The El Duce Tapes

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The El Duce Tapes

2019

1h 40m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

100%

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10 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

A long, hard look at Eldon "El Duce" Hoke, the front-man of the controversial '90s shock metal band The Mentors.

Anton Bitel

Sight & Sound

a contradictory portrait of El Duce as troubled child, skilled musician, poseur, provocateur, 'nice guy', artist and alcoholic, whose constant posturing showmanship and frequent intoxication render his own testimonies highly unreliable.

Nov 25, 2019

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Rocco T. Thompson

Rue Morgue Magazine

Opening with the tension of an undiscovered snuff film and slowly unfurling to reveal a portrait of a pathetic individual and the America he portended, THE EL DUCE TAPES is frightening, engrossing, and surprisingly resonant.

Jul 3, 2024

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Alan Ng

Film Threat

Clearly, provocativeness overshadows anything resembling good music the band may have been lucky to produce. Sexton found an underground band, whose story-good or bad-needed to be exposed.

Rated: 7/10

Feb 23, 2021

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Martin Unsworth

Starburst

That we feel a smidge of sympathy by this point is testament to the filmmakers for taking us beyond the outrage and controversy of this troubled, shocking artist.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 13, 2021

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Norman Wilner

NOW Toronto

A grimy, prickly found-footage project that looks at the shock-rock scene of the early 90s through the story of The Mentors...

Rated: 4/5

Dec 10, 2020

Full Review

Alexander Miller

Battleship Pretension

There's a quality to The El Duce Tapes that feels like a found-footage horror film that's also an essay on the layered misogyny and racism...

Dec 8, 2020

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Audience Member

Where someone familiar with The Mentors will see The El Duce Tapes one way, those who aren't will most likely find it disturbing, which it is. But this film does eventually reveal Eldon Hoke, who was a sweet man that fell deeper into his alcohol addiction. There really isn't anything of value in the archival footage assembled for this documentary. Just hopelessness and despair. If that was the ultimate goal, then it was achieved.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/21/21

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Audience Member

A telling of a few years of our lord & saviors life. All hail. EL DUCE & The Mentors.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Rodney Ascher

Director

David Lawrence

Director

Ryan Sexton

Director

Tim Kirk

Producer

Ryan Sexton

Cinematographer

David Lawrence

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Synopsis

A long, hard look at Eldon "El Duce" Hoke, the front-man of the controversial '90s shock metal band The Mentors.

Director: Rodney Ascher, David Lawrence, Ryan Sexton
Producer: Tim Kirk
Production Co: New City Road, Highland Park Classics
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 3, 2020
Runtime: 1h 40m

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