Unknown Passage: The Dead Moon Story (2006) User Reviews

Excellent

[dagger_moon · 10/10 · 21 September 2006]

Being a Dead Moon fan for 12 years now, this was really a gem to watch. The documentary is totally honest and exciting. Dead Moon have to be the nicest people in the world, and their music and lives in general are 110% true to themselves.

Lots of great live performances and interesting interviews with the band, the fans and the people involved.

Even if you don't like their music (what??) this is a documentary to watch, just to see that there's only one way of life, and that's your own.

Dead Moon forever

Best R'nRoll Documentary ever, since it's R'nRoll in it's purest form

[h-kesteloo · 10/10 · 17 September 2006]

After a 5 years wait, I finally had the opportunity to view this announced Documentary on one of the pure-ist independent R'nRoll bands ever: DEAD MOON.

This documentary catches the band, as they are: in private, on the road, performing, before and after. Kate and Jason joined the band on one of their extensive European Tours in 2001, USA tour and at home in Portland, in private, and shot one of the most emotional footage, telling their story so far.

Dead Moon is cult - Their story starts in 1964 with open end, to be continued. as -Seattle Weekly writes: The ultimate punk-rock feel-good flick". No other band in history can show such a story as Fred and Toody Cole plus Andrew Loomis lived and still are. Indisputably written into the annals of rock history and dedicated to the most sincere methods of the DIY ethos, Northwest musicians Dead Moon have intentionally cut out the bullshit, and left the major labels and "commercial success" behind. Cutting their record masters at home. In a house they built from the ground up, Dead Moon run their own "frontier mini-mall" record label and instrument store. In their spare time they "keep one gig ahead of a day job" with relentless touring across the US and Europe, legendary sweat-soaked live performances-and occasional 15 hour penny-slot casino pit-stop.

Far away from any commercial influence and without any third parties being involved DEAD MOON climb to the top of being one of the most steady garage and punk bands of 21st century. This is the Story of 40 years of R'nRoll, from the 60's garage band the Weeds to Dead moon is a huge bridge to cross. This films shows you all of that. Dead Moon's cult status within their hometown Portland, Oregon, is established. Little is known around the world yet. Therefor this documentary with lots of concert footage is a must see. The most honest, straight forward, energize, low budget Rock 'n Roll train ever, as it all happens in MONO.

Unknown Passage offers an intimate documentary portrait of the compelling history and personality behind these rebel rock icons.

Fred Cole started his R 'n' Roll career in 1964 as DEEP SOUL COLE (the white Stevie Wonder), continued in 1965 with THE WEEDS (Mid-sixties punk), changed the name into THE LOLLIPOP SHOPPE in 1967 and had a cult-hit in that year with 'You Must Be A Witch'. Played all clubs on the West-Coast and supported groups like Moby Grape, The Doors, The Seeds, Janis Joplin and Big Brother, The Yardbirds, Animals, Jefferson Airplane and....... you name it..... He and his family got tired of R 'n Roll life at the end of the 60's, and moved out to Alaska and built their own block-hut, lived of fishing and hunting bears for some time. In the early 70's Fred formed his Hard-Rock group ZIPPER, went country with THE WESTERN FRONT, and hardcore punk with THE RATS, trying a guitar for the first time, while Toody picked up the bass.They returned to R 'n Roll with KING BEE, and DESPERATE EDGE. Inbetween Fred formed a 60's cover band THE TORPEDOS, and they played all over Oregon. All adventures, experiences, frustrations, anger and disillusions through all those years, made Fred and Toody do DEAD MOON. They turned out to become the best Rock 'n' Roll band in the world today. Don't you dare to miss them. It might change your life. No overdubs or remixes, guitar-strings break, out of tune guitars, unintentional participation keeps all this alive as it happens in mono.

(This is no Spinal Tap) Hans Kesteloo, Amsterdam, Holland

Great movie to watch

[pluim003 · 10/10 · 17 August 2008]

As detailed as Hans Kesteloo in his comment I won't go. ;-)

In 1994 (it was a memorable day as it was the same day Formula 1-racer Ayrton Senna crashed and died) I saw the band for the first time in Vera, Groningen. Got caught by their music. Simply garagerock and lo-fi. Note that all their CD's are recorded in mono.

Followed the band throughout the years, enjoyed the gigs a lot and sadly at the end of 2006 they quit. It was only by accident I found out that they restarted again as Pierced Arrows, so went to the gig. Found out about the DVD Unknown Passage a while before and ordered it. Great fun to watch, not only for Dead Moon-fans. I have to admit that during the Range Rats-period and the talking about losing drummers all the time my mind went a little bit to Spinal Tap, but that's not it at all of course. This is the real thing. 2 people with love for their music, each other and their kids and grandkids in no particular order I guess. Started out with almost nothing, build up their own company.

The old shots of the 60s, 70s and 80s are really a surprise when you know only Dead Moon. I was familiar with Zipper, but the Weeds, Lollipop Shoppe and Range Rats were unknown to me.

The extra's on the DVD contain another 1,5 hours of material.

Don't know if the movie has reached the cinema's. Perhaps only at Vera, but then I must have missed it in one way or another.

Film is highly recommended for music-fans.