For huge fans of classic and punk rock, like myself, there will be a lot to love. There are interviews with Joan Jett, Paul Stanley, Chad Smith, and so many more, and many of these artists talk specifically about how Creem affected their lives in certain ways. Chad Smith talking about riding his bike five miles to Creem's headquarters to be rewarded with seeing Alice Cooper walk out the front door was a great story. There are also insights into the films namesake; Boy Howdy was faux beer label designed by Robert Crumb (comics artist behind Fritz the Cat), which later went on to be implemented in many of the magazine's photoshoots. There are tons of little bits of information, gossip, and insults tossed around involving all sorts of characters from the 70s and 80s music scene, some of them juicer than others, and I expect that fans of the genre will just eat it up.
Much of the editing was really well constructed, combining the interview footage with the archival footage and animated reenactments of some of the stories being told, but when it came to the actual interviews with rock stars or former writers, the technical aspects were all over the place. In at least five interviews, it sounded as if the LAV mics weren't turned on, so in post they were forced to use the camera audio and bump up the levels. There were also a lot of shots that looked as if the cameras were just set on autofocus, so sometimes the people would be in focus and then they would shift in their chairs and the cameras would struggle find focus again. Likewise, framing in some interviews looked like it was shot by a professional, and in other interviews it looked as if the tripod was bumped and never readjusted.
14 Reviews
This is a truly a great, American Rock 'n' Roll Movie about America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine. Watch it.
BandSAboutMovies21 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Boy Howdy! Another rock-doc about Detroit? We're still coming down from the high of Detroit's Suzi Quatro's career chronicle with the Australian-made Suzi Q. And how can we forget Louder Than Love, the chronicle on Detroit's famed The Grande Ballroom?
Before the D.I.Y punk ethos of Britian in the late '70s, that D.I.Y spirit began in the late '60s with a staff of overworked and underpaid writers, editors, and photographers back by a mascot-Boy Howdy-a faux beer label designed by Robert Crumb, the underground comic book artist behind Fritz the Cat. (Crumb's life and career is preserved in 1995's Crumb; you can see Crumb characterized on film by James Urbaniak in 2003's American Splendor.)
Originally known as Boy Howdy: The Story of CREEM Magazine, this Scott Crawford-directed rock doc chronicles the seminal music magazine from its 1969 launch in Detroit to the untimely death of its publisher Barry Kramer in 1981-and to the magazine's 1989 demise. And the tale began in a ramshackle office in a burnt-out building in 1967 post-riot Detroit (when it ended: 43 people were dead, 342 injured, nearly 1,400 buildings had been burned and 7,000-plus National Guard and U.S. Army troops had been called into service) as the underground, counterculture newspaper rose to national prominence to go head-to-head with the "sellout" rock publication, Rolling Stone magazine. CREEM covered the bands the mainstream press dared to touch and gave said bands their first national coverage.
December 1974 issue of CREEM featuring Iggy Pop and Ray Manzarek with Jim Morrison's fabled "ghost," the Phantom.
While we get to see archive footage of the iconic Lester Bangs (portrayed on film by Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2000's Almost Famous; Patrick Fugit was Cameron Crowe), along with those in the CREEM bunker and Detroit trenches with writers Crowe and Dave Marsh, along with Alice Cooper, Wayne Kramer of the MC 5, and Suzi Quatro-as any film on Detroit should-we get a little bit too much of the impressions and "what CREEM meant to me" insights from its musician-readers, such as Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament, Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Chris Stein of Blondie, and the J.Geils Band's Peter Wolf.
Sure, those musicians played shows in Detroit and the magazine supported their early careers, but the film needed a little less of them and more from the Detroiters-regardless of their obscurity or lack of national fame-in the proceedings. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS also offer their insights; however, not only was Detroit a major tour stop for-and early supporter of-the band, Simmons was a part of the "scene" as result of his clandestine recording sessions at Detroit's Fiddlers Music with that studio's engineer, Scott Strawbridge (Scott Strawbridge discusses his Detroit reflections in the Medium article "Happy Dragons, Phantoms, Fiddlers, Rockets, and Spliffs: The Career of Scott Strawbridge.") And do we really have to mention that KISS song?
