Dark Planet: Visions Of America
So tell us who you are, your age, where you live and generally a bit about yourself! Where did you get the nickname "Molotov Mitchell?
Well, my name is Jason "Molotov" Mitchell. I'm 26 years old and I live in North Carolina, the finest state in the Union. I am an independent film producer and director with an emphasis on the lost value of extremism. "Molotov" came out of that interest; I'm not a middle-of-the-road type, and that tends to shake a lot of people up. People love me or hate me, but I think that's a good thing. I've had a lot of names thrown at me; some complimentary, some negative-"Molotov" had a singular appeal to me.
Explain Dark Planet Visions of America in a nutshell?
DPVOA is the nature channel on speed. We visit 12 major cities, a million in-between, and get to the bottom of what 4 underground youth movements (Skinhead, straight edge, black metal and zealot) are all about and why they are relevant to mainstream society. It explains the in's and the out's to the uninitiated, while keeping the practitioners intrigued by the study of there underground neighbours. And before I forget, it is entertaining. Really entertaining. I'll borrow Chris Nutter's quote off of the box to sum up its
aesthetic: " 'Grand Theft Auto' meets 'the Passion of the Christ.'
How was it that you came to be involved with all four groups featured in the documentary?
I've always been friends with skinheads. I was a straight edge kid. I became a Zealot. I've had various associations with elements of black metal, but never studied the philosophy behind their culture until we started planning
DPVOA.
What was it that drew you towards all four groups as far as subject matter goes? (Certainly made for interesting content whichever one you agree most with)
"Interesting content" was a major motive, to be sure. Nobody wants to watch a doc. about the lives of the average Joe Citizen who happens to vote Republican, even if he's important to everyone's way of life. A lot of film
makers have tried to do that and failed-our test data proves it. But besides that, the youth are the next generation, so if you want to predict the future, study their worldviews today.
The four groups selected represent four extremes of American philosophy. This is not meant to associate any groups with others or to mingle their different beliefs, but to reveal the fundamental perspectives of American life as voiced in these groups. 75% of Americans live in a skinhead-like mindset. They live their lives in a laissez-faire fashion, commonly avoiding the troubles of politics, religious devotion and consequence, and spending most of their time enjoying the moment and the friends they know. Many describe themselves as "spiritual," without practising any spiritual dedication at all.
The straight edger believes that fulfilment is found in the purification of flesh and mind, and that rules can bring perfection. I believe most American "religious people" of various faiths fit into this philosophy, falsely claiming
to know God while subconsciously loving sel -righteousness and believing themselves to be perfected because they obey certain restrictions.
Black metal represents liberalism's logical destiny. The black metal practitioner and the ACLU both hate the concepts of the moral majority, the Ten Commandments on a court house, prayer in school, and anything else that would dare suggest absolute Truth, but the black metal-head has the spine to carry his beliefs out to their logical end, and openly attack. They all subscribe to Nietchzeian philosophy, the ACLU, NOW, the homosexual community, the black metal scene, and they are all out for the same thing: the total annihilation of Christian law, as it is the only obstacle they can not seem to surmount.
Finally, and strictly philosophically speaking, the Zealots represent all of the spiritual students of America, the genuine Truth seekers, who do not allow their own comfort or opinions to stand in the way of finding God. Most Americans, including the majority of church-going "Christians" do not fit into this category; it is a rare thing to see a modern person dedicate themselves to the ancient ways of religious enlightenment.
Now let me get this straight, you were straight edge, but your now a zealot, what are the obvious fundamental differences between the two? Why have you found yourself being drawn to the zealot path?
