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Public Enemy opens its doors and Welcomes movie patrons to the Terrordome
Public Enemy is one of the most influential bands of rap and hip-hop. PE has Chuck D as the master on the mike while Flavor Flav plays the goofy sidekick and Professor Griff is the militant sideman. This group exploded on the scene some twenty years ago, changing rap just as Nirvana changed rock and roll.
At a time when both genres were in a more playful and light mode, Public Enemy threw down a serious gauntlet to the status quo, just as Nirvana took on the ‘hair bands’. Both in their own ways steered music in another direction. Public Enemy: Welcome to the Terrordome chronicles not only the state of the group today but of their impact on both rap and rock.
Director Robert Patton-Spruill is given access to all aspects of the band. Not only do we see the group performing in such diverse places as Moscow, England and Austin; we also get a flavor of how the members interact with each other. It is much more than a family, siblings picking on each other while banning together as brothers. Their touring the Abby Road area of London gives a rarely seen playful side to the group.
Most of the documentary is newer footage over the last few years. There are interviews with band members about the early days of PE and the current condition of the group. They are honest about their fellow members praising each other while being critical.
One of the more interesting aspects is how members of heavy metal groups have embraced PE. Henry Rollins and Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) both wax poetic about how much they are influenced by PE. The Beastie Boys especially come off as wonder struck fans and not peers.
But this film is more than interviews, there are concert clips. The Austin show during SXSW comes across as a highpoint of their career. The audience becomes a sea of people of every ilk, all taking in the sounds with an almost militant verve. The most impressive sequences in this little film are of the concert and the film needed a few more actual songs and a bit less of the personal sequences.
Though this is a must see for the fans of Public Enemy, I don’t know how much this will translate to the average movie patron. It is much more of a niche flick and not a mainstream movie experience.