While some of the Detroit scenesters I've spoken with from back in the day have their passionate qualms about the film, as to whom was in the film and who wasn't, it's my feeling those omissions are the result of the unavailability (and sadly, deaths) of those individuals and not cinematic ineptitude-not when one considers the filmmaking pedigree behind the film. Plus, I'd have to add: Clevelanders I know-who were close friends with the late Stiv Bators-were none too happy with Stiv (2019), the document on the late Dead Boys' singer; in fact, MTV's Martha Quinn, who dated Stiv Bators in the '80s, was absent from the film.
And so it goes . . . you can't please everyone when it comes to rock docs. There's always going to be detractors who feel the film is "incomplete," one way or another.
Screenwriter Jaan Uhelszki, an American music journalist who was the co-founder of CREEM, was one of the first women to work in rock journalism. Uhelszki's August 1975 feature article, "I Dreamed I Was Onstage with KISS in My Maidenform Bra," documents the night she performed in full costume and makeup with KISS-the only rock journalist ever to do so. She also traveled with Lynyrd Skynyrd for a feature article about their second-to-last tour (be sure to check out our review of the 2020 Lynyrd Skynyrd bio flick Street Survivors). And I'd have to point out: Jaan Uhelszki was born and raised in Detroit and worked as a "Coke Girl" selling sodas at The Grande Ballroom-yet, she does not appear in the documentary Louder Than Love about the Grande. (FYI: Suzi Quatro also started out as a "Coke Girl" at Detroit's Hideout Ballrooms operated by Bob Seger's manager, Punch Andrews.)
You've seen Jaan Uhelszki's film work before with the absolutely stellar documentary about the tragic, unsung career of Chris Bell, along with Alex Chilton, with Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (2012). (You can catch the film as a free-with-ads stream on TubiTV.) You can spend more time with Jaan and look through her photo archives at her personal website.
Director Scott Crawford made his feature film debut with the worldwide, critically-acclaimed document, Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC 1980-90. If you're a fan of Bad Brains, Minor Threat (Ian McKay of Another State of Mind), and Scream (Dave Grohl's band before Nirvana), then that film is a must watch. Crawford grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and published his own CREEM-inspired 'zine in his teen years; he understands the mid-western D.I.Y ethos that also drove the punk scene of his hometown.
Before the D.I.Y punk ethos of Britian in the late '70s, that D.I.Y spirit began in the late '60s with a staff of overworked and underpaid writers, editors, and photographers back by a mascot-Boy Howdy-a faux beer label designed by Robert Crumb, the underground comic book artist behind Fritz the Cat. (Crumb's life and career is preserved in 1995's Crumb; you can see Crumb characterized on film by James Urbaniak in 2003's American Splendor.)
Originally known as Boy Howdy: The Story of CREEM Magazine, this Scott Crawford-directed rock doc chronicles the seminal music magazine from its 1969 launch in Detroit to the untimely death of its publisher Barry Kramer in 1981-and to the magazine's 1989 demise. And the tale began in a ramshackle office in a burnt-out building in 1967 post-riot Detroit (when it ended: 43 people were dead, 342 injured, nearly 1,400 buildings had been burned and 7,000-plus National Guard and U.S. Army troops had been called into service) as the underground, counterculture newspaper rose to national prominence to go head-to-head with the "sellout" rock publication, Rolling Stone magazine. CREEM covered the bands the mainstream press dared to touch and gave said bands their first national coverage.
December 1974 issue of CREEM featuring Iggy Pop and Ray Manzarek with Jim Morrison's fabled "ghost," the Phantom.
While we get to see archive footage of the iconic Lester Bangs (portrayed on film by Philip Seymour Hoffman in 2000's Almost Famous; Patrick Fugit was Cameron Crowe), along with those in the CREEM bunker and Detroit trenches with writers Crowe and Dave Marsh, along with Alice Cooper, Wayne Kramer of the MC 5, and Suzi Quatro-as any film on Detroit should-we get a little bit too much of the impressions and "what CREEM meant to me" insights from its musician-readers, such as Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament, Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Chris Stein of Blondie, and the J.Geils Band's Peter Wolf.
