NEW YORK, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- VH1 will expand its documentary series "VH1 Rock Docs" to include five new high-end feature-length programs. Each of the documentaries will reveal an untold story in the history of rock and hip- hop music, combining never-before-seen footage with a unique and unconventional narrative approach. The documentaries will tell some of the most unique stories of artists and music from a wide range of genres, styles, and musical perspectives.
"The Rock Docs franchise continues to grow and as long as there remain stories out there to tell, we will find a way to bring that story to life on- air and into the homes of our viewers," said Michael Hirschorn, Executive Vice President, Original Programming and Production, VH1.
The Return of Courtney Love
After drug addiction and 18 months of rehab, one of the most controversial and complicated women in modern pop culture is captured on her first ever documentary. Courtney Love is getting her life back on track as she records her new album, hustles to get work as an actress and rebuilds relationships with her friends. Writing and recording her new album has afforded Love the chance to look back at her tumultuous life, including her relationships, drug addiction, and the tragic death of husband Kurt Cobain. Filmed in her California home, at the studio and featuring unseen home movie footage of Cobain, this documentary tells the life story of Courtney Love with searing honesty.
1977 (tentative title)
Executive Produced by Nanette Burstein ("The Kid Stays in the Picture"), 1977 is a two-part, two-hour documentary that tells the story of one astonishing year in New York City. It was a time when the city had fallen into decay, with too few jobs, money, police, schools, or social services. There was a city wide black out with major looting, a serial killer on the loose, and the Bronx was burning.
And yet out of the chaos emerged one of the most creative times any city has ever encountered. Featuring interviews with major figures from the era, the documentary weaves together the stories of the emergence of hip hop, punk and disco, graffiti art, and sexual liberation. By the end of '77 all of this artistic expression was on its way to mainstream America, and would be with us for generations to come.
A.K.A. Tommy Chong
In 2003, Tommy Chong, the bandana-clad half of stoner comedy duo Cheech & Chong, was arrested in a raid on his family business and charged with selling bongs over the internet. This was a result of Attorney General John Ashcroft authorizing a $12 million drug paraphernalia sting operation, "Operation Pipe Dreams." Chong, then 65, was singled out among 55 defendants and was sentenced to nine months in federal prison. He was the only one with no prior convictions to serve time. Filmmaker Josh Gilbert captures Chong in candid moments before and during his incarceration, and then as the comedian turns his absurd arrest-by-SWAT team into hilarious stand-up material. Chong emerges as an activist and de-facto symbol of governmental priorities gone awry and the film that results is a surreal Cheech & Chong fantasy come frighteningly to life. Official Selection, Toronto Film Festival, 2005. Winner, Best Documentary, US Comedy Arts Festival, 2006.
Air Guitar Nation
Every August, the Air Guitar World Championships bring thousands of fans all the way to Oulu, Finland to see the world's best air guitarists battle it out for 60 seconds of mock stardom. For years, the USA was missing in action. Enter the first official US Air Guitar Championships. This feature-length documentary chronicles the year that Air Guitar swept America and follows one person's journey to become world champion. What starts as a friendly contest above a New York strip club becomes a battle of naked ambition played out on the national and, ultimately, world stage. Full of triumph and disappointment -- and of course invisible guitars -- this fake competition quickly turns very real. "Air Guitar Nation" captures the explosion of competitive air guitar through the eyes of former world champions, fans and media, and through the personal rivalries of those trying to attain the title of the best Air Guitarist in the world.
Sex: The Revolution! (tentative title)
The sexual revolution of the sixties and seventies was a time in our history that challenged century's old notions about sex and also a time that promoted unprecedented sexual honesty and expression. The four-part, four- hour series, "Sex: The Revolution!" produced by Perry Films ("And You Don't Stop," "The Drug Years") in association with VH1, features rare footage, classic clips, iconic music, and interviews with a broad and eclectic range of people. The series begins with the groundbreaking sexual research of Alfred Kinsey and takes the viewer through key moments in America's sexual history including Marilyn Monroe, Splendor in the Grass, Bettie Page, Citizens for Decent Literature, Sex and the Single Girl, the Pill, Sex, Drugs & Rock and Roll, Make Love Not War, swinging, Midnight Cowboy, Burn the Bra, Stonewall, Deep Throat, Forty Second Street, the Continental Baths, Roe v. Wade, Hustler, Caligula, phone sex, herpes, AIDS, the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, Angels In America, Bob Dole and Viagra -- and oh, so much more!
VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 90 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul and VSPOT, VH1's broadband channel. Connect with VH1 at www.VH1.com.
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