HYPE!

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, “grunge” music from Seattle swept the world with the emergence of bands like Nirvana. HYPE! looks at the phenomenon of flannel clothes, loud music and teenage angst. HYPE! attempts to expose the story behind the story, and gets the word from the producers, critics, citizens, and musicians from this Pacific Northwest town. Musicians particularly were offended when pop culture magazines created a media blitz featuring half-truths and generating images not genuine to the community. This movie includes concert footage, concert photos and flyers from the roots of grunge to modern times.

The hype of grunge has come and gone so this movie is not timely, but it does capture the before, during and after affects of the media attention to the music scene in Seattle. As expected with some rock musicians, there is an attitude of rebellion. Some use obscenities and obscene gestures. Compared to the rap documentary THE SHOW, the amount of foul language is minuscule. This movie does tell much about the musicians and their music and will be of interest to musicologists and young adults who paid attention to this form of music. It is not for Americans who want to see some moral behavior, but it is informative.