Blank Generation (1980) User Reviews

Skip the Pretentious & Get to The Voidoid's Tensions

[PROFMCB · 6/10 · 11 September 2019]

Underknown document from the early 1980s covering New York City's burgeoning punk scene with the underrated, now appreciated and legendary punk songwriter and bassist extraordinaire Sir Richard Hell in the lead role. The film, suffering from pretentious dialogue more than a few moments, is nevertheless rewarding in spots, with great natural acting by Hell and tepid chemistry between he and the phenomenally sensual actress Carole Bouquet. Besides occasional smoldering interactions between these two, the most engaging aspect of this film are several live music sets of Hell's band The Voidoids,either on stage or in the studio. Definitely worth a watch for those songs and, if for nothing else, then to glimpse the futility of being a musician in NYC's gritty streets. [PS: Sir Richard Lives! In 2004, Hell was persuaded by the Fales Library at New York University to part with his archives that are now apparently available for punk scrawl-ars: "In pristine surroundings, scholars will soon be able to pore over old set lists, posters, videotapes, audiotapes, drafts of lyrics, manuscripts and erotic drawings. The papers will be part of the library's extensive collection of documents from the downtown art scene of the 1970's and 1980's. They will not go unvisited, said Marvin Taylor, director of the library, who paid Hell $50,000 for the materials. Though the library has tweedier stuff, including papers of Isaac Bashevis Singer and Erich Maria Remarque, it is material like Hell's that draws a crowd.

Blase'

[recluse2 · 5/10 · 28 March 2019]

I was glad when it was over. It went surprisingly quickly for a dull film. Gives you scenes of a lovey-dovey/i'm leaving you romance between a new wave musician and his French TV documentary interviewer/filmer in New York. It has the atmosphere of the dreary New York streets. No particularly interesting characters save for the two leads, and another filmmaker girl. I personally like the music of Richard Hell and the Voidoids which is the band performing a few songs, staged right in the CBGB's club. Overall it's a dreary, blase' show; the lead character doesn't seem to really care about anything. The real-life character was a heroin user, but no mention of drugs is made. The last surprise at the end was the high-point.

What's the deal with punk?

[lee_eisenberg · 4/10 · 22 July 2020]

The punk band that I really know is The Clash. Billy Bragg said that they knew how to channel all the working-class rage into something meaningful. Ulli Lommel's "Blank Generation" just doesn't seem to add up to anything. Andy Warhol's appearance is neat, but otherwise I don't see that the movie has anything to say. It's practically a melodrama.

Seventies punk classic

[Infofreak · 24 June 2001]

How much you enjoy Blank Generation will depend on how big a fan of Richard Hell you are. If, like me, you think he was the coolest, most talented, most intelligent, and most charismatic 70s punk, then this movie is a must see! Hell does what he does best, being MR COOL, Carole Bouquet is stunningly beautiful, and Warhol puts in a brief but memorable appearance. To top it all off the film is full of the music of Hell and The Voidoids (Robert Quine, Ivan Julian and Mark Bell) who are really on fire. Their live performances are sensational and are worth watching this for alone. A forgotten punk classic.

How?

[Bobbysoxxx · 3/10 · 10 January 2021]

How does this have all the makings of what should have been an awesome 70s NYC punk time capsule and yet be so horribly dull ?

I love R Hell and the Voidoids. I am entranced with gritty 70s NYC, i like hot French chicks. But man this movie is a total snore fest. Its so...just..boring. Aside from the live performances of R. Hell (the acting performances are remarkably horrible) there is almost nothing to see here. Drab, dull diarrhea. I dont care what anyone says the sheer blandness of this affair over rides any cultural credibility it may have

Why?

[lbnathan · 2/10 · 17 October 2021]

I looked for this film years ago because I am in it. I am the video camera operator/ lighting director. I actually ran the TV Studio that was rented to the film company and Ulli Lommel. Except for the vodka bottle he carried around with him all the time I don't remember much other than Warhol coming in and that from one little scene they began asking me to do more which I liked. The film is AWFUL. Poor representation of the music scene it purports and boring storyline.

One of the worst.

[apparentlysomeguy · 2/10 · 15 February 2022]

Bad acting. Next to no script or plot. An uninteresting cameo from Warhol. Pretence turned up to 11. If you don't like the album this exploits, it's an expensive student film style disaster. I would sell it to you only on the condition you never press Play. It would have been interesting as a late 70s postcard of New York but it's shot so tight, that you see precious little of it. Abominable.