Straight Edge made me feel great physically, and cleared my mind of the drug-induced haze of my teen years, but when that happened, I realised that that was the end of the ride. My body was whole, but my spirit was sick. Straight Edge couldn't help me when I wondered why I was here; straight edge was great for my body, but useless for my soul. I faced that, deep down, and began to study religions with the new clarity straight edge had given my mind. I studied Buddhism, Islam, and Mormonism. I came very close to becoming a Hare Krishna follower, before finding many glaring inconsistencies in the Vedic texts and their hierarchy of gods and demigods. Ultimately, I began to read the Bible as much as I hated the idea of reading the Western world's propaganda, when I stumbled upon a Scripture that intrigued me. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) Now, most world religions can all hold hands and say, "we all serve the same God; we just do it in different ways," but this quote from the Man all religions credit as
divine and the greatest of teachers was a shockwave for me to read. I thought it was profoundly arrogant, at first, but then I considered the possibility that he could be right. If that was so, then I was in trouble, and so was just about everyone else. C.S. Lewis made a powerful suggestion that Jesus could only be a Liar, Lunatic or Lord. So I began to study the life of Jesus against the lives of the other prophets, the accounts of Josephus, the archaeological evidence behind Scripture, etc. and ultimately saw that there was no other option-Jesus was indeed, Lord.
The Zealot Movement was a natural progression from there on out. Anyone serious about the Christian religion will avoid the pitfalls of American, effeminised Christianity, and join a serious movement. The Zealots are one of the best, compromising nothing and obeying Scripture as Law, the same as the Early Church Fathers did.
Please explain the symbology behind the four animals that represent different aspects of what being a zealot involves? (That particularly interested me in the doc. The lion meaning drug free for example)
The Four Pillars or Four Animals derive their imagery from the seraphim, God's "imperial guard," if you will. The seraphim are the highest of God's angels and each bear a different face or head, the ox, the lion, the eagle, and
the man.
These four faces theologically represent the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible, and the Four Pillars of the Zealot Movement.
The Ox represents submission to Church authority; a Zealot must be a member of the local church, as Scripture teaches.
The Lion represents strength of body through the rejection of drugs and alcohol abuse and crafting the body (or Temple) into a weapon for God and the Movement, ready and able to serve at any time.
The Eagle represents sexual purity through the practice of abstinence until marriage and the abolition of homosexuality. The last is the greatest pillar of all, the Love of Man.
A Zealot must be involved in service to the world through charity, evangelism or protest. This is the Pillar that cuts most "Christians" out of the Movement. For more info, check out www.zealotmovement.com and if you're feeling frisky www.iamsimon.net
Do you know why those animals were chosen to represent these meanings?
The Ox must be yoked to fulfil his potential. The Lion is a symbol of
strength, needing nothing to enhance his fleshly might. The Eagle soars high
above the filth world below. The Man understands his kind and works with them to achieve success...that sums it up.
Well as long as your still drug free then thats cool with me!
Im Drug free, but I don't condemn alcohol, wholesale. I tried to stay straight
edge after I became a Christian, but had too many clashing principles. Alcohol abuse is clearly condemned in Scripture, but not alcohol. Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine. His first demonstration of divinity involved him bartending! That was very hard for me to reconcile, being straight edge, and ultimately I stopped opposing alcohol. After all, in the right portions, alcohol is fantastic for your heart. But don't get me wrong. Drugs and alcoholism are enemies of the Zealot Movement and we oppose their peddlers. I just don't mind having a beer with my dinner.
How did Dark Planet VOA come to be? Have you been film making for a while now?
I've been making films for just a few years now. I've made several projects
that were not intended for the public, DPVOA and one smaller feature, I suppose you could call it? See, in order to gain the trust of the skinhead community, to where they would feel completely comfortable in front of our cameras for DPVOA, we chose to make the first professional Oi compilation DVD ever, "Spring Broke." We didn't want any skinhead to wonder if we were going to portray them as Nazi's when we showed up, and that understanding went very well. It tacked on an extra six months to make that piece, but it was worth it. "Spring Broke" was a fun film to make, we had a great time with the ATL skins, and no one ever questioned our integrity in our depiction of the skinhead subculture after that.
Every other subculture went swimmingly, as well, as we went out of our way to fairly portray every group, unbiased and as accurately as possible.
Where did you study & what sorts of equipment does someone need to make a documentary?
