A Band Called Death

"This Band was Punk, before Punk was Punk"

2013 1h 36m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 90

DocumentaryMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was Death. Formed in the early '70s by three teenage brothers from Detroit, Death is credited as being the first black punk band, and the Hackney brothers, David, Bobby, and Dannis, are now considered pioneers in their field. But it wasn’t until recently — when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of Bobby’s attic nearly 30 years after Death’s heyday — that anyone outside a small group of punk enthusiasts had even heard of them.

“This Band was Punk, before Punk was Punk”

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Where to watch · US

Cinefest Amazon ChannelSubscription

Cast

Dannis Hackney
Self
Bobby Hackney
Self
David Hackney
Self (archive footage)
Henry Rollins
Self
Elijah Wood
Self
Kid Rock
Self
Alice Cooper
Self
Mick Collins
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mark Christopher Covino
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 13 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Rich Fox shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Dannis Hackney and Bobby Hackney and David Hackney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "This Band was Punk, before Punk was Punk".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2064713 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 90 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mark Christopher Covino directs. Rich Fox cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 13 years ago.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Editor Rich Fox shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Dannis Hackney and Bobby Hackney and David Hackney carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "This Band was Punk, before Punk was Punk".
6IMDB entry: tt2064713 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 90 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Editing: Rich Fox
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Status: Released
Box office: $125
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: A Band Called Death (2013)

Also by

Mark Christopher Covino

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

kineticandroid2014-06-21
There's an undercurrent of disappointment throughout the story of a band called Death. Misunderstood and marginalized in their time, they endured a lot of rejection and settled into lives that turned out differently than for what they had hoped. Then, after their music is rediscovered and shared, they reunite, but with a heavy heart knowing their visionary leader did not live to see the rebirth. And yet, through that malaise, the band's story is one of joy, familial devotion, and believing in something so strongly, it can't help but come true. It shows that powerful art can create double lives. It shows the unknown pleasures of digging into the past for the untold stories. And the songs? Dang man, these songs slay.

Production companies

Who made it

PI
Picture Machine
Haven Entertainment
US

Key crew

ProducerMark Christopher Covino
ProducerJeff Howlett
ProducerJerry Ferrara
ProducerScott Mosier
ProducerMatthew Perniciaro
ProducerKevin Mann
EditorRich Fox

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

punk rock
rock band
rockumentary
punk band

Release history · US

When it landed

Premiere2012-06-16· Los Angeles Film Festival
Theatrical2013-06-27NR

Also known as

International titles

Band Called Death, AUS

7.0