Chronicling the rise of Green Day’s seventh studio album ‘American Idiot’, this rockumentary shot and directed by filmmaker John Roecker over a decade ago, was long thought to have been lost, that is… up until recently.
Distributed through a collaboration with Abramorama, Reprise Records and Vimeo, the film follows Roecker’s nine highly energetic months with the band. This sneak peek into the making of their George W. Bush-era protest album marks the first time Green Day allowed cameras into their studio. Of course, this is undeniably a must for any Green Day fan.
‘Heart Like a Hand Grenade’ plays out in a similar fashion to another recent Green Day documentary, ‘¡Cuatro!’, in which viewers are witness to a fly-on-the-wall progression of the well-known punk rock opera. The film starts off as your usual art house ‘state of affairs’ when following a certain point in a band’s history, before it takes you deep into the rollercoaster process of the writing and recording of the ‘American Idiot’ album.
Another aspect of the film which deserves special mention is that each musician’s individual personality is deeply explored, leaving you with a deep understanding and appreciation for the band that you may not have had before. Everybody could learn a thing or two about music and the industry itself from watching this film.
The good news for punk rock fans is that Green Day have been pretty busy making waves this year both in and out of the studio. The punk band was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in April of this year. That hasn’t deterred them, however, from already starting work on a brand new album expected in the next few years or even sooner!
‘Heart Like a Hand Grenade’ will be released on DVD on November 27.
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