I've never attended college of any sort, and don't readily recommend it to
many. If you want to learn about the film industry, start working for a film
company! I mean, you can lose money to learn or make money while learning.
There are exceptions, but not many, in my opinion. As far as equipment for a
documentary...well, that's actually a loaded question. It all depends on your
vision. We used five - well, predominantly three cameras, two editing suites,
several microphones (depending upon the situation), 3 light kits, about 200 used DV tapes and a company car. But we flew a good deal, so the car thing may be misleading. But we did drive that car all over the place.
You travelled around to quite a few places too, I guess that gave you the
opportunity to give you a better overall view of the subjects from different areas, to compare and contrast?
If we wanted to make "Dark Planet: Visions of North Carolina," that would be
easy. But we were making "Dark Planet: Visions of AMERICA," so we had to travel the U.S. Straight Edge, I'm sure you can understand, is not as clearly
definable as it used to be. You've got FSU debates and half of the bands don't even sing about drugs or drug resistace any more, so what could we do?
We tried to see both sides of the fence. East Coast and West Coast was a simplistic way to label things, but I think the audience knows what we are trying to accomplish, a sense of balance.
Is Illuminati pictures your company? If not how did you approach them? (Or the other way) Do you have any future projects on the cards for them?
I hold some sway with the brass. Basically, I approached the Illuminati
investors with my concept, and they decided to back it. Currently, they are
considering my next project, a TV show. Keep your fingers crossed-you've NEVER seen anything like this show.
I take it there not actually owned by the Illuminati? Or Dan Brown? (Who went
and wrote about them)
Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur. (It is a wise man who speaks little.)
Is it not funny that the Illuminati are looked on as a sort of cult and that the name of the company releasing the DVD and all the four groups could arguably by less informed persons (i.e. the American mainstream media in general) label them as cult-like?
I think that most have forgotten the meaning of the word "cult," but black
metal could definitely be considered one. If the Zealots weren't in agreement
with the main tenets of the Christian faith, it could be attacked in that
fashion. Skinhead and straight edge walk the line at times.
Next up you guys are going to be based in Salt Lake City. Do you practise
Polygamy?
Actually, we will be filming in SLC later this year, and I am studying the
theological apects of polygamy, so it's amazing that you would bring them up,
even as a joke. But can we discuss that some other time?
Sorry for losing the plot, what bands / music have you currently got in your stereo?
Living Sacrifice, "Reborn Empowered." What else is there?
That last section with Matt Kearney was really impacting on the documentary,
seemed to sum it all up, I also felt every side had a fair shout, although I
didnt agree with all of them! Particularly the Black Metal made me laugh
and cringe it was so negative it turned into a façade I dont suppose you could relate to any of what they were saying (sometimes controversial particularly the bit about not seeing the point in deformed children living etc)
I didn't agree with the opinions, but I understood them. They're not just
crazy kids randomly blowing things up. They are devoted to a negative world
view and are bold enough to realise it. I happen to like several of the guys
interviewed and we get along. I just think many of them have been denied love and respect, and this is how they return fire.
I dont see the point in being negative 24/7! Would have liked to have
found out what there mothers thought!
Maybe. But maybe it wouldn't have mattered.
One thing I did want to touch on was the whole issue of anti violence being a mainstay of straight edge culture and in the documentary you have crew members from FSU, now the whole HC scene seems to be split on whether or not Boston Beatdown is cool or not but did you believe having these crew members on there portrayed straight edge in the right light because violence and causing trouble at shows wasnt why I got into hardcore. Bands like Champion, Comeback Kid, Bane etc have songs against those sorts of people, in fact pretty much everyone at shows goes on about looking out after each other
Well, there's no denying FSU's straight edge, for the most part, and I think
they were vital in showing the "good" and the "bad" sides of Straight Edge. I'm not sure why the Boston Beatdown guys have gotten so, well, beaten down. I mean, in Europe, most straight edgers identify with nazi agenda, (Not I have ever heard of! PHIL) but that doesn't change the fact that they oppose drugs and drug culture, does it?
