We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen,

Directed by Tim Irwin
Produced by Rocket Fuel Films Productions
Keith Schieron
Starring D. Boon
George Hurley
Mike Watt
Release date


   February 25, 2005

Running time         91 minutes
Language     English


Codifica: Xvid MPEG-4 Video (XVID)
Risoluzione video: 512x384
Dimensione del buffer: 512x384
Fotogrammi al secondo: 29.970000
Formato decodificato: Planar 4:2:0 YUV

Codifica: MPEG Audio layer 3 (mp3 )
Canali: Stereo
Campionamento: 48000 Hz
Bit per campione: 32
Bitrate: 32 kb/s


We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen, is a full-length documentary about the influential 1980s punk rock band Minutemen, created by director Tim Irwin[1] and producer Keith Schieron[1] in association with Rocket Fuel Films. The film premiered on February 25, 2005 at the historic Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, California, after two years in production.
Synopsis

Poignant recent interviews with the band's two surviving members Mike Watt and George Hurley, as well as first-person anecdotes from notable musicians including Ian MacKaye, Flea, Henry Rollins and Thurston Moore, complement the archival concert and interview footage of the band.[2][3]
Development

As fans of the band, director Tim Irwin and producer Keith Schieron had discussed making a documentary about Minutemen since they were in high school, around 1989.[4] The two approached Mike Watt who gave the project a thumbs up[4] and that inspired them to start calling and emailing potential interviewees.[4]

The title is a lyric from their song "The Politics of Time." It's also referred to in a comment made near the end of the film by Mike Watt, in a 1985 interview, when the band is asked if they have anything else to say. He answers for them: "We jam econo." Econo was local slang for economic and described the band's dedication to low-cost record production and touring. It also describes the band's (and burgeoning underground independent music scene's) do-it-yourself attitude and philosophy.[5]
Interviews

Film includes interviews with the following individuals (in alphabetical order):

   Milo Aukerman
   Joe Baiza
   Kevin Barrett
   Scott Becker
   Jello Biafra
   Richard Bonney
   Jack Brewer
   Dez Cadena
   Joe Carducci
   Nels Cline
   Byron Coley
   Ed Crawford
   Brother Dale
   Richard Derrick
   John Doe
   Chuck Dukowski
   Ray Farrell
   Flea
   Michael C. Ford
   Carlos Guitarlos
   Grant Hart
   Richard Hell
   Pat Hoed
   Rob Holzman
   Randall Jahnson
   Kjehl Johansen
   Curt Kirkwood
   Martin Lyon
   Ian MacKaye
   David Markey
   Mike Martt
   J Mascis
   Brother Matt
   Stephen McCllellan
   Vince Meghrouni
   Richard Meltzer
   Mike Mills
   Thurston Moore
   W.T. Morgan
   Chris Morris
   Keith Morris
   Brendan Mullen
   Colin Newman
   Greg Norton
   Raymond Pettibon
   Tony Platon
   Lee Ranaldo
   David Rees
   Lisa Roeland
   Nanette Roeland
   Kira Roessler
   Henry Rollins
   Kurt Schellenbach
   Spot
   John Talley-Jones
   Tom Watson
   Jean Watt

DVD

The 2-disc DVD (with 16-page booklet) was released on June 27, 2006 on Plexifilm.

FILE  1: Feature "We Jam Econo - The Story of the Minutemen"

   Original music videos filmed by Louis 'Video Louis' Elovitz [1984] "This Ain't No Picnic", "Ack Ack Ack Ack", "King of the Hill" & "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" [not used][6] for:
       "This Ain't No Picnic" (directed by Randall Jahnson)
       "Ack Ack Ack Ack" (directed by John Talley-Jones)
       "King of the Hill" (directed by Randall Jahnson)
   19 Deleted Scenes and Interviews
   Uncut Bard College Interview (56min)

FILE 2: Three live performances:

   The Starwood, West Hollywood, CA - November 18, 1980, songs include:

   Swing To The Right
   Fascist
   Joe McCarthy's Ghost
   Paranoid Chant
   Tension
   Contained
   Fanatics
   Art Analysis
   Issued
   Validation
   Definitions
   Warfare
   Sickles & Hammers
   Hollering
   On Trial

   9:30 Club, Washington, D.C. - 1984, songs include:

   Big Foist
   Retreat
   Toadies
   Anxious Mo-fo
   Love Dance
   Static
   Search
   Cut
   Plight
   Working Men Are Pissed
   Ack Ack Ack
   Life As A Rehearsal
   Beacon Sighted Through Fog
   The Only Minority
   Mutiny In Jonestown
   Maybe Partying Will Help
   Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing
   The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts
   Mr. Robot's Holy Orders
   One Reporter's Opinion
   God Bows To Math
   Please Don't Be Gentle With Me
   Joe McCarthy's Ghost
   The Punch Line
   Definitions
   The Anchor
   Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs
   This Ain't No Picnic
   There Ain't Shit On TV Tonight
   No Exchange
   Self-Referenced
   Dream Told By Moto
   Corona
   I Felt Like A Gringo
   Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Truth?
   Little Man With A Gun In His Hand

   Acoustic Blowout (Public-access television Show) - Hollywood, CA - 1985, songs include:

   Corona
   Themselves
   The Red And The Black[7]
   Badges
   I Felt Like A Gringo
   Time
   Green River[7]
   Lost
   Ack Ack Ack
   History Lesson Pt. II
   Tour Spiel
   Little Man With A Gun In His Hand

Reception

The A.V. Club declared "We Jam Econo catches a lot of what made the Minutemen great" and said "The cold comfort that We Jam Econo offers is the notion that genius is fleeting, and the best anyone can hope for is that someone will record it before it fades."[8] Variety called it "a suitably unfussy tribute to a band that disdained even the slightest rock-star flash" and predicted the DVD release would be "a must-have for music aficionados."[9] PopMatters said We Jam Econo was " an endearing, heartfelt documentary that's made by the devout, for the devout, but which is sure to win over anyone except the occasional racist who mistakenly intended to watch a movie about border vigilantes."[10]