Half-Cocked
Director: Suki Hawley Run Time: 82 min. Format: DCP Rating: NR Release Year: 1994
Starring: Rhonda, Jon Cook, Jeff Mueller, Cynthia Nelson, Jason Noble
Made in 1994 in Louisville, Nashville and Chattanooga, Half-Cocked follows a group of kids who steal a van full of music equipment and pretend to be a band in order to stay on the road. The film features Ian Svenonius and members of Rodan and The Grifters, playing versions of themselves. With music by Unwound, Slant 6, Freakwater, Versus, Polvo, Smog, Helium and others. After completing the film Hawley and Galinsky took the film on tour showing it rock clubs across the US and Europe.
The film was largely funded by a small advance for a soundtrack that was released by Matador Records. Shot over 10 days in 3 different cities in Kentucky and Tennesse. Conceived as a document rather than a documentary, the fimmakers set out to document the Undergound Music scene that they were a part of. They wrote parts for friends who were in bands and had them basically play versions of themselves. The intent was to have each person change the script so that it felt like what they would say. Ian Svenonious showed his genius by changing his parts in extreme ways that expanded the scope of the film, and forced major changes to the script.
“It doesn’t seem too bold to say Half-Cocked is an Easy Rider for the 90’s and deserves as much attention.”-ERIC GLADSTONE, ALTERNATIVE PRESS
“Bracing in it’s dry humor and first hand accuracy” -VARIETY
“Hawley and Galinsky know how to make pictures shudder with feeling” – MANOHLA DARGIS