The first trailer for upcoming film, Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine, featuring legendary rock critic Lester Bangs, has just been released, giving us our first glimpse of the rock-doc that's been years in the making. The film traces the rise (and fall) of the Detroit-founded Creem Magazine to the height of its '70s heyday and features a stack of high-profile fans geeking out over memories of their favourite magazine, including Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, REM's Michael Stipe, Suzi Quatro, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, actor Jeff Daniels and many more.
"Most people want to fit in somewhere,” REM frontman, Michael Stipe says. “I wasn’t going to find it in my high school. I found it in Creem magazine." Watch the first trailer below.
Creem: America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine | Official Trailer
Director, Scott Crawford – whose previous films include a deep dive into the origins of punk with 2014's Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington DC, 1980-90 – described the magazine as “a history lesson of sorts” when speaking to Rolling Stone recently. “There was an undeniable punk aesthetic and its bite-the-hand-that-feeds editorial approach resonated with me instantly. The writing was inspired and bratty (yet thoughtful) and encouraged me to listen to music in a way that I hadn’t previously known how to do.”
JJ Kramer … son of Creem co-founder and publisher, Barry Kramer … co-produced the documentary, alongside Jaan Uhelszki who worked closely with Lester Bangs as senior editor at the magazine. Other Creem alums, including, Dave Marsh, Ed Ward, and filmmaker Cameron Crowe also make an appearance. Crowe immortalized Lester Bangs in his 2000 film, Almost Famous, where he was played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll Magazine premiered at SXSW in Austin, Texas last year under the working title Boy Howdy!. An official release date for the film is yet to be announced, but it is expected to show in US cinema’s when they reopen next month and hit streaming platforms soon after.
“Buying Creem was a little bit like buying Playboy,” Jeff Daniels says. “You didn’t want your parents to see either one of them.”
Our Shake Some Action: Punk & New Wave Classics from the '70s & Early '80s is stacked with the era's biggest hits. Listen on Spotify:
