What We Do is Secret - Lets keep it that way
September 7th 2008 00:33
"Gimme ahh Beeeeyah!"
At the recent Revelation Film Festival in Perth WA, I was one of the few who were able to see 'What We Do is Secret', a punk bio-pic about Germs frontman Darby Crash. I was pretty eager to see this, especially with the news that The Germs have asked Shane West to join the band as their new vocalist after being so impressed with his performance. Although West did an admirable job in the role, his Darby Crash did not resemble the Crash I knew from 'Decline of Western Civilization' or any readily accessible non-'Decline' Youtube video of Crash. Since West's Crash doesn't act much different offstage from on, it's hard to see that those who were familiar with Crash would see any insight into his private demeanor. I didn't feel much sympathy for Crash in the end, something was missed. I felt the same at the end of 'Control', did I know this person? Was their essence adequately unpacked and presented? In both films I found the storytelling lacking.
This is about the most unpunk punk-movie I've yet to see, it plays like 'Degrassi Junior High: The Punk Years'. I would find it very hard to believe that any true Germs fan or fan of Penelope Spheeris' 'Decline' would find this film entertaining or accurate in any way. Although I have heard people on sites like IMDB say that the director, Rodger Grossman, must have had real affection for the band, I also find this difficult to accept.
Luminaries from the L.A. punk scene are paraded through in an annoying 'Forrest Gump'-like fashion. Spheeris is portrayed talking about some movie she's planning and wants the Germs to appear in (she had to hire out a space for the Germs to play at for the movie,as they had been banned from just about everywhere in L.A.) , and a drunken Joan Jett is shown passed out on a studio couch during the recording of the bands seminal debut LP, which she produced. However the most annoying aspect of this film was the performance of Noah Segan as misunderstood drummer Don Bolles. Segan's truly terrible performance makes me think that instead of studying (assuming he did) something appropriately punk for the role, he studied Peter Tork of the Monkees, every movement by him is goofy and cartoonish. Tork would have been a better choice, he had a wider range and he can play the drums too!
"Could someone please get me a beer? That would be so punk of you!"
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