201818A

Desolation Center

Name: Desolation Center
Genre: Documentary, Music
Released: 2018-03-16
Rating: 9.3

DocumentaryMusic1h 33m

🍅100%

🍅

100%

Tomatometer

9.3

TMDB

Storyline

The untold story of a series of Reagan-era guerrilla punk and industrial desert happenings in Southern California that are now recognized as the inspiration for Burning Man, Lollapalooza, and Coachella. Interviews and rare performance footage of Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Redd Kross, Einstürzende Neubauten, Survival Research Laboratories, Savage Republic, Swans and more.

Trailers

Details

DirectorStuart Swezey

ReleasedMar 16, 2018

StatusReleased

Original languageEnglish

Budget

Not disclosed

Revenue

Not disclosed

Parental guide18ACA

Reviews

7 reviews · 6 critics

6 fresh · 0 rotten

Leah Pickett

RTChicago ReaderOct 24, 2019

Swezey's film confirms that his scene's flame is still burning.

Marc Savlov

RTAustin ChronicleSep 19, 2019

Desolation Center illuminates a short-lived but absolutely momentous time when the Mojave beckoned, free of charge and front-loaded with anarchic artistic overload.

Tim Cogshell

RTFilmWeek (LAist)Sep 16, 2019

What is most impressive about this doc is that there is footage of [the entire event].

Jim Wirth

RTUncut Magazine [UK]Sep 12, 2020

If Swezey's shows created a blueprint for Burning Man and Coachella to perfect after the Sonic Youth-led grunge assault turned indie losers into commercial contenders, his film celebrates less hard-headed times.