A Band Called Death

Dustin: 4.5 of 5 stars Nick: 3.5 of 5 stars Average: 4 of 5 stars (Live canary)

Dustin: A Band Called Death is a music documentary about how tough the world can be for artists who are before their time, and how tough it can be to stick by your brothers unconditionally.

We've never reviewed a documentary before. It feels like a different challenge somehow. But let’s go for it. What did you think of A Band Called Death?

Nick: It’s almost impossible not to compare it to last year’s Searching For Sugar Man, which is not only a story of finding great music that had been lost and rediscovered, but also a really well-filmed story. Comparing it to A Band Called Death shows how little the latter had to work with, what with the main driving force behind the band having passed away some time ago.

Dustin: For our readers who haven’t seen the documentary yet, it's about three brothers--David, Dannis and Bobby Hackney--who start a rock band in their parents’ house in Detroit called Death. Little did they know their sound would later be more accurately described as punk. This was in the early ‘70s, before the Ramones or the Sex Pistols. More than three decades after they recorded their rejected debut album, and several years after David, who was really the creative force of the band, passed away, they were finally discovered and are reaping the rewards of their work from decades before.

Do you think Death deserves to be mentioned in the annals of rock ‘n’ roll history?

Nick: I don’t think I’m the person to judge such an honor, but if a band like Public Enemy can be awarded a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, then I’m really out of my league.

Dustin: I agree induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame doesn't mean much anymore. With criteria used in the past few years, Death can definitely be inducted. But I am wondering whether the band can be considered relevant to music history. They were certainly doing punk before anyone else, but no one ever heard of them until a few years ago, so they couldn't have inspired later musicians. They might just be a footnote in music history. A band before its time.

Nick: If you didn't impact music for the next generation, then, in my opinion, you miss out on being historically significant. But having said that, it’s a great find and one that I found when Pitchfork reviewed it back in 2009. I was surprised I liked it, since it didn't sound like my type of music in the article.

Dustin: I found the story of these brothers very satisfying. After being rejected for the name of their band, Death, which was ironic given a decade later a band called Megadeth would become world famous, they made a misguided foray into Christian rock with a band called the 4th Movement. After that fell through, David returned to Detroit, where he never managed to self-actualize, and the other two brothers formed a reggae band. Years later, when David knew he was dying, he gave the Death master tapes to his brother and said, “Keep them safe. The world will come looking for these someday.” At the time it seemed like the rambling of a crazy person. (David was a little off--as a child he would pee into water guns and shoot it at his brothers, and he would make some unusual prank phone calls.) Later, the hipster son of one of the brothers hears a Death demo at an underground music party in San Francisco, calls his dad and discovers there was an entire album. It's a story of hard work eventually paying off, as well as a family sticking together.

How did you like the documentary overall?

Nick: The story and the music are good when read and heard, but the film really didn't bring anything extra to either. While the 3-D motion of the still pictures was a nice touch, they were often recycled, probably because of a lack of pictures of David. Without David, there is a huge and more interesting story missing. If this film, and this is a short film, was made for TV and had a running time between 30 minutes and one hour, I would have been more pleased. All the footage of the celebrity endorsements, like Detroit-native Kid Rock and Simian Records CEO Elijah Wood, and the footage of the Hackneys laughing and having a good time with family and neighbors don’t do much for the story of Death.

Dustin: I thought it was about the right length. I never felt like it lagged. I agree I would have liked David in this, but obviously that would be impossible. With that in mind, the band has reformed without David following the success of their discovery. They are touring and writing new music. On one hand, I can’t blame them. One of them works nights as a custodian at a local university. For someone whose dream is to be a musician, this is like winning the lottery, and they have every right to ride this for all it's worth. On the other hand, Death just can’t be the same without David, who wrote the songs and was the creative force driving the band.

It is obviously paying off though. Did you notice there was a new ramp at their mother’s house, as well as a new deck at one of the brothers’ houses?

Nick: No, didn't catch it.

Dustin: I like that the first thing this family does when they have money is buy a new deck. That's a sign of reaching the big time.

Nick: The way the film showed their generosity and love for everyone was a nice touch.

Dustin: Yeah, and it wasn't overdone. We learn they often had conflicts with David in private, but they stood firm in supporting him in public, even when he cost them a record deal by refusing to bend on the name Death. The family’s motto was, “Stand by your brother.”

Nick: The movie should have been called that. The story is more about family than it is necessarily about the band Death. The part when the children of the band make a cover band to showcase their parents' music was the best part of the film for me. How often do children admire their parents' music tastes and then replicate it?

Dustin: That was the most touching part for me too. My dream is for my own daughter, Lisa, to want to be just like her daddy and become a talentless Internet movie critic.

We talk a lot about the shaky cam. Pretty much in every review. Last week I said it is usually a half-assed attempt to look like a documentary. For the most part, this documentary was shot very steadily. I think we are seeing a transition to shaky cam in motion pictures and steady cam in documentaries.

Nick: That summation is pretty weak, guy. All we have reviewed are thriller/horror and action films, all of which have been exploiting techniques of cutting quickly and shaking the camera to make the action seem more intense. But dramas and comedies for the most part are doing the steady cam... for the most part.

Dustin: But I've seen the shaky cam in more dramas recently too, such as Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, which was an otherwise good movie, and Jeff Who Lives At Home, which made me want to shoot myself.

Nick: Neither of those films could afford a steady cam.

Dustin: Would you recommend A Band Called Death?

Nick: Certainly. While it doesn't reach the emotional epitome or the visual storytelling of like-minded documentaries, it has a fascinating story about three brothers who would always have each others' back.

Dustin: I would wholeheartedly recommend it, especially to music lovers. You can rent it online or download it for a fee from abandcalleddeath.com. I would also recommend downloading Death’s free single, “Politicians In My Eyes,” from the site as well.

Nick: (Sniff) This review will make your little girl proud.