Seed of Rebellion

Name: Tony
From: Pittsburgh

"Seed of Rebellion"

Directed by Oliver Stone
Written by Alex Cox

Principal Cast:
Jeremy Renner as GG Allin/Kevin Michael Allin/Jesus Christ Allin
Xander Berkeley as Dom McKenzie
Kat Dennings as Liz McKenzie
Sheri Moon Zombie as Tracy Deneault
Pruit Taylor Vince as John Wayne Gacy

Tagline: "Rock 'n' roll is the fury from within you; Rock 'n' roll is revenge, rock 'n' roll is your enemy, and I'm your enemy"

Synopsis: "The End"
Hundreds of people group around his bloated, half naked corpse in his coffin. His song "When I Die" plays in the background; the song states his dying wishes which include not being cleaned or applied make-up . His body smells heavily of feces. Friends and followers pose with the corpse; some even take the liberty of urinating on him. In the end, his brother, Merle, places a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a picture in his other as the casket closes. GG Allin couldn't have had it any other way.

"The Beginning"
A group of hundreds wait before the stage. There are no bright lights, there are no seats, and there are no limits. What this audience is about to endure will be nothing short of violent, chaotic mayhem. The crew clears the stage and it's all set. The Murder Junkies make their way out short of their leader. A roadie has to awaken GG backstage from his hangover; it's showtime, but not before taking some laxatives. The underground punk sensation walks onto the stage only wearing a jockstrap, kicks a man in the head, as the song "Terror in America" begins. During this show, he gushes his forehead open with a cheese grinder and rubs the fluids all over his body. Fights occur within the crowd as GG ventures in the audience to be welcomed with random punches. After a while, the laxatives begin to kick in as members begin to creep away from the stage as other bodily fluids gush from his body. Some of the audience leaves the show with broken bones; most claim it was the best experience of their lives. This is a common day in the life of GG Allin.

Meanwhile, Liz McKenzie is an avid follower of GG, much to the dismay of her father, Dom. Her mother died years ago from cancer. Liz, an A student and often church goer, is at an age where non-conformity has taken over her world. Dom watches his daughter lose sight of her values as she worsens day after day. His sarcastic wit towards GG and his daughter in general doesn't help the cause as Liz seeks further away from him.

"Rebirth"
GG becomes heavily into drugs, mostly heroin. His crime rate and weapon to humanity increases throughout his concerts such as indecent exposure, inciting a riot, assault and battery, breaking and entering, felonious assault, among others. His underground reputation sores into popularity as his fight against the corporate system corrupts thousands of people around the country. He constantly seeks advice and words of inspiration by visiting serial killer John Wayne Gacy in prison. It was the time when his high school sweetheart, Tracy, had birth to their daughter when GG contemplated settling down. He loved his daughter, but it did not stop him. After playing

"Commit Suicide,"

GG promises his followers that on Halloween night, on the year he reaches his peak, he will kill himself on stage; all for those that worship him and eat the flesh and drink the blood of their savior.

Over this time, Liz has been expelled from school and disobeys every rule put in front of her. In disbelief, Dom results to a therapist and a preacher for Liz, alcohol for him. It does pain Liz to see him like this, but not even that will keep her from her dream, attending a GG Allin concert.

"The Beginning of the End - June 29, 1993"
Liz acquires tickets to the GG Allin concert for tonight. A drunken Dom lets her know if she goes tonight, there will be no welcome back. During the second song, a power outage occurs and the crowd is outraged. Covered in GG's blood, Liz desperately tries to make her way to the exit through the crowd. Meanwhile, GG trashes the stage and runs the streets of New York, badly bloodied. He attends a party until a heavy heroin dosage. Not a moment later, GG dies on the sofa, to which his fans take pictures with him, thinking their hero is passed out. The morning after, GG remains in the same spot. The morning after, Liz wakes up in a hospital bed after being beaten and raped the previous night. She looks over and sees her father as they both cry and in shame.

In his casket, GG holds the whiskey bottle and a picture of him with his 4 year old daughter.

