Henry Rollins Movies

Since 1980, muscle-bound and tattoo-laden Henry Rollins has taken his status as one of the most distinctive frontmen in alternative rock and parlayed it into a career as a Gen-X Renaissance man, gaining notice as an actor, author, publisher, performance artist, record company executive, and commercial spokesman.
Henry Rollins was born Henry Garfield on February 13, 1961, in Washington, D.C. ("Rollins" was a name he used as a joke in high school; it was taken from a friend's T-shirt ). As a teenager, Garfield developed a passionate interest in rock music at its most intense, and while in high school, he formed his first band, a hardcore punk outfit called S.O.A. (aka State of Alert), who released an EP in 1980. Henry was a passionate fan of the pioneering Los Angeles punk band Black Flag, and when Black Flag's vocalist Dez Cadena decided to step down as singer in 1981, the group's guitarist and leader Greg Ginn invited the newly renamed Henry Rollins to join. Black Flag became one of the hardest-working punk bands in America, constantly touring the United States and releasing eight albums and a handful of singles and EPs before calling it a day in 1986.
During his tenure with Black Flag, Rollins developed an interest in writing and began publishing fiction, opinion pieces, and stream-of-consciousness rants in a number of magazines and rock journals, as well as distributing his own chapbooks through Black Flag's record label, SST. Rollins also began performing spoken-word shows of his material, as well as staging confrontational "performance art" events with Lydia Lunch. After Black Flag's breakup, Rollins formed a new group simply known as the Rollins Band and began touring heavily, recording with only slightly less frequency than Black Flag. Rollins continued to write and publish regularly and performed frequently as a spoken-word act, becoming one of the most recognizable figures in alternative rock circles.
In 1991, Rollins signed with a major label, Imago Records, and toured as part of the first Lollapalooza Festival; Rollins had now won a wider audience than ever before, and he seemed determined to make the most of his new visibility. Rollins launched a publishing company, 2.13.61, which distributed his own work as well as books by fellow rockers-turned-authors Nick Cave and Jeffrey Lee Pierce and iconoclastic authors such as Hubert Selby Jr. and Bill Shields. Rollins later expanded 2.13.61 into a record label, as well as co-founded the reissue label Infinite Zero with producer Rick Rubin. While Rollins appeared in experimental films as early as 1985, his new level of visibility brought Hollywood calling, and in 1994 Rollins appeared in both the independent vampire story Jugular Wine and the action-comedy The Chase, in which he played a highway patrolman. 1995 found Rollins playing a scientist in the cyberpunk thriller Johnny Mnemonic and a brutal prison guard in David Lynch's Lost Highway, and from that point on Rollins began appearing in a variety of character roles when he wasn't occupied with his musical or literary activities. Rollins usually portrayed physically imposing and emotionally intense gentlemen, ranging from an escaped convict in Morgan's Ferry to a children's hockey coach in Jack Frost. A number of Rollins' spoken-word shows have also been released on home video, including Talking From the Box and You Saw Me Up There, and in 2000 Rollins signed on as the host and narrator of the television anthology series Night Visions, though as of this writing the series has yet to find a network.
~ All Movie Guide
2008  
 
This program documents the making of the first album by The Doors. In addition to archival footage exploring the band's early history, the living members of the group demonstrate how the band's sound developed. In addition, Bruce Botnik, the group's recording engineer, explains how their sound was captured for posterity. A number of other musicians weigh in with their explanations of why this record has remained a classic. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

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2008  
 
Add Henry Rollins: Live in the Conversation Pit to QueueAdd Henry Rollins: Live in the Conversation Pit to top of Queue
In this 150 minute program, musician, activist and poet Henry Rollins performs spoken word for a live audience in Sydney, Australia. Compiled from three separate performances, this program includes such vignettes as "Democracy," "The Time I Was Funny," and "Springtime in New York." ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Henry Rollins
2007  
 
Add Wrong Turn 2: Dead End to QueueAdd Wrong Turn 2: Dead End to top of Queue
The malformed mayhem continues as a group of reality game show contestants descend into the West Virginia wilderness in order to participate in an apocalypse-themed game show, only to be brutally killed off by a deranged clan of redneck cannibals. Dale Murphy (Henry Rollins) is a former special forces soldier who now hosts a reality game show in which contestants must struggle to survive in the wilderness with few resources and only their wits to guide them. After the members of the group are split up into partners, they are sent into the woods to locate supplies that have been strategically hidden by the show's producers. Should they fail to achieve this and various other tasks, they will be sent back to civilization in shame while the others vie for substantial cash prize. But the cameras aren't the only things watching as the competition heats up, because within these woods dwells a terrifying secret. Later, as the day goes on and the body count begins to multiply, both the contestants and the hard-nosed host must fight to avoid becoming the catch of the day for a family of hungry backwoods cannibals. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Henry RollinsTexas Battle, (more)
2007  
 
