What We Do Is Secret
Rodger Grossman:
What We Do Is Secret (USA 2007)
92 min. – 35 mm – English.
Age limit 13+
It was a movement that changed music. It was music that changed the world. And it all started with a Germ.
What We Do Is Secret captures the explosive and tumultuous true life story of Darby Crash, a seminal singer and songwriter at the birth of punk rock in the United States.
Set in Los Angeles in the late 1970’s, the story begins when Paul Beahm amd George Ruthenberg, driven by drugs, music and rebellion, became determined to make their mark on society. Paul adopted the name Darby Crash, George became Pat Smear. They called themselves The Germs because, according to Darby, everything starts from a germ and these Germs were going to start everything. And, very quickly, The Germs became the chaotic beating heart of an equally chaotic scene.
The Germs performed blistering shows that often left destroyed clubs and were banned from every club in the city. As the scene grew more violent and Darby sank deeper into drugs, the band broke up and Darby escaped to London. When he returned to LA in 1980 he reunited The Germs and played a torrid, sold-out show that is still remembered as their best ever. Then, sealing his rightful place in the pantheon of icons, Darby followed through on his five year plan to become a legendary hero, killing himself with an overdose of heroin. He was twenty-one years old.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential punk bands in history, numerous bands have recorded tributes to The Germs, including Courtney Love and Hole, Dave Navarro, Flea and Thurston Moore. Pat Smear later achieved international stardom playing for bands Nirvana and the Foo Fighters.
www.whatwedoissecretthemovie.com
—
Rodger Grossman
What We Do Is Secret is writer/director Rodger Grossman's first film. He has worked on this project for over ten years, interviewed and worked with as many important figures in the scene as possible, and is committed to telling the real story.