Search - Don't Need You: The Herstory of Riot GRRRL on DVD

Tentative Love Song?

Flannery | 04/14/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I wanted to fall in love with this documentary. I really did. I wanted to court it. Take it to dinner. Serenade it. And maybe even live happly ever after with this DVD. But I couldn't. No, I just couldn't. Because ultimatly consumer who I have never met and hopefully never will because they will already have a preconceived notion of me as being creepy and potentially dangerous even if this assumption may be some what accurate (long winded?)... this documentary did not earn my adoration. I really like Bikini Kill. Kathleen Hanna is the shiznat. I like Bratmobile. Even if Allison Wolfe can't sing worth a dime. Most of all I REALLY like the emotion and intent behind the riot grrrl movement. I relate to the complex emotions that living in a racist/sexist/homophobic society can inspire. I totally dig the fact that the riot grrl movement gives a primal, unforgiving voice to these emotions. All of this should translate to a commited relationship with this documentary but... it just didn't deliver. The interviews were a mixed bag. I am not saying that the people interviewed were uninteresting. No, they definitely offered some new insight into the relevance and legacy of the riot grrrl movement. The problem was that the whole thing just felt fragmented. Their was no common thread between the many voices. I don't know how to explain this reaction except to say that I felt as though I only picked up random pieces of what was being said. Thankfully the perfomances were much better than the interviews. I was over the moon to see Hanna's first performance... everrr, but despite this one moment of euphoria in the end I was left with a feeling of longing. I wanted a love affair but all I got was a torrid affair. Good trade off?"

Spread some grrrl germs!

Krista | Berkeley, CA | 09/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As someone who is far too young to have been a part of riot grrrl when it actually happened (I was sadly only somewhere around 12 when bikini kill broke-up), "Don't Need You" offers an insider's look for the outsider who wishes she was there. With really great interviews by noted riot grrls we all know and others we're being introduced to for the first time, the film seems to show the movement from all aspects, highlighting why a feminist movement was (and still is) so needed in the music scene. Plus, there's extra footage of the interviews uncut, and if you're like me, you'll watch the Kathleen Hanna one 7 trillion times. I do wish it would've focused more on how riot grrrl was co-opted by the mainstream, but that might've brought down the mood of the film, which focuses mostly on what it was and not what it unfortunately got manipulated into."

Where's Huggy Bear??

SarahK66 | Houston, Texas | 10/15/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Well the dvd is good as far as the history of riot grrrl goes, but it left out a lot of important people. I would have also liked to see some full concert coverage as well as riot grrrl in England. Huggy Bear was my favorite grrrl band!!"

Is this the best they can offer the Riot Grrrl scene?

Ethan E. Box | Florida | 11/27/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The interviews were good. But, the documentary was poorly put together. Outside the few live performance videos, there wasn't much music. There wasn't much art. It was incredibly short. In the end, it was just very empty."