Revenge of the Mekons

2014 • 96 minutes

About this movie

REVENGE OF THE MEKONS charts the unlikely musical career of the genre-defying collective notorious for being—as rock critic Greil Marcus notes—“the band that took punk ideology most seriously.” Born out of the 1977 British punk scene, the Mekons progressed from a group of socialist art students with no discernible musical skill to the prolific, raucous progeny of Hank Williams. Joe Angio’s exuberant documentary follows the band's improbable history – a surprising and influential embrace of folk and country, forays into the art world, and persistent, improbable bad luck with major record labels. Featuring interviews with celebrated fans, from author Jonathan Franzen (THE CORRECTIONS) to film director Mary Harron (I SHOT ANDY WARHOL) to comedian/musician Fred Armisen (PORTLANDIA), REVENGE OF THE MEKONS reveals how, four decades into an ever-evolving career, punk’s reigning contrarians continue to make bold, unpredictable music while staying true to the punk ethos.