Straight edge can not be so easily policed when the tenets are so vague. What about straight edgers who have sex before marriage? Whatever happened to that?
Now it's okay to sleep around and claim straight edge? Why aren't those people being grilled instead of the Boston crew, who's actually taking drug dealers down? I think Straight edge is becoming too pop, and if it isn't kept in check, it could become the new "frat boy" club. Seriously, if the football team claims straight edge and are out banging cheerleaders left and right, then straight edge has become something else, something fake.
Also Rick Rodney and Strife were the main straight edge band featured but they ditched the scene and the straight edge with the anger means album which was not well received at all, supposedly according to rumour Rick was the one who broke edge, now I know Strife were one of the biggest edge bands in the 90 s (Along with Earth Crisis & Snapcase) but it didnt seem right to have them up on there voicing there opinions when they d jeopardised not only there straight edge but the integrity of themselves by trying to not be a straight edge band when that was the reason they rose above the rest (because they had something to say and the message was so strong)
I knew having Strife in the straight edge section would be controversial,
because of their change in the scene. But Rick was old school, positive and
hugely popular, and I knew his inclusion would bring a lot more balance to the
entire scene's portrayal in the film. I intentionally left the whole "breaking
edge" aspect out of his interview, because we were there to hear what a legend of straight edge had to tell us about its history, not his politics.
Maybe Sweet Pete from In my Eyes or Wrench from both Ten Yard Fight & Stand & Fight etc anyway those are all minor points, although things that I did want to comment on either way youve put together an amazing documentary & I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to do this interview, I wish you every success and if there was any last thing you wanted to comment on or get of your system, speak up now!
Go to Barnes and Noble, buy a cheap Bible and read it. Even if you hate the
idea of Christianity, like I did, you'll never change America until you've
studied the Judeo-Christian foundations of the "last world power." If you want
to make more money, find out why the money has "In God We Trust" on it. Turn off the TV and read that Bible with an open mind. Pretty soon, you'll see
things you've never seen before.
Well, my name is Jason "Molotov" Mitchell. I'm 26 years old and I live in North Carolina, the finest state in the Union. I am an independent film producer and director with an emphasis on the lost value of extremism. "Molotov" came out of that interest; I'm not a middle-of-the-road type, and that tends to shake a lot of people up. People love me or hate me, but I think that's a good thing. I've had a lot of names thrown at me; some complimentary, some negative-"Molotov" had a singular appeal to me.
Explain Dark Planet Visions of America in a nutshell?
DPVOA is the nature channel on speed. We visit 12 major cities, a million in-between, and get to the bottom of what 4 underground youth movements (Skinhead, straight edge, black metal and zealot) are all about and why they are relevant to mainstream society. It explains the in's and the out's to the uninitiated, while keeping the practitioners intrigued by the study of there underground neighbours. And before I forget, it is entertaining. Really entertaining. I'll borrow Chris Nutter's quote off of the box to sum up its
aesthetic: " 'Grand Theft Auto' meets 'the Passion of the Christ.'
How was it that you came to be involved with all four groups featured in the documentary?
I've always been friends with skinheads. I was a straight edge kid. I became a Zealot. I've had various associations with elements of black metal, but never studied the philosophy behind their culture until we started planning
DPVOA.
What was it that drew you towards all four groups as far as subject matter goes? (Certainly made for interesting content whichever one you agree most with)
"Interesting content" was a major motive, to be sure. Nobody wants to watch a doc. about the lives of the average Joe Citizen who happens to vote Republican, even if he's important to everyone's way of life. A lot of film
makers have tried to do that and failed-our test data proves it. But besides that, the youth are the next generation, so if you want to predict the future, study their worldviews today.
