Critic Reviews

• Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

  It soon becomes apparent that there's no real structure or point of view to it all.

• John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press

  The poster makers... mine the outer limits of violence and misogyny with a garish, pop art palette.

• India Bourke, Time Out

  The lack of narrative direction, exploitable drama or character growth strands the film at the level of an animated picture-book accompanied by lots of gratuitous whining.

• Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

  Yaghoobian proves she has a flair for the telling detail every bit as keen as her subjects'.

• Jason Anderson, Toronto Star

  Though Died Young Stayed Pretty could have used some serious streamlining, it still succeeds as a showcase for some of this decade's most arresting examples of graphic design.

• Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

  It's apparent that Eileen Yaghoobian has almost no control over Died Young, Stayed Pretty. Ostensibly, her documentary is about the demise of rock-concert poster art. But few of the artists have anything enlightening to say about their craft.

• Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain Dealer

  Died Young is an entertaining film with sharp cultural observations that even dares to examine the collective American psychoses.

• Mark Fagan, Austin Chronicle

  Are these cultural artifacts or just more trash littering the light posts and bulletin boards of your city? That all depends on the eye of the beholder.

• Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

  It's a visually stunning film, even if the subject matter isn't hugely compelling.

• Tim Basham, Paste Magazine

  What a cool, unexpected kick this film was.

• Adam Woodward, Little White Lies

  Suffer the perverse undertones and this is a fitting examination of a significant yet overlooked contemporary art form.

• Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph

  The film reminds us of a tactile, cut-and-paste subculture that's still alive and well in the internet age.

• Stuart McGurk, Times [UK]

  The equivalent of being trapped in the lift of an east London style magazine while the entire staff simultaneously shout their theories of civilisation at you, this documentary is that tragic thing.

• David Parkinson, Empire Magazine

  A decent concept but ultimately a bit messy and unfocussed.

• Jon Fortgang, Film4

  A worthwhile doc about an unreported arm of the alt-rock industry.

• Toby Young, Times [UK]

  Hampered by its director's pretentious, self-advertising style. Eileen Yaghoobian lacks any journalistic sense of the basic information the audience needs in order to grasp what's happening onscreen and the film is often confusing.

• Xan Brooks, Guardian [UK]

  Eileen Yaghoobian's indulgent, cut-and-paste documentary hangs loose (and slightly awry) with the unsung titans of the concert poster.

• Jamie Russell, Total Film

  Weird, wacky and full of arresting promo images for bands like Arcade Fire, Teengenerate and Turbonegro.

• Adam Keleman, Slant Magazine

  From an outsider's perspective, Died Young is thorough, diving into minor, specific details like the silkscreen process used by many of the artists.

• Jim Slotek, Jam! Movies

  This "movement" needs context, narration, history, archival footage.

Read all 20 critic reviews