Hit So Hard: The Life and Near Death Story of Patty Schemel (2012)

55% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(155 ratings)

As grunge took off, the music industry was completely transformed in a way nobody expected... especially the young musicians who went from tiny shared Seattle apartments to international superstardom, sometimes overnight. Some handled it well... and some did not. As the acclaimed drummer of Courtney… More As grunge took off, the music industry was completely transformed in a way nobody expected... especially the young musicians who went from tiny shared Seattle apartments to international superstardom, sometimes overnight. Some handled it well... and some did not. As the acclaimed drummer of Courtney Love's seminal rock band Hole, Patty Schemel was right in the middle of all of it. The openly gay woman who always felt "different" never dreamed she would be part of a multi-platinum selling band, touring with legends, or on the cover of Rolling Stone. Or that, thanks to drug addiction, she could lose it all. Hit So Hard tells the story of Patty's rise to fame (and nearly fatal fall from it), with no punches pulled... and it's one hell of a story. -- (C) Variance

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: P. David Ebersole
Written By: P. David Ebersole, Todd Hughes
Genres: Musical & Performing Arts, Documentary

In Theaters: Apr 13, 2012 Limited
Studio: Variance Films/Well Go USA

Critic Reviews

Tal Rosenberg, Chicago Reader
Choppy camerawork, sloppy editing, and lack of a coherent narrative structure make for a frustrating viewing experience.
David Malitz, Washington Post
Ebersole pieces things together in a workmanlike way, but the tacky supertitles and camera effects often create a bit of an amateur feel.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Patty Schemel "lived through this." Once you witness what that "this" was, feel free to follow that up with a "wow."
David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle
An absorbing, educational, sad, humorous and ultimately uplifting film that is easily accessible and entertaining even for those not familiar with the grunge rock scene, or with the considerable role that Schemel played in that milieu.
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times
Ebersol seems uncertain throughout of what tale he is telling, whether to focus on Schemel specifically or the larger picture of the band and the moments in contemporary rock history they were all witness to.
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
This keenly-observed, if generically-assembled, Grunge-era doc tells the Hole story through the eyes of its successfully rehabbed drummer.
Gene Stout, Seattle Times
The torturous tale of a remarkable survivor of the grunge era - the troubled but talented drummer for Courtney Love's band, Hole.
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
Ebersole combines frank interviews with Schemel, her family and friends, and her bandmates to assemble this portrait of a talented woman dealing with the weighty pressures of the rock world, the drug world, and her own sexuality.
Fr. Chris Carpenter, Movie Dearest
This is a well-constructed, enlightening documentary about a challenging period in music and society at large. Whether you are a Hole or Nirvana fan or not, check it out.
Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal International
Gripping documentary about the rise, fall and recovery of charismatic Hole drummer Patty Schemel looks at so much more along the bumpy way.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
For outsiders, Schemel's story is actually quite inspirational, detailing admirable personal growth and acceptance while clinging to a forceful musical gift.
Alison Willmore, AV Club
[Love] burns much brighter than the film's focus; she's a raucous, disastrous, undeniable star.
David Fear, Time Out New York
Schemel is a major rock & roll survivor; Hit So Hard is a minor rockumentary at best, as well as a seriously missed opportunity.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
[VIDEO] The rough-and-tumble story of "Hole"-drummer Patty Schemel's rapid rise to rock-star fame, and equally rapid decline due to addiction, makes for an affecting documentary.
Ron Wilkinson, Monsters and Critics
More political diatribe than rock band biopic. The unvarnished truth for those who can stand it.