In 1987 Public Enemy emerged as one of the most formidable forces in rap music with the release of their landmark sophomore album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back; nearly 20 years later, Chuck D and the crew still have what it takes to get their powerful message across while whipping the crowd into an absolute frenzy. On the heels of Public Enemy's 2007 release How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul, a wide variety of musical artists including Henry Rollins, Jonathan Davis, Tom Morello, Talib Kweli, and the Beastie Boys come together in order to reflect on the power of a group whose influence continues to be felt even as they move forward to blaze new trails. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Chuck DFlavor Flav, (more)
2006  
 
As the original DIY spirit of punk becomes increasingly watered down through commercialization and corporate influence, longtime photographer and Brick co-producer Susan Dynner explores the music's origins as a social movement uniting disenfranchised outsiders before tracing its breakthrough into the mainstream during the 1990s. In the 1980s, punk rock was strictly an underground movement, and for every Ramones, Clash, and Sex Pistols making a mark on the mainstream there were ten UK Subs and Subhumans delivering some of the most ferocious, outrageous music ever conceived. In the 1990s, the music that once shocked the masses gradually became commercialized through the likes of Green Day, Rancid, and Nirvana. By the time such bands as Good Charlotte and Sum 41 hit the scene in the first years of the 21st century, the vitality and urgency that once defined punk rock had largely been lost in radio friendly riffs and lyrics that were more concerned with typical teenage issues than the current state of politics and globalization. So what exactly happened to the non-conformist spirit of punk? In this documentary, Dynner speaks with such outspoken punk godfathers as Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Jello Biafra, and others to find that, despite outward appearances, the rebellious spirit that originally defined this challenging genre of music is still very much alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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2006  
 
Add Henry Rollins: Uncut from NYC to QueueAdd Henry Rollins: Uncut from NYC to top of Queue
Few artists are quite as outspoken as former Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins, and in this performance captured live at Town Hall during the prolific actor, author, and Rollins Band founder's two month "Spoken Word Tour," fans can take home all of the hard-edged wisdom and humor that have endeared Rollins to generations of punk rockers. At times enraging but always engaging, Rollins' pointed observations about pop-culture, politics, and a quarter-century of life on the road provide an entirely unique perspective on modern American life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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2005  
 
Add Hubert Selby Jr: It'll Be Better Tomorrow to QueueAdd Hubert Selby Jr: It'll Be Better Tomorrow to top of Queue
Hubert Selby Jr. was a powerful and influential literary figure whose best-known novels, Last Exit to Brooklyn and Requiem for a Dream, dealt with the dark underside of life in a way that was bleak and often shocking, but also laced with compassion and understanding for the tortured lives of his characters. Selby only completed the eighth grade when he became a merchant marine and contracted a severe case of tuberculosis from infected cattle. While Selby survived thanks to bootleg antibiotics, he lost a lung and had to give up his physically punishing work at sea. Selby took up writing and developed a unique style that helped make his first novel, 1964's Last Exit to Brooklyn, a critical success and a controversial best-seller. However, Selby developed a massive appetite for alcohol and drugs which derailed his career, and by the time he published his second book, 1971's The Room, Selby was all but forgotten. However, Selby's work developed a passionate following in Europe, and was rediscovered in the United States after a successful film adaptation of Last Exit to Brooklyn was released. Hubert Selby Jr.: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow is a documentary which explores the life and work of this unlikely literary icon, and features extensive interviews with Selby as well as his friends and admirers. Interview subjects include Lou Reed, Henry Rollins, Richard Price, Nick Tosches, Ellen Burstyn, Darren Aronofsky, Uli Edel, Amiri Baraka, and Jerry Stahl. Robert Downey Jr. serves as narrator. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Robert Downey, Jr.Hubert Selby, Jr., (more)
2005  
 
Add Punk: Attitude to QueueAdd Punk: Attitude to top of Queue
Director Don Letts' documentary Punk: Attitude examines the politics, fashion, and music of this pop culture trend. He interviews and shares performance footage from a variety of famous musical acts including "Black Flag, Jello Biafra, Legs McNeil, The Ramones, and proto-punks The Stooges and New York Dolls. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

