Attack of the B's!

Hype! (1996), Doug Pray

Hype! is a documentary about the grunge explosion and it's effect on the Seattle music scene. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, 7 Year Bitch, Tad, Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, Mark Arm of Mudhoney, Bruce Pavitt and Johnathan Poneman of Sup Pop Records, and Megan Jasper, the woman we have to thank for the phrase "swingin' on the flippity flop" are among those interviewed. Lots of great live footage is included, even the first ever live performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Seeing as how this genre of music is kinda my thing, I feel a bit biased in my opinion of this movie. (It was great, duh!) I think that while bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Nirvana would have been the main focus of a lesser documentary, this one is particularly special because it takes the focus off those bands, and places it where it belongs: the equally great but much less acknowledged bands like Seaweed, the Fastbacks, 7 Year Bitch, etc. My only complaint is that the Olympia scene wasn't discussed further. (Although my gripe was actually addressed by the 2005 Kerri Koch documentary, Don't Need You.) I definitely recommend this to anyone who loves flannel and cheap brews as much as I do.

Best Line: "I mean, you hear a song that's a great song; play it a million times, you never want to hear it again... 'If I hear that song one more time... if I see that guy's face one more time... I'm gonna fuckin find out his address and kill that motherfucker!' I don't blame 'em. I've said it myself. " -Eddie Vedder

Grade: B