The Punk Syndrome

[beetlejazz]

I just recently watched this documentary, and found it some of the exhilariating and interesting stuff I've watched in a long, long time.

It's a simple, no-nonsense documentary about a Finnish punk band called "Pertti Kurikan nimipäivät" (Pertti Kurikka's Name Day), all the 4 members of which are all mentally handicapped. But handicapped or not, these guys couldn't have a more punk attitude. And some of their lyrics are just brilliant. I have a couple of friends who have seen these guys live some time ago and said they were a good show.

Here's a subtitled trailer:

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The amount of foul language in this film is quite epic, but sadly has been cut down in the English subs of the trailer quite a bit. Well I guess it's a general subtitling issue.

But if you're interested in punk music, or documentaries, I recommend watching this if you have a chance. Except if you like your documentaries done with big €£$ instead of big heart, with action movie worthy soundtracks, and a serious looking guy in a suit before a bookshelf lecturing about serious truths... in that case this is not for you.

A review from IMDB:

A documentary about punk rock and all the colors of life. Been there and seen that? No, you haven't.

Here we have a Finnish punk band of four mentally disabled guys. We usually don't see the everyday life of mentally disabled in documentaries, and even more rare are the times they are seen expressing their thoughts, loves and frustrations through rough rock music.

Now we do. We are able to watch lives we usually don't see and learn to know the people behind those speech difficulties and weird face expressions. We see how they gain popularity and become famous. This documentary takes you to a different rock'n'roll life with a professional touch. A well-made documentary that moves gently but close to the skin of its characters

 

[Harlock999]

As far as mentally handicapped Finnish musicians go,
I think I'm more interested in Andy McCoy. 8)
Or is he just mentally deranged?

 

[beetlejazz]

Yup, poor old Andy has been smoking other things than burley, sniffing other things than flowers and getting something else than a wafer stuck on his tongue a bit too many times. :lol: Somehow a cheerful chap though, compared to the absolutely bland bulk of popular culture figures we usually have.

 

[Harlock999]

Somehow a cheerful chap though, compared to the absolutely bland bulk of popular culture figures we usually have.

Absolutely agreed upon.