Hype!

"Here we are now, entertain us," sang Nirvana, the legendary Seattle grunge poster band. You don't have to be from the Pacific Northwest to enjoy this wry chronicle of the rise and marketing of Seattle's alternative music community. Musical highlights include the first live performance of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," but more compelling are the band members, record producers and promoters who recall Seattle's garage and grunge heyday, and the fun they had at the mainstream media's expense (one record label employee reveals how she hoaxed the New York Times by fabricating a "lexicon of grunge"). A native graphic designer sums it up best: "This is a weird place." This sell-through priced documentary features interviews and performances by the former Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, and has gotten diddly in the way of a marketing push. Strongly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD Review--March 22, 2005--Lions Gate, 84 min., not rated, $14.98--Making its debut on DVD, 1996's Hype! is presented with a good widescreen transfer and a choice between DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo soundtracks. DVD extras include a fine commentary track by director Doug Pray and producer Steven Helvey, 19 minutes of "outtakes" (i.e., additional scenes) with optional director commentary, Peter Bagge's animated short "Hate" and an interview with Bagge with optional commentary by Pray, and four bonus performances with optional director commentary. Bottom line: loaded with solid extras and bargain-priced to boot, this is recommended.][Blu-ray/DVD Review— Oct. 3, 2017—Shout! Factory, 83 min., not rated, DVD: $16.98, Blu-ray: $21.98—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1996's Hype! features a nice transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include two audio commentaries (one by director Doug Pray; the other by Pray and producer Steve Helvey), interview outtakes (23 min.), a “20 Years After” retrospective (16 min.), additional performances (12 min.), and Peter Bagge's animated short “Hate” (4 min.). Bottom line: Pray's fine documentary on the birth of grunge makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray.]