CHRIS SMITH | USA, UK | 2024 | 94 MIN | ENGLISH
New wave legends Devo receive an affectionate tribute in this entertaining and enlightening account of their winding, remarkable path from art-rock agitators to unlikely pop stars. Disgusted by the conformity and materialism of postwar America and radicalized by the violence and chaos of the 1960s, the members of Devo initially conceived of the band as a performance art project when they met at Kent State University. Taking their name from the concept of “de-evolution,” the band employed goofy costumes and elaborate videos to flesh out their hypnotically weird rock ’n’ roll. Proudly intellectual and sonically abrasive, Devo seemed destined to remain a cult act. But when a catchy track called “Whip It” (and its memorably kinky, MTV-conquering video) became an unlikely phenomenon, the band found themselves precariously close to the debased mainstream American culture they were parodying. Armed with a wealth of hypnotic performance footage and music video clips, documentarian Chris Smith (American Movie, PFF31’s “Sr.”) makes a strong case for Devo as one of the defining bands of their generation.
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