So. It's 3 AM on a Friday, you're kinda sloshed, and you just invited that special someone over. You want to seem casual yet cool, interesting yet not totally creepy. What do you do? Watch a DVD, of course! But how to navigate the treacherous waters of post-concert hangout sessions without making a selection that will completely bore your friend/"friend" to tears or make it seem as if you're a pretentious asshole who routinely goes home for a little Pinot and an I Am Curious marathon? Fortunately, with the upcoming release of three seminal Wolfgang Buld flicks about British punk, post-punk, and reggae, you need worry no more.
On June 16, MVD Visual will release remastered special editions of German filmmaker Buld's Punk in London (1977), Punk in England (1978), and Reggae in Babylon (1978). Here's the breakdown:
- Punk in London features live performances and interviews from The Clash, The Jam, X-Ray Spex, Boomtown Rats, The Adverts, The Lurkers, and more. Extras include previously unreleased footage of The Clash live in Munich, a retrospective interview with Buld, and (ooh!) trailers for other documentaries.
- Punk in England focuses on the post-punk bands that sprung up as the original punk explosion's effect reached into the suburbs. Groups inspired by the sounds of mod, rude boy, ska, and new wave music figure prominently in this follow-up documentary, and performances and interviews with The Specials, The Jam, The Adverts, Madness, The Clash, Secret Affair, and Ian Dury abound. It also features an unreleased set by The Adverts, as well as a pretty bitchin'-sounding "women in rock" doc with interviews and performances from The Slits, Girlschool, and my sweet beloved Siouxsie Sioux.
- Reggae in Babylon -- as you can probably guess -- is concerned with the late-1970s British music scene, this time concerning the riddim.
With these three films in your collection, you'll never have to "just check to see if there's something on cable" again!