The four groups selected represent four extremes of American philosophy. This is not meant to associate any groups with others or to mingle their different beliefs, but to reveal the fundamental perspectives of American life as voiced in these groups. 75% of Americans live in a skinhead-like mindset. They live their lives in a laissez-faire fashion, commonly avoiding the troubles of politics, religious devotion and consequence, and spending most of their time enjoying the moment and the friends they know. Many describe themselves as "spiritual," without practising any spiritual dedication at all.
The straight edger believes that fulfilment is found in the purification of flesh and mind, and that rules can bring perfection. I believe most American "religious people" of various faiths fit into this philosophy, falsely claiming
to know God while subconsciously loving sel -righteousness and believing themselves to be perfected because they obey certain restrictions.
Black metal represents liberalism's logical destiny. The black metal practitioner and the ACLU both hate the concepts of the moral majority, the Ten Commandments on a court house, prayer in school, and anything else that would dare suggest absolute Truth, but the black metal-head has the spine to carry his beliefs out to their logical end, and openly attack. They all subscribe to Nietchzeian philosophy, the ACLU, NOW, the homosexual community, the black metal scene, and they are all out for the same thing: the total annihilation of Christian law, as it is the only obstacle they can not seem to surmount.
Finally, and strictly philosophically speaking, the Zealots represent all of the spiritual students of America, the genuine Truth seekers, who do not allow their own comfort or opinions to stand in the way of finding God. Most Americans, including the majority of church-going "Christians" do not fit into this category; it is a rare thing to see a modern person dedicate themselves to the ancient ways of religious enlightenment.
Now let me get this straight, you were straight edge, but your now a zealot, what are the obvious fundamental differences between the two? Why have you found yourself being drawn to the zealot path?
Straight Edge made me feel great physically, and cleared my mind of the drug-induced haze of my teen years, but when that happened, I realised that that was the end of the ride. My body was whole, but my spirit was sick. Straight Edge couldn't help me when I wondered why I was here; straight edge was great for my body, but useless for my soul. I faced that, deep down, and began to study religions with the new clarity straight edge had given my mind. I studied Buddhism, Islam, and Mormonism. I came very close to becoming a Hare Krishna follower, before finding many glaring inconsistencies in the Vedic texts and their hierarchy of gods and demigods. Ultimately, I began to read the Bible as much as I hated the idea of reading the Western world's propaganda, when I stumbled upon a Scripture that intrigued me. "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) Now, most world religions can all hold hands and say, "we all serve the same God; we just do it in different ways," but this quote from the Man all religions credit as
divine and the greatest of teachers was a shockwave for me to read. I thought it was profoundly arrogant, at first, but then I considered the possibility that he could be right. If that was so, then I was in trouble, and so was just about everyone else. C.S. Lewis made a powerful suggestion that Jesus could only be a Liar, Lunatic or Lord. So I began to study the life of Jesus against the lives of the other prophets, the accounts of Josephus, the archaeological evidence behind Scripture, etc. and ultimately saw that there was no other option-Jesus was indeed, Lord.
The Zealot Movement was a natural progression from there on out. Anyone serious about the Christian religion will avoid the pitfalls of American, effeminised Christianity, and join a serious movement. The Zealots are one of the best, compromising nothing and obeying Scripture as Law, the same as the Early Church Fathers did.
Please explain the symbology behind the four animals that represent different aspects of what being a zealot involves? (That particularly interested me in the doc. The lion meaning drug free for example)
The Four Pillars or Four Animals derive their imagery from the seraphim, God's "imperial guard," if you will. The seraphim are the highest of God's angels and each bear a different face or head, the ox, the lion, the eagle, and
the man.
These four faces theologically represent the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible, and the Four Pillars of the Zealot Movement.
The Ox represents submission to Church authority; a Zealot must be a member of the local church, as Scripture teaches.
The Lion represents strength of body through the rejection of drugs and alcohol abuse and crafting the body (or Temple) into a weapon for God and the Movement, ready and able to serve at any time.
The Eagle represents sexual purity through the practice of abstinence until marriage and the abolition of homosexuality. The last is the greatest pillar of all, the Love of Man.
