Hated: G G Allin & The Murder Junkies

There's no irony in that title. Apart from a frighteningly hardcore circle of supporters, G G Allin was pretty much reviled during his lifetime (he died in the early 90s). Why did so many hate him? Because he was talentless, and spent most of his time in public naked, covered in his own excrement & blood ...

G G Allin (born Kevin Michael Allin) lived the punk rock ethic of not giving a f+++ to it's max - and then some. During his 15 year assault on the music industry he fronted several bands including The New York Superscum, The Scumfucs, The Motor City Badboys (which even included a couple of original members of the MC5!!), The Cedar St Sluts and of course the Murder Junkies. All of which were pretty poor, but G G has found posthumuous fame thanks not to the uninspired music these groups created, but his willingness to do anything in the name of rock'n'roll.

As this Todd Phillips documentary ably illustrates, G G was prone to all manner of self-abuse on stage.

Once the music started, this shaven maniac would happily smash his front teeth out with his microphone; punch the faces of any audience members brave (stupid?) enough to stand in the front row; take a dump on stage, then eat it/ throw it/ smear his genitalia in it. Phillips - a New York film student at the time - documents all of these atrocities unflinchingly with his camera.

It's important to note the conditions this film was made under. Phillips was a fan of Allin's nihilistic stage act. Allin was in prison (serving one of his 50+ prison sentences, which range from slashing a groupie's breast to exposing himself to minors). Phillips wanted to make this film so badly that he was prepared to pay the bond required to get Allin out of jail. Having done so, Phillips also bought a one-way ticket to New York for Allin so he could skip bail and effectively go on the run with his latest band for a final, ultimately fatal tour.

So, we meet the band.

Merle - G G's brother - on bass. He's got to be seen to be believed, although he does articulate himself rather well and seems to be the only person in the film who may be able to explain G G's excessive lifestyle. Then there's Dino on drums - naked, drugged (surely??!) and capable of speaking nothing but cryptic nonsense. Guitarists come and go - most notably Dee Dee Ramone, who lasts a week with these psychos before jumping ship, and Chicken John. Keep watching during the final credit roll as John attempts to show how G G's self-mutilation act is no big deal ... with hilarious results.

G G is on vocals, naturally. He barks tunelessly through 'songs' such as 'Die When You Die' (actually pretty good) and "Bite It You Scum'. But it's not his vocal prowess that made G G so iconic to the US punk underground during the late 80s/early 90s. Here instead was someone championing everything that was dangerous and uncontrollable in rock'n'roll. The music was not as important as the attitude. And attitude was something Mr Allin had plenty of.

So much so that there are portions of this documentary that are laughable (check out the interviews with his former school friends and music teachers). The first time I watched this (on Exploited's superb UK VHS version) I was convinced it was a piss-take ... it's so outrageous, and is actually funnier than THE RUTLES and SPINAL TAP combined!!

But once you realise this is truly for real, there's also a seriously disturbing edge to it too.

Here is a guy who is a good friend of serial killer John Wayne Gacy, and has no apparent morals whatsoever. What's most frightening are the scenes where G G walks anonymously through the streets of New York during the day, ignored by the masses of happy shoppers. This guy is a psycho - and yet effortlessly blends into a busy society. That's scary ...

G G, if nothing else, truly did not give a flying f+++ for the world or anyone in it. This is clearly demonstrated in video sources during the film including a college spoken-word performance that turns ugly as he beats a female student up, and the "too-explicit-please!" scene of him squatting on stage to release diarohea from himself - then start munching on it!!

We also get "treated" to G G's open-coffin funeral at the end of the film (he died of a drug overdose shortly after this film was completed).

What else is there to say? This is a superlative document of the sleaziest, craziest, scariest rocker of all time. The film itself is essential to anyone with even a passing interest in punk culture, shockumentaries or mondo-type violence (a'la self-mutilation, and frenzied attacks on all-too-willing audience members!)

The picture quality is OK - full-frame (original ratio, I'd suspect) and is reasonably sharp and grain-free. No artifacting is present. There is noticeable grain occasionally, but as this is sourced from so many differing origins it's perhaps understandable.

Extras include an option to view sequences of the film with soundtrack only - listen to G G's music in mono isolation ...er!

There's also a menu that jumps straight to segments of the film that interview G G directly, and a one-page account of Todd Phillips film career (pre ROAD TRIP). You also get the theatrical trailer, which is completely different to the one used on Exploited's VHS releases.

Best extra though (and in my opinion what makes this essential) is the 50 min featurette capturing G G's last ever concert - shot on the day of his death - captured on video camera in real time. This is in equal turns funny, scary, gory, violent and incredibly disturbing. That's all I'm saying!!

If you see this for sale, it ought to be added to your list. It's a wonderfully funny, violent account of the last days of one of the most misguided, reckless "musicians" ever. A truly riveting downward spiral story of rock'n'roll excess - with all the deviant sex & violence anyone can stomach!

This US DVD is fully uncut, and the footage of G G's last concert has not previously been released - but is pretty graphic too.

A modern classic - one that has to be seen to be believed!! Todd Phillips went on to direct the US teen flick ROAD TRIP ...

Review by Stuart Willis