MC5*: A True Testimonial

This is an excellent documentary about an influential, although relatively unknown, band. My husband and I were fortunate enough to see it at a one-night-only showing at an Atlanta rock club. Wayne Kramer, the MC5's guitarist, originally said it was a "wonderful film" and John Sinclair, the band's one-time manager, said Thomas had done "a fine job". However, in April 2004, Kramer sued the producer and director of the film (Laurel Legler and David C. Thomas, respectively) alleging that Legler and Thomas had promised he would be the film's music producer. Legler and Thomas denied this but distribution of the film ended and plans for a DVD release were canceled. In March 2007, the court ruled in favor of Legler and Thomas and the Court of Appeals upheld the decision. Even so, as of June 2010, MC5* A True Testimonial has not been released on DVD.

This is one of my 10 favorite films of all time. In the "truth is stranger than fiction" vein, this documentary was more like a narrated movie for me. The MC5 was your stereotypical 60's band that imploded due to various abuses. The stories range from hysterical to tragic. The Greek tragedy continues, as apparently the filmmaker and wayne kramer are at odds over rights to the film. The public is being denied a 4 star DVD with hours of deleted footage from some rock 'n roll greats giving testimonials on the MC5's influence. It amazes me that this movie got no fanfare at the academy awards for best documentary - proving what a sham the academy is. For classic rock fans and punk fans, this is a must see - if the DVD ever sees the light of day.

This long overdue documentary tells the (abridged) tale of one of the most threatening and dangerous bands ever to grace the American music scene. Sporting the level of desperation only recognized by true cast-out socially degenerate miscreants, The MC5 proved over their short existence that even the most lost and hopeless souls will have a voice.

And it's a voice that absolutely refuses to be ignored.

While still widely hailed in the underground scene as the 'Grandfathers of Punk Rock' (though often just mentioned as a footnote to Iggy Pop and the Stooges, a band that would never have existed had it not been for the MC5), few people know much of the history that has earned The 5 such acclaim.

This film aspires to correct that little disparity.

From their humble Lincoln Park, MI beginning (where working in an auto factory was 'a birthright') to their ironic coup de grâce (back in the Grande Ballroom, the same theater that gained them what little notoriety they achieved during their being), 'A True Testimonial' manages to seamlessly reinforce the urgency of the music with the urgency of day-to-day life in Detroit at that time. Here we stretch from a bunch of high school kids playing VFW halls to a slightly older band so associated with the threat of a 'revolution' that the FBI actually videotapes their performance at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Later, we see the band's first album rejected from a prominent Detroit department store because of 'objectionable content' (kinda like Wal-Mart does now, 35 years later). The band's reaction is true and the rest is another glorious chapter of rock n roll history.

This film is above all a classic example of the connection (and, more importantly, the discrepancy) between rock n roll and political activeness. Differences between the band and the management (not to mention the band members themselves) ultimately over-power the spirit that brought the MC5 into existence in the first place.

8.5 out of 10

Forget the fact that this documentary has your typical "rock band" story arc: friends start band, band gets big, band takes drugs, band declines artistically, band breaks-up, 30 years later band fondly recalls the fun times and laments the bad.

Forget the fact that this movie painstakingly recounts those heady days of revolution, street riots, and domestic political oppression.

Forget the fact that this movie makes us believe that the MC5 is just as relevant today as they were 30 plus years ago.

Forget the fact that you get to meet such timeless characters as Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Rob Tyner, John Sinclair and the White Panther Party, among many many others.

Forget the fact that you'll get to see this band live in concert, the Grande Ballroom in its glory, and the battle for Michigan Avenue.

Forget all the that because the reason you will want to see this great documentary is because the music just kills!! We are talking almost 2 hours of pure MC5 MF'en jam kickin' folks.

A true testimonial indeed!

This documentary, made over a period of eight years, tells the remarkable story of an extremely influential rock'n'roll band. Starting from their mid-60's garage band roots (sounding amazingly like the Sonics), the Motor City 5 deveoped into an icon for a brand of loud, crushing music reflecting their industrial roots. Even if you don't care for their music (and you're bound to like even a few of their songs), their story is fascinating. It combines 60's protest, youthful braggadocio, and a style of music that would help carry one to the likes of Iggy and the Stooges (not to mention certain aspects of punk rock). This film is clearly a labor of love, combining extraordinarily rare live shows, still shots, a nearly-continuous backdrop of MC5 tunes, penetrating interviews with the remaining members and their spouses, and even FBI surveillance shots. It's the ultimate testimonial to a band that only gains in stature as time goes on.