Sure, those musicians played shows in Detroit and the magazine supported their early careers, but the film needed a little less of them and more from the Detroiters-regardless of their obscurity or lack of national fame-in the proceedings. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS also offer their insights; however, not only was Detroit a major tour stop for-and early supporter of-the band, Simmons was a part of the "scene" as result of his clandestine recording sessions at Detroit's Fiddlers Music with that studio's engineer, Scott Strawbridge (Scott Strawbridge discusses his Detroit reflections in the Medium article "Happy Dragons, Phantoms, Fiddlers, Rockets, and Spliffs: The Career of Scott Strawbridge.") And do we really have to mention that KISS song?
While some of the Detroit scenesters I've spoken with from back in the day have their passionate qualms about the film, as to whom was in the film and who wasn't, it's my feeling those omissions are the result of the unavailability (and sadly, deaths) of those individuals and not cinematic ineptitude-not when one considers the filmmaking pedigree behind the film. Plus, I'd have to add: Clevelanders I know-who were close friends with the late Stiv Bators-were none too happy with Stiv (2019), the document on the late Dead Boys' singer; in fact, MTV's Martha Quinn, who dated Stiv Bators in the '80s, was absent from the film.
And so it goes . . . you can't please everyone when it comes to rock docs. There's always going to be detractors who feel the film is "incomplete," one way or another.
Screenwriter Jaan Uhelszki, an American music journalist who was the co-founder of CREEM, was one of the first women to work in rock journalism. Uhelszki's August 1975 feature article, "I Dreamed I Was Onstage with KISS in My Maidenform Bra," documents the night she performed in full costume and makeup with KISS-the only rock journalist ever to do so. She also traveled with Lynyrd Skynyrd for a feature article about their second-to-last tour (be sure to check out our review of the 2020 Lynyrd Skynyrd bio flick Street Survivors). And I'd have to point out: Jaan Uhelszki was born and raised in Detroit and worked as a "Coke Girl" selling sodas at The Grande Ballroom-yet, she does not appear in the documentary Louder Than Love about the Grande. (FYI: Suzi Quatro also started out as a "Coke Girl" at Detroit's Hideout Ballrooms operated by Bob Seger's manager, Punch Andrews.)
You've seen Jaan Uhelszki's film work before with the absolutely stellar documentary about the tragic, unsung career of Chris Bell, along with Alex Chilton, with Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (2012). (You can catch the film as a free-with-ads stream on TubiTV.) You can spend more time with Jaan and look through her photo archives at her personal website.
Director Scott Crawford made his feature film debut with the worldwide, critically-acclaimed document, Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC 1980-90. If you're a fan of Bad Brains, Minor Threat (Ian McKay of Another State of Mind), and Scream (Dave Grohl's band before Nirvana), then that film is a must watch. Crawford grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and published his own CREEM-inspired 'zine in his teen years; he understands the mid-western D.I.Y ethos that also drove the punk scene of his hometown.
Rollicking documentary is worth checking out
paul-allaer8 August 2020
"CREEM: America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine" (2019 release; 75 min.) is a documentary about the (in)famous music magazine, founded and published by Barry Kramer in 1969. As the movie opens, we see grainy B&W footage of the CREEM gang in downtown Detroit, as they introduce themselves. We then step back and get a Detroit Rock Scene 101 primer, as we are reminded how many great rock artists emerged from Detroit (too many to name here). Kramer owned a record store/hang-out room on Cass Avenue that then started publishing CREEM with hardly anyone having any writing or rock credentials. Led by Editor-in-Chief Dave Marsch, they were a trailblazer in bringing the rock stars to the reading public. Comments REM's Micheal Stipe: "My life changed when I saw Patti Smith's picture in CREEM." At this point we are 10 min. into the film.
Couple of comments: this is the second documentary directed by Scott Crawford. More importantly, it is produced by JJ Kramer, the son of original founder Barry Kramer, and by Jaan Uhelszki, one of CREEM's original journalists (she also wrote the film's script). There is much to tell, and the movie moves at a frantic pace as we learn how CREEM functions in the early days (the magazine was named after the band Cream, whom Kramer adored). Dave Marsch and Kramer argued often. Then in the early 70s Lester Bangs joins CREEM and now even more internal tension ensues, while the magazine continues to grow. The film covers mostly the 1969-1981 era, and along with it, we get a ton of fun archive footage from the 70s. With so much materials to cover, it's a bit of a shame that the movie runs only 75 min. but it's a minor quibble.
