X: The Unheard Music (1986)

best movie i've ever seen.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It has been said that X was to Los Angeles what the Ramones were to New York. But X was far more brilliant. Their musicianship was superior and their songs were clever and intelligent in a fun way. When you mix super-coolness with excellence you really have something special. Otherwise stated, what happens when you mix punk rock with true musical and artistic genius? One of the biggest travesties of fate in music, was the fact that they did not become commonly known nationwide and did not have the opportunity to sell out the larger arenas. There is still time for many more to be introduced to them by obtaining their albums and having the opportunity to see them perform live. Their first two studio albums, Los Angeles and Wild Gift, were ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as being among the 500 greatest albums of all time, and 1981's Wild Gift was named "Record of the Year" by Rolling Stone, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and Village Voice.

Before I present my review, please note that I have been an X fan since 1979, and was a first-generation American punk rocker. I do not state this as credentials, but rather because I am going to directly contradict some of the views of other reviewers who were there. Of course, this is all a matter of opinion, but - in my opinion - seeing "The Unheard Music" only as a tribute/biopic/fan movie about X misses the point by a wide margin. The genius of "The Unheard Music" is that it simultaneously provides a solid biography of X and an indictment of the American popular music industry - two stories which are, unfortunately for X, inescapably connected. As an X fan, I especially appreciated the artistry of the film - which nicely mirrored Exene's aesthetics and poetry, and highlighted her as both John Doe's muse and, in many ways, the driving force behind the band. X was an almost leader-less group. With Billy Zoom - a very talented RnR/Rockabilly guitarist, John Doe - an excellent bassist and song-writer, DJ Bonebrake - a solid and innovative punk drummer and Exene - the brilliant bizarre and strangely beautiful poet and lead singer, they really did not need a leader. The film depicts and appreciates each band member's personalities accurately, and unlike most fan films, does not soft-soap them or go out of its way to make them all look good. X was fascinating in concert - the juxtaposition of Billy's endless stiff smile and totally suppressed energy, Exene's inexplicable obsessive weirdness and often avant-garde vocal style, John's wild energy and exceptional vocal talent, and DJ's pounding rhythms - all welded into tight, exciting and loud but still very melodic and musical Rock and Roll. X, like many punk and old school hardcore bands, sincerely enjoyed their own gigs - and it was apparent. The band had great chemistry and excellent presence. All of this shows up nicely in the film's occasional live clips. The film's story is nicely summed up in their classic song "I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts""Will the last American band to get played on the radio please bring the flag"and"Woody Guthrie sang aboutb-e-e-t-s, not b-e-a-t-s"X welded traditionalism (both in lifestyle and musical form), patriotism and radicalism (much like the libertarian political philosophy of the American founding fathers) and punk DIY ethics harmoniously. This hybridization produced a remarkably distinctive, original, yet familiar and fun musical repertoire. Unsurprisingly, the music industry was not ready for them. Despite critical acclaim and a few 'album of the year' awards, only an open-minded independent label would sign them early-on, and they were systematically mismarketed and mishandled by distributors. The flip-side of this, however, is that X was not and would never be a sell-out. Unlike more contemporary 'popular punk', X retained their uniqueness, their originality, their obscure politics, and their artistry, throughout their largely successful career. It is worth comparing this film to Jim Fields' "End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones" (2003). Though the Ramones were a larger commercial success than X, End of the Century paints much the same story for them. I believe that this is a trope which has come to identify post-punk sentiment. There is a considerable amount of whining to be done about the injustices of the pre-home-studio-cheap-cd music industry, for sure, but perhaps we should try to remember what happens to the musical integrity of almost every band that actually does emerge from the underground to the harsh light of commercialism - The Clash, Metallica, etc. Think about it - most people really don't have a great deal of taste when it comes to music. They simply want something to dance to, or something to distract them from life, or something undemanding in the background. I liked the Ramones DESPITE their commercial success. I loved X because of what they did, who they were, and how they sounded. I can't say the same about any of the neopunk groups signed to major labels and spreading expensive designer 'punk' fashion all about magazine covers today. What is a looming commercial monolith on the surface is a barely recognizable shadow in the underground.Nicely filmed, wonderfully edited and compiled, with never a dull moment. X: The Unheard Music is a great introduction to X, the music industry, and American punk. Highly recommended.

I love X, I love seeing them live, but this movie added very little to the music. The band seems kind of halfhearted about doing the film, their stories are not that interesting. When they go out on tour trying to get their music heard, there's not a single foot of film from the tour; instead, there's a cutesy montage of postcards.As for the live footage, a good portion of it is from a shoot made expressly for the film, and to judge by the credits, at least half the songs are either videos or lip- synched.On the whole, the live X in Decline of Western Civilization is far more compelling than the whole of The Unheard Music.

A rock film, interspersing interviews and performances of X. Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Billy Zoom, DJ Bonebrake, 4 incredibly talented, extremely charismatic people who formed a rock band in LA that should have been the biggest band in the world. They're definitely the greatest. This film, one of the greatest rock movies ever made, is extremely well shot, but after its over you long for MORE.It doesn't capture the excitement of seeing X live, but if you're a fan, you'll love it. SEE also: Urgh!a Music War(l981).