Memorable, crazy movie

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

One of the best rock documentaries I've seen. Well made, you really get a sense of Kathleen Hanna, everything she stands for and all she's been through. It's not a glossy profile full of butt-kissing. You get the good and the bad. It's also a fascinating look at the riot grrl movement. Despite knowing the music, I was hardly aware of many of the details. It's about a lot more than just punk rock.This is excellent filmmaking, about a riveting subject, that made me pulling out my old Bikini Kill cds. In a nutshell, it rocks!

I saw this movie after reading the siff website and went to check it out. In my opinion it is a well-made biographical documentary that outlines the Northwest music scene. It taught my friend why it "smells like teen spirit" and it taught me what a feminist band is. I was interested in seeing the feminist movement that grew out of Olympia, Washington. The movie is youthful and tragic. It is easy to sympathize with the characters.Though I was not familiar with anything regarding Kathleen Hanna's life before seeing the movie, there is for sure a charisma that radiates from Kathleen that is well depicted in the film. But I am not one to judge whether it is a factually accurate documentary. It shows her entire life from early to late years and I was especially intrigued to see her reflect upon her youth.

While I listened to Bikini Kill and Le Tigre I never sought out that much info on Kathleen Hanna, especially since that was much harder to find in Bikini Kill's active years. Watching this documentary made me fantasize about going back in time and begging Bikini Kill to let me carry their equipment before quietly slipping away so they could have all female Riot Grrrl meetings.Nothing is left out that needed saying. The trauma of her past is acknowledged without morbidity, and her success is tempered by the realities of Bikini Kill's grueling tour life. The movie does a great job of giving equal time to her days with Le Tigre and Julie Ruin, as well as her relationship with Adrock.I have to admit I found myself a little ashamed of how stricken I was by just how beautiful Hanna is and was. I know this movie isn't about her looks but I hadn't seen most of the live show footage before and honestly I was taken aback. The movie doesn't shy away from acknowledging how Kathleen used her sexuality on stage and the criticisms against her by those who thought a feminist had a responsibility to be non-sexual.This movie is a must for anyone who loves punk, American feminism, riot grrrls, or ever had their lip split open in a pit.

"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!"