A Zealot must be involved in service to the world through charity, evangelism or protest. This is the Pillar that cuts most "Christians" out of the Movement. For more info, check out www.zealotmovement.com and if you're feeling frisky www.iamsimon.net
Do you know why those animals were chosen to represent these meanings?
The Ox must be yoked to fulfil his potential. The Lion is a symbol of
strength, needing nothing to enhance his fleshly might. The Eagle soars high
above the filth world below. The Man understands his kind and works with them to achieve success...that sums it up.
Well as long as your still drug free then thats cool with me!
Im Drug free, but I don't condemn alcohol, wholesale. I tried to stay straight
edge after I became a Christian, but had too many clashing principles. Alcohol abuse is clearly condemned in Scripture, but not alcohol. Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine. His first demonstration of divinity involved him bartending! That was very hard for me to reconcile, being straight edge, and ultimately I stopped opposing alcohol. After all, in the right portions, alcohol is fantastic for your heart. But don't get me wrong. Drugs and alcoholism are enemies of the Zealot Movement and we oppose their peddlers. I just don't mind having a beer with my dinner.
How did Dark Planet VOA come to be? Have you been film making for a while now?
I've been making films for just a few years now. I've made several projects
that were not intended for the public, DPVOA and one smaller feature, I suppose you could call it? See, in order to gain the trust of the skinhead community, to where they would feel completely comfortable in front of our cameras for DPVOA, we chose to make the first professional Oi compilation DVD ever, "Spring Broke." We didn't want any skinhead to wonder if we were going to portray them as Nazi's when we showed up, and that understanding went very well. It tacked on an extra six months to make that piece, but it was worth it. "Spring Broke" was a fun film to make, we had a great time with the ATL skins, and no one ever questioned our integrity in our depiction of the skinhead subculture after that.
Every other subculture went swimmingly, as well, as we went out of our way to fairly portray every group, unbiased and as accurately as possible.
Where did you study & what sorts of equipment does someone need to make a documentary?
I've never attended college of any sort, and don't readily recommend it to
many. If you want to learn about the film industry, start working for a film
company! I mean, you can lose money to learn or make money while learning.
There are exceptions, but not many, in my opinion. As far as equipment for a
documentary...well, that's actually a loaded question. It all depends on your
vision. We used five - well, predominantly three cameras, two editing suites,
several microphones (depending upon the situation), 3 light kits, about 200 used DV tapes and a company car. But we flew a good deal, so the car thing may be misleading. But we did drive that car all over the place.
You travelled around to quite a few places too, I guess that gave you the
opportunity to give you a better overall view of the subjects from different areas, to compare and contrast?
If we wanted to make "Dark Planet: Visions of North Carolina," that would be
easy. But we were making "Dark Planet: Visions of AMERICA," so we had to travel the U.S. Straight Edge, I'm sure you can understand, is not as clearly
definable as it used to be. You've got FSU debates and half of the bands don't even sing about drugs or drug resistace any more, so what could we do?
We tried to see both sides of the fence. East Coast and West Coast was a simplistic way to label things, but I think the audience knows what we are trying to accomplish, a sense of balance.
Is Illuminati pictures your company? If not how did you approach them? (Or the other way) Do you have any future projects on the cards for them?
I hold some sway with the brass. Basically, I approached the Illuminati
investors with my concept, and they decided to back it. Currently, they are
considering my next project, a TV show. Keep your fingers crossed-you've NEVER seen anything like this show.
I take it there not actually owned by the Illuminati? Or Dan Brown? (Who went
and wrote about them)
Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur. (It is a wise man who speaks little.)
Is it not funny that the Illuminati are looked on as a sort of cult and that the name of the company releasing the DVD and all the four groups could arguably by less informed persons (i.e. the American mainstream media in general) label them as cult-like?
I think that most have forgotten the meaning of the word "cult," but black
metal could definitely be considered one. If the Zealots weren't in agreement
with the main tenets of the Christian faith, it could be attacked in that
fashion. Skinhead and straight edge walk the line at times.
