The Blank Generation
The Blank Generation | |
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Directed by | Ivan Kral Amos Poe |
Produced by | Ivan Kral Amos Poe |
Starring | Patti Smith Group Television Ramones The Heartbreakers Talking Heads Blondie |
Edited by | Amos Poe Ivan Kral |
Production company | Poe Productions |
Distributed by | New Line Cinema[1] |
Release date |
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Running time | 53 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Blank Generation is the earliest of the published DIY "home movies" of New York punk's birth. It was filmed by No Wave filmmaker Amos Poe and Ivan Kral.
Plot[]
Directors and producers Ivan Kral and No Wave filmmaker Amos Poe use behind-the-scenes footage of punk musicians before they became icons.[2][3]
The film includes footage of Blondie, Patti Smith, The Ramones, Television, Talking Heads, New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers, The Shirts, and Robert Gordon as visitors to New York's CBGB's.
Production[]
Film locations include Max's Kansas City, The Bottom Line, Bowery, and the Lower East Side. Legal disputes between Poe and Krall prevented the former's name to appear in the credits after the latter owned the copyright to said film in the years after its initial release.[4]
Reception[]
Dave Kehr of The Chicago Reader called this "New wave's answer to The T.A.M.I. Show".[5] while Time Out New York put it at #89 on their list of the 100 Best NY Movies.[6]
Cast[]
- Richard Hell
- Patti Smith Group
- Television
- Ramones
- The Heartbreakers
- Talking Heads
- Blondie
- Tuff Darts
- New York Dolls
- The Shirts
Musicians featured in the film include: Joey Ramone, Debbie Harry, Richard Hell, Patti Smith, Johnny Thunders, David Byrne, Tom Verlaine, David Johansen, Wayne County, Tommy Ramone, Lenny Kaye, Dee Dee Ramone, Chris Stein, Fred Smith, Johnny Ramone, Ivan Kral, Robert Gordon, Richard Lloyd, Tina Weymouth, Walter Lure, Jeff Salen, Annie Golden, Jayne County, Chris Frantz, Jimmy Destri, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Gary Valentine, Clem Burke, Arthur Kane, Syl Sylvain, Jerry Nolan, Jay Dee Daugherty, Richard Sohl, Billy Ficca, Hilly Kristal and more.
See also[]
- Rock 'n' Roll High School-1979 films starring The Ramones
- Stop Making Sense-1984 concert film featuring The Talking Heads
- True Stories-1986 comedy film directed by David Byrne
- Experimental film
- Jean-Luc Godard-inspiration for this film
References[]
External links[]
- 1976 films
- English-language films
- American documentary films
- American films
- Documentary films about punk music and musicians
- Black-and-white documentary films
- Punk films
- Films shot in New York City
- Films without speech
- American independent films
- Music of New York City
- 1976 documentary films
- American black-and-white films