Jim Jarmusch tells the story of Iggy Pop and the Stooges in Gimme Danger. Formed in 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, The Stooges consisted of singer Iggy Pop, brothers Ron and Scott Asheton, and a rotating line-up of supporting members. Despite the band imploding in 1973, due in no small part to Iggy Pop’s drug use, The Stooges became one of the most influential rock bands, paving the way for the punk rock movement.
Iggy Pop and the Stooges arrived on the scene at a time when rock music was beginning to be taken over the manufactured pop acts, which all featured the same radio friendly melodies. Gimme Danger covers The Stooges entire career from their original peak in the late-1960s/early-1970s to their late-career reunion in the 2000s. The film is supported by interviews with Iggy Pop and the surviving members of the band, as well as a few animated reenactments.
Despite being directed by acclaimed indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, himself a self-described Stooges fan, Gimme Danger is not all that different than any other music documentary. If anything, the film gives a pretty competent biography of The Stooges, particularly for those only familiar with Iggy Pop through his later solo work. With all the original members of The Stooges, except for Iggy Pop, having since passed away, Gimme Danger works as a fine epitaph of one of the most influential bands of rock history.
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Screenings:
- Saturday, September 17, 9:30 PM – Isabel Bader