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2005  
 
Add We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen to QueueAdd We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen to top of Queue
Formed by two childhood friends from San Pedro, CA, D. Boon and Mike Watt, the Minutemen were at once one of the key bands in the Southern California hardcore punk scene of the '80s and a group who flew in the face of all rules, including those of punk rock. Named in part because their early songs usually lasted 60 seconds or less, the Minutemen were a band who stripped their music down to the bone -- short songs with minimal solos and wiry structures -- but at the same time found ways to integrate elements of funk, jazz, and world music into their bubbling aural bouillabaisse. Despite the stark frameworks of their music, no one could argue that the Minutemen couldn't play -- bassist Watt and drummer George Hurley were one of the most potent rhythm sections in underground music, and Boon's guitar work marked the place where Jimi Hendrix and Captain Beefheart's influences met. While many punk bands bellowed harsh political rants, the Minutemen offered pithy but intelligent discourse on the world around them, focusing on how larger issues impacted ordinary folks in a way few people in rock ever managed. And the Minutemen's "econo" philosophy took D.I.Y. to a new level, as they set out to show by example how even the most cash-strapped musicians could bring their music to the people. (Their best album, Double Nickels on the Dime, was a two-record set recorded for less than 2,000 dollars.) The band were critical favorites on the cusp of a new level of popularity following a tour opening for R.E.M. when their career was stopped in its tracks by the tragic death of Boon in a car wreck in late 1985. We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen is a documentary which tells the full story of this unusual and influential group, featuring performance footage of the Minutemen on stage, extensive interviews with Watt and Hurley, and contributions from friends and family members. Interview subjects include Thurston Moore, Ian MacKaye, Flea, Henry Rollins, Keith Morris, Greg Ginn, and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
D. BoonGeorge Hurley, (more)
2004  
 
Add Henry Rollins: Live at Luna Park to QueueAdd Henry Rollins: Live at Luna Park to top of Queue
Henry Rollins: Live at Luna Park contains spoken word performance footage recorded live at the Luna Park nightclub in Hollywood between March and April 1999. The disc also contains the 20-minute clip "Rollins vs. Iggy Pop," in which Rollins openly discusses his longtime rivalry with rocker Iggy Pop. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

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2003  
 
Add Henry Rollins: Shock & Awe - The Tour to QueueAdd Henry Rollins: Shock & Awe - The Tour to top of Queue
Author, musician, publisher, and general punk rock renaissance man Henry Rollins offers more of his uncensored opinions about the world around him in this video, which documents a March 2004 spoken word performance in Seattle, WA. Henry Rollins: Shock & Awe, The Tour (also known as Shock and Awe -- My Ass) features Rollins discussing the American political landscape in the wake of the Gulf War, and his less-than-charitable opinions about George W. Bush. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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2002  
 
After striking out with Prospective Bride #1 Bonnie (Amy Farrington), Drew moves on to Prospective Bride #2 Stacey (Ion Overman), talking Kellie (Cynthia Watros) into a double date. Unfortunately, Kellie can't over her own longtime crush on Drew, and her incompatability with her own date Rand (Dublin James) doesn't help matters. Meanwhile, Oswald (Diedrich Bader), tortured with guilt after accidentally knocking out his mother's teeth with a bowling ball, hires an erudite professional thug named Mr. Jericho (Henry Rollins) to beat him up. And Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson) may have found his true calling in life...as a "muffin boy." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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2001  
 
Add Time Lapse to QueueAdd Time Lapse to top of Queue
A spy discovers information that could put the entire nation in danger, and must struggle to remember the facts while he still can in this suspense thriller. Clayton Pierce (William McNamara) is an American intelligence agent who has infiltrated a cadre of Russian and Saudi gangsters in order to bust them in the midst of what he believes will be a major heroin deal. However, Pierce discovers the briefcase being passed in the deal is actually a portable thermonuclear device with the power to level an entire city; Pierce blows his cover while intercepting the bomb and is shot during the melee that follows. He manages to escape and is treated for his wounds in the agency's private clinic. However, Pierce soon finds that there are large and troubling gaps in his memory -- so much so that he doesn't even remember that he was divorced by his ex-wife Kate (Dina Meyer) six years earlier. With Kate's help, Pierce discovers the startling truth about the bomb he's discovered, and an even more disturbing secret about the agency -- that La Nova (Roy Scheider), his commander, has dosed him with an experimental drug called Oblivion that erodes the memory of anyone who used it. Time Lapse also features musician and author Henry Rollins as one of Pierce's fellow agents.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
William McNamaraRoy Scheider, (more)
2001  
 
A retired architect returns to work at the behest of unlikely patrons in this low-key drama. Richard and Kate Banks (Jack Conley and Rebecca Staab) are a well-to-do couple who want to buy a home in Southern California. While house-hunting, Kate discovers the charred remains of a house that was never completed -- and she is highly intrigued by what she's found. Kate discovers the property belongs to Mercedes (Shirley Knight), who informs Kate that the unfinished house was one of the last works from Harry Mayfield (Philip Baker Hall), a once-famous architect who left his career behind when his marriage broke up years before. Kate and Richard buy the unfinished house and contact Harry, inviting him to complete his project for their new home, and Harry agrees. Sensing this could be a major event in contemporary architecture, Kate persuades her friend Gaby (Laura San Giacomo), a filmmaker, to make a documentary about Harry and his new project. As Gaby speaks at length with both Harry and his younger assistant Arthur (Henry Rollins), she and Kate discover just how strong-willed (and how difficult) Harry can be, and as Harry struggles to complete a difficult and deeply personal work, Kate finds a new personal strength through his efforts. A House on a Hill marked a return to dramatic filmmaking for director Chuck Workman after directing a pair of acclaimed documentaries about iconoclastic artists, Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol and The Source. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Philip Baker HallLaura San Giacomo, (more)
2000  
 
