Bad Religion: The Riot  (2000)

Theatrical Release Information:
Bad Religion: The Riot

On December 29, 1990, California punk stalwarts Bad Religion, experiencing a massive surge of popularity after the release of the albums Suffer, No Control and Against The Grain, were booked to play a show at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood, a movie house that was taking a night off from showing Ghost; Pennywise and NOFX were slated to open. Unfortunately, the promoters neglected to have the venue approved by police and fire marshals, and on the night of the show, the Los Angeles Police Department (never known for their friendly attitude towards punk rock) closed down the concert for overcrowding after Pennywise had finished their set. The police, either unaware or unconcerned about the possible consequences of this decision, soon had a much bigger problem than an over-capacity theater -- there was a full-on riot, with over a thousand angry punks determined to shut down the cops who had shut down Bad Religion. A tiny camera crew led by Richard White were on hand to videotape the show, and Bad Religion: The Riot captures the fracas (which resulted in $25,000 worth of damage) in all its glory. Also included is footage from a 1988 Bad Religion show at California State University in Northridge, which gives a taste of what the fans missed that evening in 1990. Songs include "You Are the Government”, "How Much Is Enough?”, "Land of Competition”, "Drastic Action”, "21st Century Digital Boy” and more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide