The youth of America has always had a subculture to identify with. My parents had the hippies. My cousin had the early 90s alternative scene. But in the early 1980s a new counter-culture shocked Mainstream America more than any other movement before it. The hardcore scene, as it has now been known as, gave teens living under Regan’s conservative rule a place where they made the rules, or at least a place where they could break them.

Hardcore music was very fast, very violent and very much rooted in the only form of government that these kids could relate to, anarchy. The true hay day of this scene lasted between 1980-1986. Mainstream America has sought to sweep the hardcore 80s years under the rug. If only it was that easy………

Director Paul Rachman started his film career by directing music videos for some of the hardcore worlds early bands (i.e. Bad Brains and Boston’s own Negative FX.) He has recently completed a documentary, entitled American Hardcore, which is slated for a fall release that not only shows how the hardcore movement came to be but also how it is still seen in the underground scenes of today.

I am not here to give y’all a history lesson on the hardcore movement. American Hardcore can do that. I am just letting y’all know that this documentary will open up many peoples eyes in the end, so make sure you are there at the beginning. Don’t sleep on this flick.

MaimZ