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Rent Hype! (1996)

It all began in Seattle. Doug Pray's account of how a few small bands from a city on the northern edge of America's west coast came to dominate the rock world. It incorporates interviews and rare concert footage to trace the steps of grunge, from its subversive inception in neighborhood basements, to its explosion as a pop culture phenomenon. Hype! tells the story of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, Soundgarden and other bands that conquered the radio waves and spearheaded the "grunge" scene. Prey's, insightful and often wry take on the "scene" depicts Seattle as a town with a fertile musical community where a distinctive sound and style grew largely because it was ignored only to become the rock capital of the world, Eventually to be brought down by opportunists scrambling for the spotlight, a devastating drug culture and cheap flannel shirts "grunge fashion" The movie features revealing (and often hilarious) interviews with members of such groups as Mudhoney, the Mono Men, the Fastbacks, Seven Year Bitch, Girl Trouble, and the Supersuckers, as well as performance footage and informed perspectives from a number of behind-the-scenes figures. It also features an historically priceless clip of Nirvana's first public performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Filmed over 31/2 years, Pray's film features interviews with band members, producers, promoters and fans, detailing the rise of a new sound and its subsequent commercialisation. A fascinating insight into an important period of music history.