Dreaming in America (2005)

2005-10-111h 12m

At the heart of "Dreaming in America" is Lucero's story about that amazing thing, too often overlooked: a blue-collar rock group's struggle to survive. As the music industry has exploded over the past few decades and the ability to "move units" has become the defining calculus of the business, it's an incredibly emotional experience to see a band who does it because they have to, because their lives depend on it, and because they love it. There are hundreds of such bands criss-crossing the country at any given moment. This is a film about one of them-a band on the edge of greatness, working to break through. In a happy bit of rock kismet, "Dreaming in America's" cameras started rolling just as Lucero was breaking from its indie rock past and considering the treacherous leap to a major label deal unlike anything seen by the industry before. At that point, the band was between labels and, though it had sold north of 20,000 records.

Related Movies

233873-thumbnail

Revenge of the Mekons (2013)

Documentary about the Mekons.

400808-thumbnail

Mother, I've Pretty Much Forgotten Your Face (2016)

Pig heads, intestines, megaphones: all these and more have been thrown into crowds of loyal fans following the influential punk band THE STALIN or any of number of Michiro Endo's other bands since 1980. Taking a step in front of the camera, however, Endo offers a very different kind of encounter in this inspiring self-portrait. "Mother, I've Pretty Much Forgotten Your Face" follows the artist, a native of Nihonmatsu, Fukushima, on the 2011 nationwide solo tour celebrating his 60th birthday, which was interrupted by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Traveling, performing and talking with fellow musicians and activists, Endo reflects on the past and future of Fukushima, the legacy of Hiroshima, his upbringing and his feelings about his mother, communicated in the song from which the documentary is named.

561035-thumbnail

Stories from the She Punks (2018)

Loud, fearless and (un)typical girls: Gina Birch (The Raincoats) and Helen Reddington (The Chefs), musicians and punk icons turned directors, serve up a fascinating documentary built on new interviews with the women who played instruments in punk bands in the 1970s. In accounts laced with wit, honesty and insight, pioneering players including the Adverts’ Gaye Black (bass), Palmolive from The Slits (drums), Shanne Bradley from The Nips (bass), Jane Munro from The Au Pairs (bass), Hester Smith and Rachel Bor from Dolly Mixture (drums and guitar), bassist Gina and guitarist Ana Da Silva from The Raincoats, as well as many others, we hear about acquiring instruments, learning to play, forming bands and getting gigs.

890209-thumbnail

Anarchy in the Philippines (2018)

An intimate journey into the heart of the small but powerful DIY punk movement in modern-day Philippines. They hitchhike, beg for food, screen print bootleg band t-shirts, and help vulnerable members of their community. But President Duterte's violent 'War on Drugs' makes a punk lifestyle an incredibly dangerous choice.

413755-thumbnail

I'm Not Proud of Any of This (NaN)

Documentary about a musician's plan to kill himself.

1232534-thumbnail

A Film to Pass the Time (NaN)

Exploring American living, sex work, and the power of God among other things in the year 2024.

1073475-thumbnail

Crash 'n' Burn (1977)

Crash 'n' Burn is an experimental film shot in and named after Toronto, Ontario's first punk rock club. (Not to be confused with Peter Vronsky's similarly titled 1977 documentary on the Toronto punk scene made for the CBC television network.) The film, shot on 16mm black-and-white stock, features performances by Dead Boys, Teenage Head, The Boyfriends, and The Diodes".

576713-thumbnail

The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash (2019)

Johnny Cash stands among the giants of 20th century American life. But his story remains tangled in mystery and myth. This documentary brings Cash the man out from behind the legend.

913792-thumbnail

Meet Me in the Bathroom (2022)

Set against the backdrop of 9/11, this documentary tells the story of how a new generation kickstarted a musical rebirth for New York City that reverberated around the world.

574963-thumbnail

This World Won't Break (2020)

A broke-down middle aged Texas troubadour yearns to be remembered like the southern bluesmen before him, but his failings and self-doubt forestall his musical dreams and blind him to the open road.

414178-thumbnail

Satan Panonski: Documentary (1990)

Satan Panonski, born Ivica Čuljak in 1960, was a Croatian punk musician, poet, artist and freak performer. We get to follow his performance at the Studentski Kulturni Centar, Novi Sad, visit the cult station of Radio B92, a conversation at the apartment and finally the never presented staff from the Popovača Hospital. In 1991, Čuljak joined the Croatian army in the Croatian War of Independence. He died in 1992 while still a Croatian soldier. The cause of his death is unknown. It is rumored that he died after slipping and accidentally discharging the gun he was carrying.

249719-thumbnail

Facing Fear (2013)

The worlds of a former neo-Nazi and the gay victim of his senseless hate crime attack collide by chance 25 years after the incident that dramatically shaped both of their lives. They proceed to embark on a journey of forgiveness that challenges both to grapple with their beliefs and fears, eventually leading to an improbable collaboration...and friendship.

415408-thumbnail

We Who Wait: The Adverts & TV Smith (2012)

A documentary about the life and career of UK singer-songwriter and Adverts frontman, TV Smith.

415460-thumbnail

No Money, No Future (2017)

Punk bands in Korea get invited to biggest hardcore punk festival in Tokyo. This movie shows how one of the loudest and most active punk bands in Asia live and deliver message very closely and pleasantly.

1233404-thumbnail

SPRINGFIELD, USA (NaN)

SPRINGFIELD, USA provides a glimpse into the lives of an array of citizens who share their dreams and stories of the timeless world that is small-town America.

9526-thumbnail

A Prairie Home Companion (2006)

A look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren, and a host of others hold court.

1229134-thumbnail

Kenny Rogers All in for the Gambler (2021)

903440-thumbnail

Hank Williams: Kate Smith TV Shows (1952)

Hank Williams made two appearances on the Kate Smith TV Show in 1952, on 03/26/1952 and on 04/23/1952. The recordings from these two episodes provide us with with the only known available video of the legendary Hank Williams performing. Other guests on the show include Roy Acuff, June Carter and Anita Carter. Performances include Hey, Good Lookin', Cold Cold Heart, I Saw the Light, I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You) and Glory Bound Train.

1066827-thumbnail

Carrie Underwood LIVE - Amazon Music (NaN)

Carrie Underwood performs songs from her new album, Denim & Rhinestones, LIVE from The Bell Tower in Nashville, Tennessee.

572531-thumbnail

This Is Our Scene Too! (2016)

A documentary about women in the Indonesian DIY hardcore/punk scene, including interviews with musicians, photographers, and zine-makers.