For Voidoid fans only

[kdefores · 7/10 · 21 December 2006]

For archival value alone, this is a great document of one of the originators of US punk, Richard Hell. But like most New York downtown hipster footage from that era, as a film it's pretty lame. Badly acted but with some interested ideas and commentary on the news media. Part of this is justified by theorizing about punk as romantic decadence, throwing out the notion of quality for the sake of "keeping it real". Well, twenty five years on, a lot of the punk "honesty" is just plain boring. Basically, get this movie for the live clips of the Voidoids playing in CBGB's, and forget the rest. Even Andy Warhol can't save this one. What I want to know is, how much of this movie was based on the relationship between Hell and Lizzy Mercier?

more like "Bland Generation," but...

[all_movies_suck · 3/10 · 15 September 2003]

..."Blank Generation" is at least worth a look if you enjoy Richard Hell's music. I love his stuff, personally, so the few live performances in the film are definite highlights. Other than that, it's a pretty boring love/hate story between Hell and French ex-Bond Girl Carole Bouquet (sp? oh well...).

Hell is no actor, and neither is anyone else in the movie. In fact, all the acting flat out sucks. One scene which actually shows a little promise is the one between Billy (Hell) and Nada (Bouquet) as they drive along in his car trying to decide what to do on a dreary New York Friday afternoon. After Billy changes his mind three or four times, Nada freaks out and throws him out of the car. That's about it. Even that scene is more comic than anything -- so if that was the intention, great, but if the director was trying to coax some drama out of the script there, well, he failed. Even Hell is almost cracking a smile during the scene.

Still... the live performances ("Liars Beware," "Blank Generation" and "Love Comes in Spurts") are hot stuff. Too bad there are only three live numbers in "Blank Generation", and a little snippet of Hell "recording" "New Pleasures" is sort of goofy, but cool. So unless you're a big Hell fan, or want to see the barely five minute long Andy Warhol interview sequence, skip it.

Blank Movie

[bmv582 · 3/10 · 13 August 2022]

Richard Hell's music is fantastic but this movie sucks. Boring and uninteresting. The only thing good about it is the music. The female lead is pretentious and the rest of the acting is flat.

The ultimate pop-punk-Warhol experience

[normrinks · 10/10 · 29 March 2010]

Yeah, this is it! The ultimate pop-punk-Warhol experience. A wild love triangle, that was shot many years prior to SEX, LIES AND VIDEO TAPE and is much cooler and deeper. Carole Bouquet in the role of NADA LUMIERE is so sexy and cool, Richard Hell as BILLY is riveting, ULLI LOMMEL as Hoffritz is very funny and Andy Warhol as himself is the best! There is so much cool punk rock music in the film, the entire Blank Generation album, it's a real treat, yeah. All the locations show Manhattan, especially SOHO and the Lower Eastside as they were rocking in the late 70s, and even the World Trade Center is in it in a very cool shot from the Staten Island Ferry. I had to order this DVD from Japan, where the movie is a big hit - those Japanese obviously know what's good and cool, I was unable to score a new DVD here in the States, why is that? The producers should do a US release on this one, it's obligatory, because there must be a zillion punk rock, 70s pop fans out there.

Cult Masterpiece

[rmeers2010 · 10/10 · 29 March 2010]

I saw this film back in 1978 when it first came out and I liked it immediately. Now, 32 years later, I think it's a MASTERPIECE. The music was composed by Elliot Goldenthal, who received the Oscar a few years back and has become one of Hollywood;s top composers. Ed Lachmann, who is actually not credited, did the camera work. It's sublime. Carole Bouquet, who was a virtual unknown when this movie was made, has risen to super stardom. And the punk rock music is awesome. The main locale is Manhattan's CBGB's which no longer exists, but used to be the venue for the Ramones and Blondie.Andy Warhol is in is an hilarious, he also produced this film for Ulli Lommel (it's Lommel's first US film BTW). It's a cool and engaging love story and looks like it was made yesterday. If ever there was a cult masterpiece, THIS IS IT!!!!!

Blank Generation rocks!

[hhllrpx · 10/10 · 12 April 2010]

Or shall I say it "punks" instead? This is a super cool rockin' and rolling and punkin' love triangle set in the big apple in 1978 and exuding the life and times of Andy Warhol's hit factory. Written and directed by German cult cinema veteran Ulli Lommel (check out his other gem "Cocaine Cowboys", also co-starring Andy Warhol, with Jack Palance as manager of a cocaine smuggling rock band). Packed with cool punk rock songs by the Voidoids, a late 70s punk elite from Lower Manhattan and shot at the famous rock venue CBGB's, where Blondie and the Ramones and Pattie Smith rocked along side the Voidoids, it is every bit a rock'n roll classic. And Carole Bouquet, that intriguing French beauty in the lead, what a treat, man, this girl is so sexy and cool she virtually smashes the screen. Shot in a classic camera style, this timeless movie will give you pleasure and make your DVD or cinema going experience 100% worth the while. A total stunner!