Hype, for anyone interested in Seattle's grunge scene

Hype (1996)
Jamal's Rating: 4 stars
Netflix Average Rating: 3.6 stars

I don't dislike grunge music such as Soundgarden, The Melvins and Nirvana, but I don't consider myself a fan either. So I was happily surprised to find here a documentary that explored a little deeper the explosion of Seattle's underground music scene, especially the battle between the corporate takeover mindset versus the we've-been-here-since-the-beginning-and-you-don't-understand-us local fan sentiment. One example of the corporations exploiting the Seattle kids' movement was the adoption of "grungewear", a clothing line "packaging" and marking up flannel shirts and long johns to sell to fans nationwide. Incidentally, flannel and long johns are not popular in Seattle because they were fashionable; no, as some bandmates exclaim in unison they're popular because "it's fucking cold". There's a little too much Us vs. Them in the film, too many young people trying to convince us money had nothing to do with the music, but the interviews are fresh and and there are some terrific performances, including Nirvana's first live performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and an invigorating number by 7 Year Bitch. The doc couldn't have been near as special in 1996 when it was released; it's nice to look back some fifteen years later and reminisce about all the music and things going on at the time.