What the press would say:
"My blood and defecation is my communion to my audience."

These are the words of GG Allin, the controversial, masochistic, rebel musician that the black comedic, visually uproaring film "Seed of Rebellion" is based on. Director Oliver Stone retracks back to his vintage art form to direct this film that is sure to spark discussion after the viewing. Stone does what he does best; he takes a bizarre, seemingly realistic subject matter and turns it into a shocking portrayal of American values within that time and even today. Stone dazzles us with his familiar black and white style approach, change in color schemes, strange angles and colorful, fixated montages that have a tremendous effect on the story. Stone's sets are horrifyingly engrossing to a point where the audience feels as if they are in the middle of the chaos and non-conformity that GG Allin embraced on American soil. We are captivated in the scenes of menacing, riots, and full out real rebellion. The film richly captivates the underground atmosphere to perfection. Not only does Stone set an unflinchingly violent example, but the focal point also relies on the influence this man had in thousands of homes around the country. To elaborate on the influence, another focal point is the following of the young teenager Liz McKenzie. The term "black comedy" can be classified very loosely, but at the same time does the film justice. The insanity and obscurity gives us that mindframe that all we can do is laugh. The scenes where GG visits John Wayne Gacy in prison are not only memorable, black comedy brilliance, but they will go down as some of the most timely pitched, comedic sequences in years.

In order to do the menace justice, Stone had to find an actor that would be so daring, reckless, and at times even painfully emotional. Rising star Jeremy Renner took the opportunity to work with Stone, and in the end gave the most riveting, exhausting performance of his career, and of the year. What Renner does so well is the ability to humanize the monster in the most brief moments. Renner never sells out on the character, just as GG Allin never sold out himself. The scenes where Allin visits his daughter are a total reversal of how the audience portrays this character. Renner not only brings that quiet compassion to the character, but makes us deeply affected by the choices this man will make further down the road. Xander Berkeley plays the father of Liz McKenzie. The character of Dom is one that any troubled teen can relate too. Dom is the out of the touch dad, a father that desperately tries to understand the harsh realities of the world that are inflicting his daughter. Berkeley uses his sarcastic approach to deliver spot-on hilarious dialogue that often times transforms into a brutally sympathetic and heart breaking performance. The more he sees his daughter waste away, the most useless he feels which ultimately makes him the most true to heart character in the film, a stunning performance on multiple levels. Lastly, young star Kat Dennings plays Liz, a confronted teen brainwashed by the society in which she lives in. Dennings does a great job at letting the audience know that she doesn't know what she's getting into by creating a soft spot of innocence. Her character is the depiction of the teenage society that wants to be different, but often times the actions do not justify the means.

In conclusion, GG Allin was man with pent up anger and aggression that reflected his real horror through music. His shows consisted of broken bones, fights, rapes, and rioting. There are pivotal scenes that include GG reading letters of fans telling him it was the most uplifting experience they've ever had. There is another at an autograph session where his fans ask him to sign in blood. These scenes embrace the impact he had on a generation wanting to be recognized and feared. In the film, we are noted that GG was abused a child, but unlike many typical Hollywood approaches, he fed off his abuse and neglection to which in time made him stronger as a human being. Some of his acts on stage are some in which will be remembered as the most disturbing acts in music history. The film exposes some of them, but in a careful, articulate way. Although sick, the effect is there and we will not forget it. As previously stated, the film will be considered a black, tragicomedy, but there are instances in which emotions bleed on screen. The two scenes, the outcome of the madness, are the exclamation marks on the surreal, visual experience of real events. It isn't until the film is over when we realize the traumatic, comedic chaos we have endured. GG once referred to himself as the messiah of the youth. "They will do anything I say. Your kids are my kids." Over the top, charasmatic, whatever we call him, he was a believer in himself.

FYC:
Best Picture
Best Director - Oliver Stone
Best Actor - Jeremy Renner
Best Supporting Actor - Xander Berkeley
Best Supporting Actress - Kat Dennings
Best Original Screenplay