[Moshe]

http://pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/37164

If you had $300 to blow, how would you spend it? A plane ticket? Your share of the rent your roommate's been screaming at you for? A binge at a record store (probably why your roommate is out for your head)?
Scott Crary directed, shot, and edited his first large film project for less than that amount. The film, Kill Your Idols, takes a look at New York's art-rock scene over the last thirty years. It features interviews with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Liars, Black Dice, Arto Lindsay, Glenn Branca, Lydia Lunch, Michael Gira, and more.
Crary's small expenditure resulted in the prize for Best Feature Documentary at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival, as well as a distribution deal with Palm Pictures. Kill Your Idols will screen at Cinema Village in New York City starting July 7. There are plans for more widespread release and the film will come out on DVD early this fall.

Pitchfork caught up with Crary last week via e-mail. When asked what his motivation behind the film was, he wrote: "Originally, I was pursuing just the newer bands and a much wider cross-section of them (with bands like the Walkmen, Interpol, etc.). Over time, a certain concentration of the bands I was interviewing either kept referencing a certain 5 year period in NY underground rock (77-82) and/or were being paired with bands from then by the media. The interplay between those two generations of bands became more compelling to me, so I began hunting down the originators that everyone was referencing from 30 years ago to see what they thought of their progeny."
Although a number of the bands featured have roots in the No Wave movement, Crary was careful to point out that Kill Your Idols is not centered on No Wave. Rather, the purpose of the film is to comment on the fact that such harsh, dissonant acts inspired and spawned a number of bands working today.
Said Crary, "Of course the irony of a movement like No Wave, which sought to consciously rebuke what came before, eventually leaving a concentrated legacy of its own appealed to me. And the film became more about defining that irony than any sort of attempt at a historical document or overview."
It took four years for Crary to make Kill Your Idols, including several months of convincing bands to appear in the film. Crary credits Nick Zinner, guitarist for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, with introducing him to a number of the bands featured: "Nick from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs exposed me to a lot of the burgeoning bands back then. For instance, he'd suggest I check out Liars, Liars would suggest I check out Black Dice, etc."
For Crary, having Palm Pictures distribute his film was a logical choice, given the company's experience releasing the innovative Directors Label DVD series of music videos. Furthermore, the company has a direct connection to the originators of the no wave scene. As Crary noted, it was Palm Pictures founder Chris Blackwell's label, Island, which released the scene-galvanizing No New York compilation in 1978.

[finding nobody]

seems real cool. thanks moshe

[k-krack]

killer, cant wait for that to come out
moshe, you alwas got the late breakin news man. reputation points awarded to you.

[Dan]

Sweet. Palm Pictures does a lot of cool stuff.

[krastian]

Very very cool. Thanks for the heads up once again.

[Daycare Nation]

Looks good.

[IntoTheGroovey]

Been wondering about this one for a while since I read about it on imdb. I hope it gets good distribution so I can buy it here.

[CHOUT]

I'm hoping for some vintage sy footage in this.

[fishmonkey]

thanks for the heads up moshe. you really do have your finger on the pulse

[youthoftomorrow]

several of my school chums made a short film about a coat hanger named Crary. i doubt this is at all relevant to the thread or anyone here, but that's what i immediately thought of when i saw the guy's name. if they ever put it on the internet, i will post a link. because it's a great film. seriously. great.

[toxic johnny]

I saw it last year in London when it was marketed as a No Wave documentary... someone got their wires crossed I think 'cause I went to see it hoping for some insight into that scene... of course I was bitterly disappointed, it turned out to be nothing of the sort... I found it unfocussed and messy and posted a fairly lengthy review of it on the old board. I got the impression that the director had no real understanding or insight into any of the featured bands... one thing that really irritated me was the fact that some of the live footage didn't match the time period that was being discussed. I think that it's only fair to expect historical accuracy in a documentary of this nature. I could be wrong but I think that Scott Crary is now backtracking and trying to put a different spin on the movie after people who know what they are talking about have reacted badly to it.

Originally Posted by CHOUT

I'm hoping for some vintage sy footage in this.

Well there is some... but don't get too excited as it is very fleeting... also as far as I can remember the film was discussing the 1983 period and we get some brief live footage from years later. I really think that it's not good enough... anyway this is only my opinion and I don't want to put a total downer on this movie... there is some great early Teenage Jesus + The Jerks footage, and some fairly interesting talking head stuff with Glenn Branca, Lydia Lunch, Thurston and Lee etc... I just don't think that the director was up to the job. Actually I'd be interested to find out what any of the participating musicians thought of the finished thing... (fempriest + leeisfree?...)
You should all see it and make your own mind up...
My only advice would be to rent it first and then decide if you want to buy it.

[Dan]

is there any cool Black Dice footage in there?

[PAULYBEE2656]

thanks again moshe...
about time too for this release!!!!!

[greenlight]

yes, thanks for info!
so that's kill yr. idols, noise and dave markey short films dvds coming out.
hopefully at least one of them will be easy reachable in music shops in my area.

[SugarLips]

thanks for the info ..

[huoxito]

great news... i hope it come out here in Brazil...
it must be astonishing to see sy play kill yr idols back in the eights... and this time with a good audio. :P

any date for the dvd release?

[val-holla-ing]

neat-o.

[Moshe]

Just saw it yesterday. What a horrible film. How can you make such a boring movie from such an interesting subject? The really bad parts were when the movie tried to present the YYY's and some other bands as resurrectors of the No Wave scene. Karen O as the new Lydia Lunch??? Give me a brake.
One funny moment is when Thurstonwasasked what next and he replies "Yes Wave"

[pokkeherrie]

not worth buying then?