Psychedelic punk provocateurs Butthole Surfers are bringing their gloriously warped corner of rock history into living rooms everywhere. Out now via Sumerian Pictures, Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth And Nothing Butt is available to rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon in North America, having reached #1 on Apple TV’s documentary movie chart for rentals and purchases.
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Directed by Tom Stern, the documentary dives into the strange, spectacular world of a band whose name alone once made newspaper editors flinch. Joining the band to help tell the story are Dave Grohl, Flea, Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Steve Albini, Ice-T, John Paul Jones, Donita Sparks, Eric Andre, Richard Linklater and more, bringing together a formidable cast to explore the Butthole Surfers’ singular impact.
Combining archival footage, animation, puppetry and reenactments, the film captures the surrealist spectacle of a band who tore through the 1980s underground, building a devoted following through relentless touring and mind-bending live shows. Their collision of psychedelia, punk and grunge fed an energetic, confrontational live experience, while their radical inclusivity and gleeful assault on Reagan-era conformity made them a home for misfits. Even their name challenged what the mainstream was prepared to accommodate.
Director Tom Stern said: “The Butthole Surfers are one of the most mind-blowing stories in rock history. Our goal was to make a film that captured their essence, so the ecstatic reactions of film festival audiences have been deeply gratifying. I’m thrilled Sumerian has joined forces with us to bring this experience to an ever wider audience.”
Rob Williams, President of Sumerian Pictures, adds “Tom Stern and team are taking us on a wild ride and we are excited to bring audiences to the incredible story of these punk icons.”
The musicians paying tribute have plenty of history to draw on. Butthole Surfers counted Kurt Cobain among their fans, were invited by Perry Farrell to play the first Lollapalooza, and enlisted Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones to produce their first major-label record. Within a decade, the band whose name newspapers had refused to print were being talked about by Beavis and Butthead and David Letterman on national television.
Winner of SXSW’s “Best in Texas” award, the documentary audience award at the Philadelphia Film Festival and the grand jury prize for best documentary at the Independent Film Festival Boston, Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth And Nothing Butt now brings that extraordinary story to audiences at home. Through the band’s own accounts and those of the artists they inspired, the film traces how the Butthole Surfers’ uncompromising approach to music and performance left its mark on generations of musicians.
