Hard Core Logo (2000)

67% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(6,627 ratings)

Bruce McDonald directed this mock-documentary (and appears onscreen as himself) which looks at a veteran punk rock band taking one final stab at the big time. Singer Joe Dick (Hugh Dillon), guitarist Billy Tallent (Callum Keith Rennie), bassist John Oxenberger (John Pyper-Fergson), and drummer… More Bruce McDonald directed this mock-documentary (and appears onscreen as himself) which looks at a veteran punk rock band taking one final stab at the big time. Singer Joe Dick (Hugh Dillon), guitarist Billy Tallent (Callum Keith Rennie), bassist John Oxenberger (John Pyper-Fergson), and drummer Pipefitter (Bernie Coulson) were the members of Hard Core Logo, a Vancouver-based rock band that was one of Canada's biggest and most influential punk outfits for the better part of a decade. Formed in 1978, Hard Core Logo broke up in 1991 after releasing seven albums and playing over a thousand shows; Joe went on to play the occasional solo gig, Billy moved to L.A. and has been sitting in with platinum-selling alternative pop band Jennifur while their guitarist tries to kick drugs, John has been putting his life back together after a severe nervous breakdown, and Pipefitter hasn't been doing much of anything. Word begins to circulate that Bucky Haight (Julian Richings), one of the seminal figures of Canadian punk and Joe's mentor, lost a leg (or maybe both) following a mysterious incident in which intruders shot him after breaking into his prairie farmhouse. Joe organizes a benefit for Bucky, with Hard Core Logo reuniting for the occasion; the show is a huge success, and Joe persuades Billy to join him, John, and Pipefitter for a five-date reunion tour to cash in on the benefit's notoriety. Billy, killing time while he waits to find out if his spot in Jennifur will become permanent, is more than a bit preoccupied, and his desire for professionalism doesn't mesh especially well with Joe's take-it-as-it-comes attitude -- especially after it becomes evident that Joe's purposes for reuniting the band weren't as benevolent as they seemed. Actual Canadian punk legends D.O.A. make a cameo appearance as one of Hard Core Logo's opening acts, and American punk godfather Joey Ramone appears briefly in a news report about the Bucky Haight benefit show. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 36 min.
Directed By: Bruce McDonald
Genres: Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

In Theaters: Nov 13, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Jun 12, 2001
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
Like the best "mockumentaries", this often feels like the real thing - unlike the obvious parody that was SPINAL TAP.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
Quentin, what are you smoking?
Maitland McDonagh, Film Journal International
Anyone who goes in expecting unbridled dopey fun will be disappointed.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Daniel P

It's big, loud and dirty, and like Hero, it's one of those foreign films Quentin Tarantino liked enough to distribute himself. Hard Core Logo tells the story in "mockumentary" fashion, but it's by no means a comedy like its forebear This is Spinal Tap. Bruce… More
It's big, loud and dirty, and like Hero, it's one of those foreign films Quentin Tarantino liked enough to distribute himself. Hard Core Logo tells the story in "mockumentary" fashion, but it's by no means a comedy like its forebear This is Spinal Tap. Bruce McDonald's film is a true piece of Canadiana in one sense, as anyone who's driven from Vancouver to Winnipeg can attest (let alone back, as the band does), and in another sense, it's an experience that is globally understood: the punk rock world is what it is because there are so many people like Joe Dick involved. As Billy Talent points out in one of the film's best moments, though, you can only stay angry so long. The film is captivating right up to its very last second, with an ending that will shock you. Can't really say anymore, just add it to your list, it's essential viewing (with a great punk soundtrack).
MJS M

The advertising for Hard Core Logo bills it as ?edgier and darker than Spinal Tap,? and while I wouldn?t call this overly edgy it was wise of the film to own up to its obvious debt to Rob Reiner?s This is Spinal Tap. Comparison?s to that film are inevitable given that both projects… More
The advertising for Hard Core Logo bills it as ?edgier and darker than Spinal Tap,? and while I wouldn?t call this overly edgy it was wise of the film to own up to its obvious debt to Rob Reiner?s This is Spinal Tap. Comparison?s to that film are inevitable given that both projects are mockumentaries about dysfunctional rock bands and Spinal Tap is blatantly referenced in at least two different places in the film, this goes a long way in allowing the film to get that comparison out of the way and move on. Unlike the ill-fated band in Spinal Tap, the hardcore punk band at the center of this film isn?t particularly unsuccessful, their music is pretty decent by punk standards and they were reportedly pretty popular in their day. The difference is that these guys aren?t lovable losers like Spinal Tap is, they?re a bunch of jerks who pretty much have their inevitable failure coming to them, that?s the film?s fatal flaw; these people become really tiresome as the film goes on. I didn?t find the movie to be very funny at all, I?m not sure it was even trying to be. This wasn?t a problem at first but it began to be pretty clear that this material didn?t really have the weight or interest to really hold its own as any sort of drama, and once my interest in the characters went downhill the movie didn?t really have a lot to fall back on. Visually, I thought this was pretty decent. The filmmakers never go out of their way to over-emphasize the faux-documentary look. They don?t gratuitously shake the camera and they don?t use crappy film stock, consequently it looks a lot more like a real doc than many similar projects. The acting is also pretty good, this is certainly how I?d expect a dysfunctional punk band to look and sound. My review sound?s a little more negative than my real outlook, really the movie works pretty well for at least half of its 90 minute running time and I like the last couple scenes a lot as well (great last shot). There are some amusing scenes in here, but I think the whole thing might have been better suited for a short subject than a feature.
Christopher B

Not as big a fan of this one as most people seem to be. In fact, I didn't really care at all about what I was watching and if it wasn't for the shock ending it wouldn't be very memorable at all.