BORN INNOCENT: THE REDD KROSS STORY SHARES 2ND TRAILER;
FILM TRACES THE HISTORY OF THE SEMINAL LOS ANGELES BAND;
KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN TO FINISH THE FILM STARTS TODAY
EMMY-AWARD WINNING WRITER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF FRIENDS TO DIRECT
The filmmakers behind Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story share a 2nd trailer of the documentary that coincides with the launch of a Kickstarter campaign to help finish the film. The trailer can be viewed HERE.
Link to the Kickstarter campaign:
In 1978, in the Southern California beach suburb of Hawthorne, the same town that was home to The Beach Boys, two brothers Jeff and Steven McDonald aged 15 and 11 respectively, started a band called The Tourists. The first time The Tourists played in front of anyone was at Black Flag's legendary rehearsal space, The Church in Hermosa Beach. The older band gave The Tourists not only their seal of approval but a new name - Red Cross. The spelling was later changed to Redd Kross after the high school-age brothers received a cease and desist order from the International Red Cross.
The documentary has already filmed interviews with Jeff and Steve and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), Buzz Osbourne and Dale Crover (The Melvins) and original Red Cross member Greg Hetson (Bad Religion, Circle Jerks). With the help of the Kickstarter campaign the filmmakers will interview many other musicians and artists influenced by the seminal Redd Kross.
The high school-age McDonalds received a letter from the International Red Cross threatening legal action if they continued to use the name "Red Cross". Jeff's response was to change their name to "Redd Kross" in an homage to comedian Redd Foxx. With their new name, Redd Kross continued to evolve their sound. Their Neurotica record would prove to be one of the crucial influences on the Grunge scene in Seattle that changed music in the 1990's.
Redd Kross played a show at the Tacoma Ballroom in 1987 that was attended by the future members of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. They proved that a band could have a heavy guitar attack and still have great pop melodies, an approach that Nirvana would take to world domination.
When pop music caught up to what they were doing and grunge was on the rise, Redd Kross pivoted again, making a sugary bubblegum record for their major label debut, Third Eye, which sported a nude Sofia Coppola on the cover. And while they had previously starred in the cult classics Desperate Teenage Lovedolls and Lovedolls Superstar, the 90's saw them star in their first studio movie. Before there was The Brady Bunch Movie, there was The Spirit of 76, a 70's nostalgia movie that saw Jeff and Steve starring alongside David Cassidy, Leif Garrett and Devo.
Their next evolution had them perfecting a beefy power pop sound, with their records Phaseshifter and Show World. This was the phase that garnered them fans from Robert Plant to Joe Elliott of Def Leppard to Dave Davies of The Kinks.
Redd Kross has long been a cult band, a band's band, a secret code word among music fans that signifies taste and cool. But unlike many cult bands, their music is eminently accessible. If you like The Beatles or The Ramones or Cheap Trick, basically if you're a rock and roll fan, you'll like Redd Kross.
WHO WE ARE
INTERVIEWS WILL INCLUDE
We already have hours of interviews filmed with Jeff and Steve McDonald. We have also interviewed Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) Buzz Osbourne and Dale Crover (The Melvins) and original Red Cross member Greg Hetson (Bad Religion, Circle Jerks). With your support we hope to film additional interviews with most if not all of the following fans of the band and key figures in the Redd Kross story:
- Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Off!)
- Charlotte Caffey (The Go-Go's)
- Rodney Bingenheimer (KROQ)
- Mike Watt (The Minutemen)
- Chuck Dukowski (Black Flag)
- Pat Smear (The Germs, Nirvana)
- Belinda Carlisle (The Go-Go's)
- Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth)
- Jonathan Poneman (Sub Pop Records)
- Mark Arm (Mudhoney)
- Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
- Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam)
- A.C. Newman (The New Pornographers)
- Anna Waronker (That Dog)
- Dave Markey (Director, Desperate Teenage Lovedolls and The Year That Punk Broke)
- Jordan Schwartz (We Got Power fanzine)
- John Doe (X)
- Milo Aukerman (The Descendents)
- Lee Burger (Burger Records)
- Anthony Keidis (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- Mac McCaughan (Superchunk, Merge Records)
- Raymond Pettibon (artist)
- Jack White (White Stripes)
- Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers)
- Steven Malkmus (Pavement)
- J. Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.)
- Greg Dulli (Afghan Whigs)
- Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees)
- Jack Antonoff (fun.)
- Ron and Russell Mael (Sparks)
We will also film interviews with current or former Redd Kross band members: Brian Reitzell, Robert Hecker, Gere Fennelly, Dez Cadena, Janet Housden, Roy McDonald, Ron Reyes, Jack Irons, Jason Shapiro, and Dale Crover.
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