Blank Generation — Blank Generation(Blu Ray)
Blank Generation is free-flowing and lo-fi arty punk/ post-punk drama set in & around the notorious CBGB's club in Manhattan NYC. The film features Richard Hell and his band the Voidoids, with ( a brief) appearance from Andy Warhol. Here from Dark Force Entertainment is a region free blu Ray release.
Released in the year 1980 Blank Generation- it was the tenth film from polish-born Ulli Lommel, who was more known for his trashy/ cheap horror/ genre films like The Boogey Man, The Boogey Man II, The Devonsville Terror, Overkill, Blood Suckers, and host of cheapy based on true crime films like Zodica Killer, B.T.K Killer, Son Of Sam, etc. Though he started his career working with German arthouse director Rainer Werner Fassbinder- doing so for some ten years. So this clearly rubs off on Blank Generation with its free-flowing and often lose dialogue feel.
Blank Generation around Billy( Richard Hell)- whose a trying to make it on the NYC punk scene, with a manager and middle age blading record company guy sniffing around. Also interested in Billy is French journalist Nada(Carole Bouquet)- who is filming a documentary about him- fairly soon the pair start an on/off love affair.
The film is a blend of often bickering and emotionally fed dialogue interactions, footage of dirty snow and rubbished piled Manhattan streets, and live performances from Billy and his band in the graffiti busy inside of CBGB's. Towards the latter part of the film, we get a sub-plot of German TV interviewer, who is friends with Nada and is trying to get an interview with Andy Warhol- which does( sort of) happen towards the end of the film.
It runs around one hour and twenty-minute mark, and it was an engaging enough free-flowing drama, with the early 80’s NYC being well captured in its gritty/ grim wonder. The acting, as you’d expect with this type of thing goes from being naturist to a little rough around the edges. Mr Hell certainly has a fiery charisma/ good screen presence, with the supporting cast being mostly passable, and Andy Warhol is very much what you’d expect.
The region free Blu Ray is unfortunately very bare-bones- with just the film itself. The print, which is a 2k scan from the original negative- looks good enough, nicely bringing out the textures and colours of NYC streets- though a few of the film shots of video footage are a little murky/ ropy.
It’s great to see Blank Generation getting this Blu Ray release- which really shows Lommel had talent as a director beyond trashy/ low-budget genre films. Of interest to fans of loose and edgy drama, 1980’s American punk/ post-punk, and visual studies of NYC in all it's gritty/ grimy 80’s charm.