"CREEM: America's Only Rock n'n Roll MAgazine" premiered at the 2019 SXSW festival to immediate acclaim, and was scheduled to be released in theaters this Spring. Then a little think called COVID-19 happened. Theaters are very slowly reopening, and "CREEM" opened out of the blue this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati (complying fully with all COVID-19 measures). I couldn't wait to see it. The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended so-so (3 people including myself). The movie's DVD release is scheduled for next month. If you have any interest in rock music, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD or soon on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the second documentary directed by Scott Crawford. More importantly, it is produced by JJ Kramer, the son of original founder Barry Kramer, and by Jaan Uhelszki, one of CREEM's original journalists (she also wrote the film's script). There is much to tell, and the movie moves at a frantic pace as we learn how CREEM functions in the early days (the magazine was named after the band Cream, whom Kramer adored). Dave Marsch and Kramer argued often. Then in the early 70s Lester Bangs joins CREEM and now even more internal tension ensues, while the magazine continues to grow. The film covers mostly the 1969-1981 era, and along with it, we get a ton of fun archive footage from the 70s. With so much materials to cover, it's a bit of a shame that the movie runs only 75 min. but it's a minor quibble.
"CREEM: America's Only Rock n'n Roll MAgazine" premiered at the 2019 SXSW festival to immediate acclaim, and was scheduled to be released in theaters this Spring. Then a little think called COVID-19 happened. Theaters are very slowly reopening, and "CREEM" opened out of the blue this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati (complying fully with all COVID-19 measures). I couldn't wait to see it. The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended so-so (3 people including myself). The movie's DVD release is scheduled for next month. If you have any interest in rock music, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD or soon on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
Passing the tough test
moonspinner5513 July 2022
Creem magazine was a goofy-hip, inside-jokesters publication aimed at teenage boys that was founded above a record store/head shop in 1969 Detroit by Barry Kramer (he named/misspelled the magazine Creem after the band Cream, just as Rolling Stone named their rival publication after The Rolling Stones). With R. Crumb artwork and the Boy Howdy logo (often used as a faux beer can), Creem was the anti-rock journal, an F-you to Rolling Stone. This 76mn documentary, peopled with mostly reprehensible personalities (such as senior editor Lester Bangs, who appeared to be both anti-Semitic and homophobic), gets surprisingly serious near the end as the principals leave us. Their legacy is of an important piece of rock 'n' roll history which faded into the sunset 20 years after it appeared. The film is slick, flashy, funny and empty--like Creem itself. Great for fans, and the covers and celebrity testimonials are fun. **1/2 from ****
Animal House, with spellers!
steelerbob6 August 2022
Another important time capsule component. Absolutely necessary for future generations to use as they begin to understand the music of the 60's, 70's & 80's. Where and how the music made, and why it's greatness will never be matched.
Outstanding!
agraves-105619 August 2020
This film really did a wonderful job portraying the rise and fall of a magazine empire. It also took the time to describe in detail the feel of the country, music scene and Detroit during the era. As a Michigan native, it really opened my eyes to the history of it all.
Excellent film
sandicc310 June 2020
It's a Rocker!
Rob_Moss23 May 2020
While Barry Kramer and Lester Bangs weren't available to be interviewed, viewers will see and hear everyone else that made Creem Magazine the rag to read about who was doing what (and to whom) in rock 'n' roll.
Like the magazine, the documentary is irreverent and passionate about its subject. While the director (Scott Crawford) grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, he understands the mid-western DIY ethos that enabled Creem Magazine (which was published in Detroit, not NYC, not LA) to go from nothing to something larger than life from the moment it began.
Actually, no Crawford doesn't just understand that DIY ethos. He owns it. He published his own 'zine on the DC hardcore scene when he just a kid and, with practically zero budget, directed the documentary, Salad Days.
But back to Creem and this documentary. The people who chose to work at the magazine (the writers, the editors, the publisher, the photographers, the assistants, the people who made sure it got to the printer) all had something to prove. And they sure didn't do it for the money. But these are the kind of people who have a story to tell. And they do it in this film. And so do people like Joan Jett, Wayne Kramer, Alice Cooper, Cameron Crowe and more.
Does it have a few imperfections? Sure. So did the magazine. Do these blemishes get in the way of enjoying the show? Maybe if you're the type that subscribes to Rolling Stone and thinks Jann Wenner's cool.
If you're a long-time fan of Creem Magazine, you'll not be disappointed. If you're new to the subject, you'll learn a lot and have fun at the same time. But why take my word for it? Watch the trailer. Or, better, watch the film.
Like the magazine, the documentary is irreverent and passionate about its subject. While the director (Scott Crawford) grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, he understands the mid-western DIY ethos that enabled Creem Magazine (which was published in Detroit, not NYC, not LA) to go from nothing to something larger than life from the moment it began.
Actually, no Crawford doesn't just understand that DIY ethos. He owns it. He published his own 'zine on the DC hardcore scene when he just a kid and, with practically zero budget, directed the documentary, Salad Days.
But back to Creem and this documentary. The people who chose to work at the magazine (the writers, the editors, the publisher, the photographers, the assistants, the people who made sure it got to the printer) all had something to prove. And they sure didn't do it for the money. But these are the kind of people who have a story to tell. And they do it in this film. And so do people like Joan Jett, Wayne Kramer, Alice Cooper, Cameron Crowe and more.
Does it have a few imperfections? Sure. So did the magazine. Do these blemishes get in the way of enjoying the show? Maybe if you're the type that subscribes to Rolling Stone and thinks Jann Wenner's cool.
If you're a long-time fan of Creem Magazine, you'll not be disappointed. If you're new to the subject, you'll learn a lot and have fun at the same time. But why take my word for it? Watch the trailer. Or, better, watch the film.
Loved it!
mfleigh-6747414 June 2020
Story - courtesy of CREEM. Movie AND beer - courtesy of Boy Howdy!
authorchristopherlong1 February 2021
They were young, rail-thin long-hairs donning tie-dyes and denim - modern-day ministers on a common mission to spread their own "Good News" Gospel. With reckless abandon, they engaged in rampant drug use, unabashed booze bingers and frequent physical confrontations - with each other. They first came together during the golden age of rock and roll -1969. But they weren't unrefined instrumentalists - they were unfiltered journalists. And this isn't a biopic of some bloated band. It's the story of CREEM - "America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine."
Notoriously unapologetic, the "America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine" mantra crowned the iconic CREEM logo plastered across the cover of each monthly edition for decades. Albeit a bit brazen, the statement was true. Birthed in the backstreets of Detroit, CREEM was head shop owner, Barry Kramer's lovechild - a disruptive delinquent who might get you busted but was always much cooler and way more fun to hang out with than Jaan Wenner's highfalutin' uptown honor student.
As a church-raised, rock-crazed kid coming of age circa '74, CREEM was my other Bible. Where else was a sheltered youth from Springfield gonna learn about Lou's lust for the wild side or become enlightened by Bowie's bi-sexual confessions? CREEM revealed Alice's alcohol-soaked wonderland, while apprising me of the Bat Lizard's latest exploits. CREEM placed me on a rocket to Russia, then took me to Heaven tonight. CREEM introduced me to the Queens of Noise and the Dolls of New York. And as an ever-horny high schooler, I was "energized" by the full-color, full-page pinups of such "CREEM DREEMS" as Debbie H, Suzi Q and Wendy O, as well as by Grace Slick's infamous "CREEM Profile" nipple pic - multiple two-tissue tussles, to be sure.
CREEM was a "Welcome" mat for old-school rock and a launchpad for new-age punk. As a result, CREEM always smelled familiar, but never tasted stale. Typically spot-on, occasionally mean-spirited, often hilarious and consistently honest, the irreverent journalism spewing from the pages of CREEM informed my teenage writing passion. Nearly 50 years later, those dogeared CREEM back issues still inspire me.
As for the documentary, it's a riveting romp back to a time when music journalism and creative writing were still considered precious commodities. The film yanks back the curtain to expose the often volatile CREEM environment - vivid stories of sex, drugs, music, money, egos and infighting, told by the editors, writers, photographers and artists who were there, battling on the front line.