A documentary look at the generational differences between the original 1969 Woodstock and its 1994 and 1999 follow-ups, Barbara Kopple's My Generation chronicles the festival's evolution from its original, relatively spontaneous and noncommercial genesis to the cash-fueled, product tie-in form it took in the 1990s. Kopple, a noted documentary filmmaker renowned for Harlan County, U.S.A. and American Dream, intersperses her film with interviews with Woodstock producer Michael Lang and various festival-goers, as well as footage from Michael Wadleigh's Oscar-winning 1970 documentary of the legendary festival. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

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2000  
 
Add Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker to QueueAdd Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker to top of Queue
The young protégé of one of the world's greatest superheroes has his first encounter with an old nemesis in this direct-to-video feature adapted from the popular animated series Batman Beyond. Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle) has taken over the crime-fighting responsibilities of Batman from aging Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy), but while Terry has learned a great deal from Wayne, he's never heard the startling truth about Batman's final encounter with his arch-enemy, The Joker (Mark Hamill). However, when The Joker returns to Gotham City as vicious as ever, Wayne decides that it's time that the new Batman learned all there is to know about the green-faced terror before he can bring the city to its knees -- especially after Bruce is attacked by his one-time rival. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker also features the voice talents of Melissa Joan Hart and Angie Harmon. Upon its initial release, the movie sparked some controversy among Batman Beyond fans because of last-minute edits that toned down the violence level. However, it was eventually released on DVD in an uncut format. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Will Friedle
1999  
 
In this frantic comedy, Lily (Christine Taylor) is thrilled when Jonathan (John Corbett), a good-looking man she's had her eye on for some time, asks her to attend a friend's wedding reception with him. But Lily's joy is short-lived when, on the day of the wedding, she misplaces her invitation and is unable to reach Jonathan on the phone. Even though she can't find Jonathan and can't recall the location of the reception, Lily is not about to let her dream date go without a fight, so she enlists the help of her best friend Frances (Paget Brewster), a good-time gal who can smell a party a mile away. Together, they make the rounds of the Los Angeles social circuit, hoping that they'll somehow stumble upon either the reception or Jonathan. Desperate But Not Serious also stars Claudia Schiffer, Joey Lawrence, and Henry Rollins. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Christine TaylorPaget Brewster, (more)
1994  
 
Add Jugular Wine: A Vampire Odyssey to QueueAdd Jugular Wine: A Vampire Odyssey to top of Queue
This quirky horror film from director Blair Murphy involves an anthropologist whose research takes him to Alaska, where he is seduced into the world of the undead by a beautiful vampire. At once tormented and exhilarated by his newfound condition -- no longer fully human though not yet completely a vampire -- he is compelled to intensify his research into vampire lore, which has now become a personal and spiritual quest. He traces the evil bloodline to its wellspring -- the all-powerful creature known only as "Legion," an ancient being he must inevitably confront. From the frequent cross-cutting between the central plot and stilted pseudo-documentary footage, it seems apparent that Murphy conceived this project as a revisionist vampire film, in keeping with Michael Almereyda's Nadja, Abel Ferrara's The Addiction or Larry Fessenden's Habit. Unfortunately, this film falls sadly short of its peers' unique perspectives, lacking the creative vision to elevate it above standard direct-to-video fare. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

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1993  
 
Punk rock renaissance man Henry Rollins takes his spoken word tour to the United Kingdom in this performance video. Henry Rollins Goes to London features the author and former Black Flag vocalist discussing recent visits to England and Australia, alcohol, the search for inspiration, and much more in a show recorded at London's Astoria Theatre in 1992. This title is also available on DVD in tandem with another Rollins spoken word video, Talking From the Box. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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1992  
 
Henry Rollins' one-man spoken-word performance, captured on this video, demonstrates the versatility of this singer/writer. ~ All Movie Guide

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1990  
 
Add Kiss Napoleon Goodbye to QueueAdd Kiss Napoleon Goodbye to top of Queue
Punk icons Lydia Lunch and Henry Rollins star in this cult drama about a pregnant pianist named Hedda whose marriage to husband Neal (Don Bajema) hits the skids with the sudden appearance of a mysterious stranger. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Lydia LunchDon Bajema, (more)

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