Unleash the Wildest Rock Doc: Hated – The Gg Allin Story Strikes Again!

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Instead of waiting for what might be the ultimate rock star biopic, opt for Todd Phillips’ unorthodox documentary titled “Hated: GG Allin & the Murder Junkies”. In 2022, The Hollywood Reporter announced the commencement of a GG Allin biography, promising to depict the most contentious and repugnant musician in history. However, this project seemed destined for failure from the outset, as you’ll soon understand. Interestingly, Phillips had already produced an uncensored, gritty music documentary about GG Allin three decades earlier.

As a passionate explorer of New York City’s underground punk culture, I stumbled upon the perfect subject for my documentary – GG Allin. His life story, much like his discography, is filled with incidents that could fill a police report. This film is both captivating and nauseating at once, a testament to Allin’s unique character. Initially, it was intended as a concert film, but the shows were often too brief.

Unlike many biopics, this one encourages viewers to form their own opinions about Allin. The director, Phillips, skillfully preserved the raw essence of punk culture without attempting to portray Allin as a misunderstood artist, a hidden genius, or even a sane individual. If there’s a hint of similarity between the character arc for Arthur Fleck in the Joker franchise and the depiction of Allin, it may not be mere coincidence.

The GG Allin Story: The Unfilmable Hollywood Biopic?

Born as Jesus Christ Allin, he was destined to draw much attention. In an unexpected act of modesty, he adopted the simple stage name “GG.” He gained modest fame in shabby clubs, recognized primarily by mainstream audiences for a controversial appearance on The Jerry Springer Show, where he incited a potential rebellion against the government, proclaiming “Rock and roll is vengeance. Rock and roll is your adversary, and I am your adversary.” To his followers, he was the only rock star who didn’t compromise or pretend. An image that still resonates with many today.

Although independent director Jonas Åkerlund made attempts to bring the biopic concept to life, it has unfortunately been stifled or deemed inappropriate at present. However, before Todd Phillips became famous for directing movies like “Hangover” and “Joker”, he was just a student at NYU. In 1993, he made a documentary that catered to those with a strong stomach and morbid curiosity. This documentary could have laid the groundwork for his future, unconventional projects. It can be seen as a counterpoint to Penelope Spheeris’ “The Decline of Western Civilization” films. Phillips’ documentary provided a glimpse into the mind of one of music’s most disturbed icons. So, brace yourself and then grab your barf bag. We’re giving you fair warning, this is a dark piece, filled with explicit content, drug use, and other disturbing elements.

GG Allin Lives It Up on The Way Down

GG Allin was considered too eccentric for Hollywood, but not for Phillips. The scant footage of him available today is pieced together from snippets of gritty talk show appearances and documentaries. Finding a pristine version of his songs isn’t straightforward. The raw documentary begins with an endearing quote from serial killer John Wayne Gacy, Allin expressing his belief in reincarnation, offering a Buddhist-like perspective on living in the now.

Instead of focusing on the unknown events of tomorrow, I concentrate on the present moment and handle whatever comes my way today. As for the future, it remains uncertain, and I don’t worry about it too much, as long as I avoid any trouble or legal issues today… We’ll manage to reach our destination when we arrive there.

In my perspective, I found Allin, the singer, to be an outlier among punk rock enthusiasts due to his songs that, if written down, might have landed us in trouble with the FBI. His lyrics often promoted debauchery, nihilism, and violent acts. One of his songs was just the repetition of the word “decapitation” as its chorus.

As the documentary reveals, Allin relished the role of an underdog, but his former bandmates yearned for more than being a carnival sideshow. The audience at a Murder Junkies concert would often pay to physically harm him, kicking him repeatedly and smashing bottles over his head, as depicted by Phillips in his film, where violence (or other forms of bodily injury) was an inevitable part of the experience.

Separating the Truth From Legend

As a dedicated cinephile, I’d rephrase it like this: In his final testament and declaration, Allin expressed his intense dislike for the world and yearned to shatter every rule in pursuit of liberty. Truth be told, the traditionalists might have had a point about him. Later on, Phillips openly acknowledged that the movie-making process was nothing short of a living hell, with Allin intentionally undermining his own career and this very film.

According to Bedford + Bowery, it was revealed that Phillips manipulated various locations and deceived his own college, eventually running out of funds and abandoning his studies. It’s uncertain whether other scenes were fabricated or laws violated. Despite these deceitful actions, Phillips still lacked sufficient footage. In other words, the movie “Hated: GG Allin & the Murder Junkies” has a short runtime of only 52 minutes, and we won’t disclose the reasons behind this brevity.

As a film enthusiast, I’d argue that while some might dismissary Darren Aronofsky’s portrayal of the music industry as reckless and glamorizing its darker aspects, Aronofsky does provide a contrast to Allin’s cult-like persona. To his fans, Allin offered a platform for living out their wildest fantasies through surreal art performances, providing an escape from the mundane. However, his former bandmates speak of growing weary, with even his own brother expressing despair that every tour was destined to end in disaster – either in “prison or the hospital.

Among all the individuals who might dare and have the clout to produce this controversial biopic, Phillips seems to be the most fitting choice. With his maturity and experience, he has likely developed a keen understanding of Allin’s suspected mental health issues. Consequently, such a biography would serve as a refreshing contrast following the criticized sequel of Joker. At the minimum, it would bring a necessary shake-up to the monotonous pattern of films that glorify their rockstar subjects.

Hated: GG Allin & the Murder Junkies can currently be viewed for free on Tubi.

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2025-01-27 03:32