The film's roster of rock star contributors reads like a "Who's Who" list of rejects from an updated "We Are the World" video shoot; from members of Metallica, KISS, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, Pearl Jam, Circle Jerks and REM to Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Peter Wolfe, Ted Nugent and the great Don Was. Even one-time CREEM staff writer, Cameron Crowe, rescheduled a high-profile Hollywood martini luncheon to stop by and chime in with his unique, personal perspectives.
The CREEM story is explosive - heart-stopping and heart-breaking. The commentary is compelling - honest and real. The vintage black and white footage - simply fantastic. Yet, despite the film's overall undeniable WOW-factor, the viewing experience is enhanced even further by the amazing and amusing illustrations of renowned artist, Sherise Seven.
For those who lived through that magical era - those who embraced the "Gospel" and worshiped the music, CREEM - "America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine" is a must-see. For those who missed out, this is also a must-see. And fortunately for all, it's currently available widely across an array of streaming services.
Story - courtesy of CREEM. Movie AND beer - courtesy of Boy Howdy!
Notoriously unapologetic, the "America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine" mantra crowned the iconic CREEM logo plastered across the cover of each monthly edition for decades. Albeit a bit brazen, the statement was true. Birthed in the backstreets of Detroit, CREEM was head shop owner, Barry Kramer's lovechild - a disruptive delinquent who might get you busted but was always much cooler and way more fun to hang out with than Jaan Wenner's highfalutin' uptown honor student.
As a church-raised, rock-crazed kid coming of age circa '74, CREEM was my other Bible. Where else was a sheltered youth from Springfield gonna learn about Lou's lust for the wild side or become enlightened by Bowie's bi-sexual confessions? CREEM revealed Alice's alcohol-soaked wonderland, while apprising me of the Bat Lizard's latest exploits. CREEM placed me on a rocket to Russia, then took me to Heaven tonight. CREEM introduced me to the Queens of Noise and the Dolls of New York. And as an ever-horny high schooler, I was "energized" by the full-color, full-page pinups of such "CREEM DREEMS" as Debbie H, Suzi Q and Wendy O, as well as by Grace Slick's infamous "CREEM Profile" nipple pic - multiple two-tissue tussles, to be sure.
CREEM was a "Welcome" mat for old-school rock and a launchpad for new-age punk. As a result, CREEM always smelled familiar, but never tasted stale. Typically spot-on, occasionally mean-spirited, often hilarious and consistently honest, the irreverent journalism spewing from the pages of CREEM informed my teenage writing passion. Nearly 50 years later, those dogeared CREEM back issues still inspire me.
As for the documentary, it's a riveting romp back to a time when music journalism and creative writing were still considered precious commodities. The film yanks back the curtain to expose the often volatile CREEM environment - vivid stories of sex, drugs, music, money, egos and infighting, told by the editors, writers, photographers and artists who were there, battling on the front line.
The film's roster of rock star contributors reads like a "Who's Who" list of rejects from an updated "We Are the World" video shoot; from members of Metallica, KISS, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, Pearl Jam, Circle Jerks and REM to Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Peter Wolfe, Ted Nugent and the great Don Was. Even one-time CREEM staff writer, Cameron Crowe, rescheduled a high-profile Hollywood martini luncheon to stop by and chime in with his unique, personal perspectives.
The CREEM story is explosive - heart-stopping and heart-breaking. The commentary is compelling - honest and real. The vintage black and white footage - simply fantastic. Yet, despite the film's overall undeniable WOW-factor, the viewing experience is enhanced even further by the amazing and amusing illustrations of renowned artist, Sherise Seven.
For those who lived through that magical era - those who embraced the "Gospel" and worshiped the music, CREEM - "America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine" is a must-see. For those who missed out, this is also a must-see. And fortunately for all, it's currently available widely across an array of streaming services.
Story - courtesy of CREEM. Movie AND beer - courtesy of Boy Howdy!
A DIFFERENT TIME
kirbylee70-599-52617921 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
For years the main magazine hailed as covering rock 'n' roll was always considered Rolling Stone Magazine. I grew up reading that constantly. But at the same time I was reading another magazine that focused on rock 'n' roll. And that magazine was more in touch with the average fan. Rolling Stone seemed to have changed from the counter culture magazine of the past to the slickly produced company magazine. It felt too pretentious in its reviews and if you go back and look through old issues you'll find tons of incidents where they praised groups that disappeared without a trace and condemned groups that rose to superstardom. Keep in mind that was the magazine that said Led Zeppelin was terrible.
