The Film
"Sometimes you think about, you know, 'Oh shit, should I have tattooed my forehead?'"
There's a new breed of dad. It's not the stay-at-home dad; it's the punk rock dad.
Parenthood joining forces with punk rock seems like a weirder pairing than Sonny and Cher. That said, there have been punk rock dads as long as there's been punk rock, and it's not such as recipe for disaster after all. The Other F Word introduces us to a current crop of punk rock dads -- some old, some new, and some that sort stretch the definition of punk rock.
It's funny to see these guys talk about being fathers, when their day jobs involve going out and entertaining other people's kids. It's also interesting and sometimes sad to see these dads talk about their own upbringing.
The documentary is inspired by Jim Lindberg's book Punk Rock Dad. Lindberg is the father of three little girls, the former singer of Pennywise, and the main focus of the film. He's also the most interesting of the lot, since the film veers off track so often.
The problem with The Other F Word is that it doesn't spend enough time covering that F word. Instead, it travels off into other topics, including a history of punk, growing up punk, the future of punk, and living on the road. Of course, some of that leads back to the subject matter at hand. That said, it would have been nice to see more about being a punk rock parent, and maybe even give mom a few props. Instead, the lack of focus makes The Other F Word more like a B-.
The Picture
The Other F Word is filmed like a music video. A lot of the action jumps back and forth, but still manages a sharp, bright image throughout. There's some concert footage and old photos, which are only as good as the source material. That said, most of the film takes place in the present and this 1.78:1 transfer looks pretty good in the process. Colors are decent and close-ups in particular are pretty phenomenal. Most (not all) punk rock dads don't shave regularly and have tattoos, so there's a lot to look at here -- and it looks good.
The Sound
The Other F Word comes packing a Dolby Digital stereo mix and Dolby Digital 5.1. With the subject matter, music plays a really important part of this documentary, so you're going to want to opt for that 5.1. Music serves as a background and segue for almost every interview in this film, so it's nice to have the extra surround sound going. However, that music, no matter how loud, never interferes with the spoken word, which is fine as the film's main focus.
The Extras
Oscilloscope has loaded this release up with extras, such as music videos and a Q&A about the film. There are also four outtakes, including an interview with Dr. Drew, possibly the least punk rock person ever. However, he has a really gross anecdote about Fletcher Dragge from Pennywise. Of course, it has absolutely nothing to do with being a dad.
The gem of the lot is the film's audio commentary, which features punk rock dads Jim Lindberg and Art Alexaxis, as well as director Andrea Blaugrund Nevins and producer Cristan Reilly. This is a pretty lively track, adding a little more about the fatherhood angle and info about the actual production.
Final Thoughts
The Other F Word is a fairly interesting look at the softer, sweeter side of punk rock. It has a nice DVD release, but the film could have been so much better. A lot of the material here is fresh and heartfelt. However, the film just goes off track -- and for too long. Still, fans of the music, especially ones that are fathers (or mothers!), will get a little kick out of this alternate peek at parenthood.
Product Details
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