We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen
Director: Tim Irwin
Year Released: 2005
Rating: 3.0
Polite, informative documentary about cult Californian punk band that ended when lead singer and guitar virtuoso D. Boon died - the trio had a powerful impact on their peers (like Black Flag and Hüsker Dü) as well as bands that would show up later (Sonic Youth and the Red Hot Chili Peppers). The two remaining members are intriguing people, and the selection of interviewees is vast, with many artists and musicians giving their own take on the Minutemen's unique blend of styles and musical complexity (unlike, say, the Adverts, they could actually play more than three chords), not to mention including plenty of concert footage to give a good idea of what the band was like live. Having never heard of the outfit before today - I was only vaguely familiar with Mike Watt's contributions to other bands - it's inspired me (like the documentary Arakimentari) to seek out the group's work (thanks to Mr. Scott Black, I have most of the albums!).