The other magazine that was worth picking up though was Creem. Sure they could be irreverent, they could be snide in comments and they could be wrong on occasion too. But they covered the music scene from a different perspective. You felt they actually listened to the music, that they went to the concerts and that they knew what they were talking about. Who knew what was going on behind the scenes with this small magazine fans loved?
Now we get the chance to find out with the movie CREEM: AMERICA'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL MAGAZINE. The title rings true. While RS seemed to go out of their way to produce a slick corporate style magazine Creem was the little engine that could. They lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle and talked about it.
The magazine began in Detroit, considered the home of American rock 'n' roll for many. This was where Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad, Iggy and the Stooges, Bob Seger and MC5 cut their teeth. This was hard core rock 'n' roll at the time and being discovered by music fans across the country and around the world. This was not the pre-packaged east/west coast produced bands. This was in your face loud guitar music and Creem covered it. As MC5 lead singer Wayne Kramer says in the film "Creem Magazine was our Facebook, it was our social media."
The movie covers all bases here moving from the early days of the magazine, who founded it, how it came to be and the people that worked on the magazine over the years. Two main writers for Creem would go on to influence other writers for years to come. Dave Marsh would become a major contributor to the history of rock music. And Lester Bangs would become the mold that all other aspiring rock writers wanted to become.
Creem didn't want to cover pop culture or music the way that RS did. RS was talking about the likes of Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor while Creem was talking about punk rock. That's not to say those artists were bad but they weren't rock 'n' roll. That's what Creem was all about. That and nothing else. And this film show why and the behind the scenes stories that helped make them the magazine they were.
As a teen in the seventies I remember Creem well. I can recall a copy that featured Marc Bolan and T.Rex on the cover. I found their reviews more along the lines what I and my friends enjoyed rather than being told what we should like from RS. The magazine went to the way of the dinosaur and the movie explains how that happened as well. In a world inundated with the corporate culture product now coming out, both musically and journalistically, Creem was a breath of fresh air. While we may never see its like again, at least we can enjoy this film that heralds the magazine that was.
The other magazine that was worth picking up though was Creem. Sure they could be irreverent, they could be snide in comments and they could be wrong on occasion too. But they covered the music scene from a different perspective. You felt they actually listened to the music, that they went to the concerts and that they knew what they were talking about. Who knew what was going on behind the scenes with this small magazine fans loved?
Now we get the chance to find out with the movie CREEM: AMERICA'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL MAGAZINE. The title rings true. While RS seemed to go out of their way to produce a slick corporate style magazine Creem was the little engine that could. They lived the rock 'n' roll lifestyle and talked about it.
The magazine began in Detroit, considered the home of American rock 'n' roll for many. This was where Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Grand Funk Railroad, Iggy and the Stooges, Bob Seger and MC5 cut their teeth. This was hard core rock 'n' roll at the time and being discovered by music fans across the country and around the world. This was not the pre-packaged east/west coast produced bands. This was in your face loud guitar music and Creem covered it. As MC5 lead singer Wayne Kramer says in the film "Creem Magazine was our Facebook, it was our social media."
The movie covers all bases here moving from the early days of the magazine, who founded it, how it came to be and the people that worked on the magazine over the years. Two main writers for Creem would go on to influence other writers for years to come. Dave Marsh would become a major contributor to the history of rock music. And Lester Bangs would become the mold that all other aspiring rock writers wanted to become.
Creem didn't want to cover pop culture or music the way that RS did. RS was talking about the likes of Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor while Creem was talking about punk rock. That's not to say those artists were bad but they weren't rock 'n' roll. That's what Creem was all about. That and nothing else. And this film show why and the behind the scenes stories that helped make them the magazine they were.
As a teen in the seventies I remember Creem well. I can recall a copy that featured Marc Bolan and T.Rex on the cover. I found their reviews more along the lines what I and my friends enjoyed rather than being told what we should like from RS. The magazine went to the way of the dinosaur and the movie explains how that happened as well. In a world inundated with the corporate culture product now coming out, both musically and journalistically, Creem was a breath of fresh air. While we may never see its like again, at least we can enjoy this film that heralds the magazine that was.