Next up you guys are going to be based in Salt Lake City. Do you practise
Polygamy?
Actually, we will be filming in SLC later this year, and I am studying the
theological apects of polygamy, so it's amazing that you would bring them up,
even as a joke. But can we discuss that some other time?
Sorry for losing the plot, what bands / music have you currently got in your stereo?
Living Sacrifice, "Reborn Empowered." What else is there?
That last section with Matt Kearney was really impacting on the documentary,
seemed to sum it all up, I also felt every side had a fair shout, although I
didnt agree with all of them! Particularly the Black Metal made me laugh
and cringe it was so negative it turned into a façade I dont suppose you could relate to any of what they were saying (sometimes controversial particularly the bit about not seeing the point in deformed children living etc)
I didn't agree with the opinions, but I understood them. They're not just
crazy kids randomly blowing things up. They are devoted to a negative world
view and are bold enough to realise it. I happen to like several of the guys
interviewed and we get along. I just think many of them have been denied love and respect, and this is how they return fire.
I dont see the point in being negative 24/7! Would have liked to have
found out what there mothers thought!
Maybe. But maybe it wouldn't have mattered.
One thing I did want to touch on was the whole issue of anti violence being a mainstay of straight edge culture and in the documentary you have crew members from FSU, now the whole HC scene seems to be split on whether or not Boston Beatdown is cool or not but did you believe having these crew members on there portrayed straight edge in the right light because violence and causing trouble at shows wasnt why I got into hardcore. Bands like Champion, Comeback Kid, Bane etc have songs against those sorts of people, in fact pretty much everyone at shows goes on about looking out after each other
Well, there's no denying FSU's straight edge, for the most part, and I think
they were vital in showing the "good" and the "bad" sides of Straight Edge. I'm not sure why the Boston Beatdown guys have gotten so, well, beaten down. I mean, in Europe, most straight edgers identify with nazi agenda, (Not I have ever heard of! PHIL) but that doesn't change the fact that they oppose drugs and drug culture, does it?
Straight edge can not be so easily policed when the tenets are so vague. What about straight edgers who have sex before marriage? Whatever happened to that?
Now it's okay to sleep around and claim straight edge? Why aren't those people being grilled instead of the Boston crew, who's actually taking drug dealers down? I think Straight edge is becoming too pop, and if it isn't kept in check, it could become the new "frat boy" club. Seriously, if the football team claims straight edge and are out banging cheerleaders left and right, then straight edge has become something else, something fake.
Also Rick Rodney and Strife were the main straight edge band featured but they ditched the scene and the straight edge with the anger means album which was not well received at all, supposedly according to rumour Rick was the one who broke edge, now I know Strife were one of the biggest edge bands in the 90 s (Along with Earth Crisis & Snapcase) but it didnt seem right to have them up on there voicing there opinions when they d jeopardised not only there straight edge but the integrity of themselves by trying to not be a straight edge band when that was the reason they rose above the rest (because they had something to say and the message was so strong)
I knew having Strife in the straight edge section would be controversial,
because of their change in the scene. But Rick was old school, positive and
hugely popular, and I knew his inclusion would bring a lot more balance to the
entire scene's portrayal in the film. I intentionally left the whole "breaking
edge" aspect out of his interview, because we were there to hear what a legend of straight edge had to tell us about its history, not his politics.
Maybe Sweet Pete from In my Eyes or Wrench from both Ten Yard Fight & Stand & Fight etc anyway those are all minor points, although things that I did want to comment on either way youve put together an amazing documentary & I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to do this interview, I wish you every success and if there was any last thing you wanted to comment on or get of your system, speak up now!
Go to Barnes and Noble, buy a cheap Bible and read it. Even if you hate the
idea of Christianity, like I did, you'll never change America until you've
studied the Judeo-Christian foundations of the "last world power." If you want
to make more money, find out why the money has "In God We Trust" on it. Turn off the TV and read that Bible with an open mind. Pretty soon, you'll see
things you've never seen before.
