Nerdcore Rising (2008)

Synopsis: Nerdcore Rising, a film by New York-based director, Negin Farsad, unearths the undeniably uncool cultural phenomenon of geeks rapping about geeky themes like Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, and... Nerdcore Rising, a film by New York-based director, Negin Farsad, unearths the undeniably uncool cultural phenomenon of geeks rapping about geeky themes like Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, and algorithms, to name a few. The film follows MC Frontalot the godfather of Nerdcore, on his first national tour. Along the way, Frontalot fanatics and music industry notables wax hilarious on the subject of Nerdcore, its legitimate (or illegitimate) place in hip-hop history, and the general rise of nerd culture.

Aside from a slew of Nerdcore artists like MC Chris, MC Lars, and Shaeffer the Darklord, the movie also features Weird Al Yankovic, Prince Paul of De La Soul, Brian Posehn, Jello Biafra, gaming giants Tycho & Gabe and hundreds of Nerdcore fans who are funny, brilliant, eloquent, socially awkward, and everything in between.

The documentary Nerdcore Rising investigates the newest, wave of hip-hop, nerdcore, as it follows the godfather of the genre, MC Frontalot, on his first national tour. Beginning in South Carolina and culminating in nerd mecca - the Penny Arcade Gaming Convention in Seattle - masses of fans across the country come out to bask in the Front's geek glory as he strives to achieve mainstream success.

Frontalot fanatics are the real stars of the film. They are hackers and gamers, bloggers and podcasters, they play World of Warcraft, live virtually in Second Life, and of course, they love nerdcore hip hop. In short, they are hardcore nerds, and together, they illustrate the funny, fascinating, and unapologetically uncool cultural phenomenon that is nerdcore.

Behind the scenes, relationships among Front and his band are challenged by their experiences on the road. Frontalot and keyboardist Gaby Alter (AKA G Minor 7) are childhood friends, and both met bassist Brandon Patton (AKA Blak Lotus) in college. Strugis, the drummer, tries to fit in as the new guy. The tour brings out the natural flirt in Brandon, the stubborn taskmaster in Sturgis, the genius-but-flighty qualities of Gaby, and the ultimate funny nerd-leader in Front.

Throughout the film, music industry notables provide insight into nerdcore. Old school trailblazers like Prince Paul and contemporary hip hop aficionados like J-Live examine the legitimacy of nerdcore as a subgenre of hip hop. Music-nerd celebrities like Weird Al Yankovic and Jello Biafra discuss the origins of nerdcore while gaming-geek celebs Gabe and Tycho expound on the digital revolution that is enabling the nerdcore movement.

MC Frontalot wants to live in a world where nerdcore is a real genre of hip hop and where other MC's take him seriously as a rapper-de-la-resistance! *Nerdcore Rising* is embedded in the nerd trenches, illuminating this struggle. --© Official Site [More]

Starring: Damian Hess, Brian Posehn, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jello Biafra

Starring: Damian Hess, Brian Posehn, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jello Biafra, Prince Paul, J-Live

Director: Negin Farsad

Director: Negin Farsad
Studio: Vaguely Qualified Productions

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