The Misfits of Rock n Roll Journalism
maritzaarrua13 June 2020
The Rock n' Roll Magazine
Screen_O_Genic15 December 2021
"CREEM" was Rock n' Roll in print. With its provocative images and irreverent text it was a rag founded by misfits who represented the music every belch of the way. "CREEM: America's Only Rock n' Roll Magazine" punches through like a good Punk track - short, fast and to the point. Starting off (where else?) in Motor City Detroit the mag immediately had a reputation for supporting well-known and obscure acts while at the same trashing them down in true Rawk style. Priceless footage of the mag's staff during their heyday and cool images bring an era back to life as the story unfolds. The camaraderie, fights, the sex, drugs and Rock n' Roll lifestyle and its heros and casualties are all here with interviews of the magazine's staff, writers, musicians and other notables revving up the mag's importance and legacy. The only flaw is the lack of comprehensiveness with this otherwise fun rockumentary, the empty feeling that something's missing and that the film could have been more fleshed out to give a fullness and justice to this interesting and unique tale. One of the better documentaries of recent times "CREEM: America's Only Rock n' Roll Magazine" is a celebration of the golden age of Rock and a rocking tribute to a historical and cultural artifact that entertained, tittilated and inspired a generation.
Creem was sex, drugs and louder, faster rock
gortx23 August 2022
Creem was always like Rolling Stone magazine's snotty bratty little brother. Scott Crawford's documentary is a bit like that as well - quick and cheep. Only 75 minutes long it gets the story told (HBO's Rolling Stone: Stories From The Edge doc was 360 minutes long by comparison). Rolling Stone strained to be legit, Creem was sex, drugs and louder, faster rock.
Creem lasted for 20 years on the newsstands, but the Doc basically concentrates on the first third of that history. Many of the surviving members of the staff are on hand to be interviewed and tell stories. There is a bit of actual footage from the period (much of it captured on grainy videotape), but the talking heads, magazine scans and vintage photos carry the load here.
What really emerges is a portrait of three men: Publisher and founder Barry Kramer, editor Dave Marsh and bad boy critic Lester Bangs. In true rock 'n roll fashion, Kramer and Bangs both crashed and burned before they hit 40 (Bangs was only 33). The other heartbeat of Creem was that it was from Detroit, and not L. A. or NYC. Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the MC5 and Motown gave it a 'middle of the country' soul. The original Creem office was in a nasty part of the inner city, which makes the two years at a virtual commune far outside the metropolis seem even more of an oddity.
Crawford's Doc can't escape the feel of a Boy Howdy! Production with half the Creem employees and Kramer's family producing it*. Still, the friends and family don't skimp on the dirty laundry. Even in their 60s and 70s, the staff still has the attitude - much like the magazine they helped bring about.
* Boy Howdy! Was the defacto logo for the magazine much like Alfred E. Neuman for Mad - they even touted a faux beer with the label!
Creem lasted for 20 years on the newsstands, but the Doc basically concentrates on the first third of that history. Many of the surviving members of the staff are on hand to be interviewed and tell stories. There is a bit of actual footage from the period (much of it captured on grainy videotape), but the talking heads, magazine scans and vintage photos carry the load here.
What really emerges is a portrait of three men: Publisher and founder Barry Kramer, editor Dave Marsh and bad boy critic Lester Bangs. In true rock 'n roll fashion, Kramer and Bangs both crashed and burned before they hit 40 (Bangs was only 33). The other heartbeat of Creem was that it was from Detroit, and not L. A. or NYC. Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the MC5 and Motown gave it a 'middle of the country' soul. The original Creem office was in a nasty part of the inner city, which makes the two years at a virtual commune far outside the metropolis seem even more of an oddity.
Crawford's Doc can't escape the feel of a Boy Howdy! Production with half the Creem employees and Kramer's family producing it*. Still, the friends and family don't skimp on the dirty laundry. Even in their 60s and 70s, the staff still has the attitude - much like the magazine they helped bring about.
* Boy Howdy! Was the defacto logo for the magazine much like Alfred E. Neuman for Mad - they even touted a faux beer with the label!
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