Boy Howdy: The Story of Creem Magazine (2019)

Boy Howdy: The Story of Creem Magazine: Directed by Scott Crawford. With Jeff Ament, Lester Bangs, Alice Cooper, Cameron Crowe. Explores the seminal music magazine from its 1969 launch in Detroit to the untimely death of its publisher Barry Kramer in 1981.

“u0026quot;CREEM: Americau0026#39;s Only Rock u0026#39;nu0026#39; Roll Magazineu0026quot; (2019 release; 75 min.) is a documentary about the (in)famous music magazine, founded and published by Barry Kramer in 1969. As the movie opens, we see grainy Bu0026amp;W footage of the CREEM gang in downtown Detroit, as they introduce themselves. We then step back and get a Detroit Rock Scene 101 primer, as we are reminded how many great rock artists emerged from Detroit (too many to name here). Kramer owned a record store/hang-out room on Cass Avenue that then started publishing CREEM with hardly anyone having any writing or rock credentials. Led by Editor-in-Chief Dave Marsch, they were a trailblazer in bringing the rock stars to the reading public. Comments REMu0026#39;s Micheal Stipe: u0026quot;My life changed when I saw Patti Smithu0026#39;s picture in CREEM.u0026quot; At this point we are 10 min. into the film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCouple of comments: this is the second documentary directed by Scott Crawford. More importantly, it is produced by JJ Kramer, the son of original founder Barry Kramer, and by Jaan Uhelszki, one of CREEMu0026#39;s original journalists (she also wrote the filmu0026#39;s script). There is much to tell, and the movie moves at a frantic pace as we learn how CREEM functions in the early days (the magazine was named after the band Cream, whom Kramer adored). Dave Marsch and Kramer argued often. Then in the early 70s Lester Bangs joins CREEM and now even more internal tension ensues, while the magazine continues to grow. The film covers mostly the 1969-1981 era, and along with it, we get a ton of fun archive footage from the 70s. With so much materials to cover, itu0026#39;s a bit of a shame that the movie runs only 75 min. but itu0026#39;s a minor quibble.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;CREEM: Americau0026#39;s Only Rock nu0026#39;n Roll MAgazineu0026quot; premiered at the 2019 SXSW festival to immediate acclaim, and was scheduled to be released in theaters this Spring. Then a little think called COVID-19 happened. Theaters are very slowly reopening, and u0026quot;CREEMu0026quot; opened out of the blue this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati (complying fully with all COVID-19 measures). I couldnu0026#39;t wait to see it. The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended so-so (3 people including myself). The movieu0026#39;s DVD release is scheduled for next month. If you have any interest in rock music, Iu0026#39;d readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD or soon on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.”