Punks railing against hypocrisy within the punk scene is nothing new, but rarely (if ever) has that old chestnut been given as funny a treatment as it is in BANANAZZZ. This mockumentary from director Kate Sweeney follows the story of Craig Evanhalen, a radically minded (and radically misguided) man who starts a “DIY” punk outfit with the help of his parents and his publicist.
The movie picks up at BANANAZZZ’s inception (yep, that’s the band’s name) and traces their history with a little help from all of the people pissed off along the way by Evanhalen, who’s played by comedian/writer Brett Davis. You see, in addition to the founding faux-pas, the group’s leader is an alcoholic who espouses straightedge values, plus a misogynist, a general creep, and a fairly mediocre musician.
Perhaps best of all are the cameos from familiar faces: Screaming Females (for whom Sweeney directed a video), lo-fi legend R. Stevie Moore, La Sera’s Katy Goodman, Prince Rama, Ninjasonik, and others all drop in highlight Evanhalen’s cluelessness as his band tries to make its way through SXSW 2012. You can stream the entire 33-minute film above.
