kurt Dalton

Producer

Dan Farah

Executive Producer

John Lyons Murphy

Executive Producer

Barry Poltermann

Executive Producer

Critical Consensus: "Hoax" Shines; Force Is With "ATHF"; "Disturbia" Mixed; "Pathfinder," "Stranger" Not Perfect; "Redline," Slow Burn" Not Screened

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Synopsis

Like a hip-hop version of indie rock festivals such as Coachella, Rock the Bells (named for the LL Cool J old-school classic) is a yearly gathering of hip-hop stars. This documentary by filmmaker Denis Hennelly chronicles the buildup to the first Rock the Bells festival, held in San Bernardino, California, in 2004 and headlined by a reunited Wu-Tang Clan. This would prove to be their final concert with original member Ol' Dirty Bastard, who died only months after the festival.

Director: Denis Hennelly, Casey Suchan
Producer: Kurt Dalton, Denis Hennelly, Henry Lowenfels, Casey Suchan
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 43m