Rat Skates – “Born in the Basement” [DVD Review]

Born In The Basement is probably the best film for any aspiring musician or rock star to watch. This film has inspired me and those who have been at my apartment while I was watching it…again and again. There is so much to learn from this movie and anyone who knows me well, is well aware of the fact that I am a huge fan of old school band marketing. The methods Rat Skates used to make his band, Overkill, as well known as they were, and still are, is incredible.

If you take nothing else away from this film, you should at least know that before MySpace whoring was around, bands actually did more then press a few buttons to get the word out on the streets about their sound and bring people to their shows. I mean, Overkill toured with Slayer; as well as a few other household names. Maybe you can incorporate some of his ideas into your own band’s performance. But I’m not fond of posers and people who don’t give credit where credit is due, so watch out.

Now, unfortunately this documentary isn’t perfect. I would’ve preferred more rockin’ out, metal, punk and badass mullets. I realize, that paying for the use of music in any film can be costly but it would’ve given the film that extra push. In any case, whether you’re a musician, in a band or just a fan of music in general (not necessarily metal, thrash, punk or rock), this documentary is a good watch. There’s so much you can take away from it, and not just for your music life but for your day-to-day life as well. Try hard and things will work themselves out, but also keep in mind the world is greedy and can be a bitch to live in sometimes. So in conclusion watch, learn from and love this movie.

Run Time: 66 minutes
Release Date: May 12, 2007

Check out the: “DVD Trailer”