Hype! (1996) is a documentary directed by Doug Pray about the popularity of grunge rock in the early to mid-1990s United States. It incorporates interviews and rare concert footage to trace the steps of grunge, from its subversive inception in neighborhood basements, to its explosion as a pop culture phenomenon. Hype! shows grunge from the point of view of people within the grunge scene, and attempts to dispel some of the myths of the genre promulgated by media hype, hence the title. The movie generally portrays the latter faction in a satirical way, though acknowledges that media hype helped to propel some of these obscure bands to fame, albeit briefly.

The film first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1996. It later opened to general audiences on November 8 of the same year.

Hype! includes interviews and performances from bands (primarily oriented with the Sub Pop Records axis) such as TAD, Mudhoney, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Coffin Break, The Gits, Love Battery, Flop, The Melvins, Mono Men, Supersuckers, Zipgun, Seaweed, Pearl Jam, 7 Year Bitch, Hovercraft, Gas Huffer and Fastbacks. Along with the DVD that comes with Nirvana's With the Lights Out, it is one of the few films to contain video footage of Nirvana's first performance of their breakthrough hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

Sub Pop released a soundtrack to the film in 1996, on CD as well as a limited box set version on colored 7" vinyl. AMG entry

See also [link]

• Hype! (soundtrack)
• 1991: The Year Punk Broke
• Grunge speak

External links [link]

• Hype! at the Internet Movie Database
• Hype! at AllRovi
• Doug Pray Interview

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