The Punk Singer

'THE PUNK SINGER': Four Stars (Out of Five)

Documentary film about Kathleen Hanna; an iconic punk singer, poet and feminism activist. The film combines archive footage (of Hanna, her band members, people close to her and the many musicians and fans that she's inspired) with interviews (of mostly the same people) filmed in 2010 and 2011. It was directed by first time feature film director Sini Anderson and features many popular musicians (in recent interview footage) like Joan Jett and Adam Horovitz (of 'Beastie Boys' fame, who Hanna married). Not knowing much about Hanna (and being a big fan of punk music) I found the movie to be very informative and interesting.

The movie follows Hanna's career from her beginnings as a spoken word poet, through her fronting two bands ('Bikini Kill' and 'Le Tigre') to her solo musical career (as Julie Ruin). It examines the impact she had on the punk music scene, as well as her many feminism causes, and how she helped start the 'riot grrrl' movement. We see awesome video of her bands performing live as well as fascinating behind the scenes footage and involving interviews. Through the movie fans can learn about her troubled childhood (for the first time) as well as why she suddenly quit music (and the medical diagnosis behind it).

I love punk music and seeing Hanna perform (in this movie) I know I could be a big fan of hers and her bands. I also think she seems like a really beautiful, strong and admirable woman and when people like her develop a big following (and really inspire many others) that's always a good thing. So I really enjoyed learning about Hanna, and her music, in this movie. Had I already been a fan of hers, and known a lot of the information given in this film, I can't say I probably would have enjoyed it as much. The subject matter is fascinating but Anderson has a few more things to learn about directing and putting together a movie. Still, for a debut film, she didn't do a bad job. I was definitely entertained.

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Excellent documentary from director Sini Anderson on Bikini Kill/Le Tigre front woman Kathleen Hanna, who dropped out of the music biz in 2005 after contracting late-stage Lyme disease (but who kept her disappearance mysterious, hardly disclosing her illness to anyone). A rage-filled college girl from Olympia, Washington, Hanna was a rabid feminist with a troubled childhood whose jagged fanzine art and spoken word rants eclipsed into musical genius with her first band, Bikini Kill. Although not for the faint-of-heart, Bikini Kill (three females, one male) were instrumental in leading the Riot Grrrl movement of the early 1990s. Testimonials from Hanna's peers (including members of Bratmobile and Sleater-Kinney, Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth and Joan Jett, who produced Bikini Kill's most proficient EP) help fill in some of the personality gaps, yet when Anderson just allows Hanna to speak--and when the musician opens up, she's quite candid--the results are fascinating, most especially for fans. Also interesting: the potentially-explosive paradox of a young, hardcore feminist who finds true love (and eventually marriage) with a male kindred spirit, Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys. *** from ****

"I'm your worst nightmare come to life! I'm a girl who you can't shut up!" On an old home video in a tiny living room, a woman screams about pain, feminism, and the aggression of men in Olympia, Washington, in 1991. It's the voice of Kathleen Hanna, who will front groundbreaking punk band Bikini Kill and feminist party band Le Tigre, help launch the Riot Grrrl movement, inspire a mainstream grunge rock scene dominated by men, and courageously and emphatically serve as the mouthpiece for every girl who thought she could only whisper things in her bedroom.

Over 20 years later, Hanna is finally given her day in rock history in director Sini Anderson's award-winning documentary THE PUNK SINGER. The origin stories this born leader, third wave feminist icon, and ultimate low-fi artist are brought to life through archival footage, intimate interviews, and commentaries by Kim Gordon, Carrie Brownstein, Ann Powers, Adam Horovitz, and former bandmates. Hanna's in-your-face activism—through lyrics, zines, and manifestos—moved women to the front, literally and figuratively. Two decades later, Hanna is still ripping down barriers of music and gender and art, still proudly saying "Stay out of my way!"

Kathleen Hanna, the talented lead of a 90's punk band makes waves appealing to a niche audience of punk rock fans that admire or agree with a feminist stance. No, stop...it wasn't the music (aside from her)turning people off - it was because the group is admittedly horrible and unapologetic about it.

I'm not invested in this film, nor have I ever heard of them. I just find it odd that Kathleen scrawls "Incest" on her chest before live shows and then bemoans the consequence when people think she suffered from it. (go figure).

This was during the 90's? What serious systemic anti-feminist movements were occurring?

She goes on to state her boyfriend made jokes around inequality. So she dates him on the sly for years.

I would never sexualize this woman. I don't need to, to make her and the band to become irrelevant.

One of the many good things documentaries can do is make you aware of a person, a movement, a moment that you somehow overlooked, and help you realize just how important and how wonderful that person (or art form or whatever) was and/or is.

So it was for me with "The Punk Singer". Not growing up a big punk fan, I missed out on Kathleen Hanna and Bikini Kill, and the Riot Grrrl movement. My loss. This angry, joyful, tough, articulate, crazy, sexy, insightful, funny, political artist was a major force in feminism and social politics, and if I came late to the party I'm grateful to the film for making the introduction now.

The film can be uneven – some (not all) of the talking head interviews with others aren't very interesting - when compared to the performance footage of Hannah, or her ability to analyze her work and it's meaning in her own interviews – but I ended up inspired by the woman and the artist, and inspiration these days is in short supply.