Hated: G.G. Allin and the Murder Junkies (1994)

4 Stars (out of 4)

Head of Hate

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

I'd heard about this notorious documentary years before I got the chance to see it, and it's every bit as amazing as it sounds. G.G. Allin was the lead singer of a fairly typical hardcore punk band (with songs like "Bite It You Scum"), with the exception that Allin lived his songs. During performances, he would appear naked, defecate on the floor, insert foreign objects into his bum, throw things at and fight with the audience. According to this film, Allin was either trying to do something totally different or he was bonkers. (He says, "My mind is a machine gun, my body is the bullets and the audience is the target.") Even a punk rocker as notoriously loony as Dee Dee Ramone, who briefly joined Allin's band, lasted only a week.

Director Todd Phillips captures several scary live performances, a spoken-word performance that resulted in his ejection from the NYU campus, an appearance on Geraldo Rivera's TV show and many interviews with Allin himself and his band mates. Though Allin threatened many times to kill himself on stage he died like a normal rock star, of a drug overdose, just before this film was released. Director Phillips went on to Hollywood fame as the director of Road Trip (2000), Old School (2003), Starsky & Hutch (2004) and School for Scoundrels (2006). He also -- no joke -- earned an Oscar nomination as one of the five writers on Borat (2006). If you think you've seen everything, definitely seek this out. You'll be glad you're in the safety of your own home and that Allin is no longer able to knock on your door.

MVD's 2007 DVD release comes with two commentary tracks, one from Phillips and one from band members Merle Allin (G.G.'s brother) and Dino Sex. Also included are three "music videos" and a brief interview with Allin's mom. Even spookier, the liner notes include many entries from the DVD cover contest as well as a reproduction of the poster that serial killer John Wayne Gacy -- a friend of Allin's -- designed for the film.