''Threat'' (2006) is an
independent film about a
straightedge "hardcore kid" and a
hip hop revolutionary whose friendship is doomed by the intolerance of their respective street tribes. It is an ensemble film of kids and young adults living in the early-to-mid-90s era of New York City's all-time highest ever murder rate, each of them suffering from a sense of doom brought on by dealing with
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
,
racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonis ...
,
sexism
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers pri ...
,
class struggle, and general
nihilism.
The intellectual issues are played out amid an aesthetic of raw ultraviolence that has earned director
Matt Pizzolo
Matt Pizzolo (born on Long Island, New York (state), New York) is an American film director, screenwriter, film producer, producer, bestselling comic book writer, playwright, and entrepreneur, best known for his work as writer of the speculative ...
both accolades and condemnations (such as Film Threat's rave review stating "great art should assail the status quo, and that is what Pizzolo and Nisa's film has skillfully accomplished
in contrast to Montreal Film Journal's scathing review saying the film "openly glorifies murderous revolt, literally telling the audience to go out and beat up random people, just because"
Unlike past urban dramas, the film does not outright condemn its characters' violent outbursts. Although it does show harsh consequences for acts of violence, numerous critics have pointed out that it is unclear whether or not the film intends to glorify violence and/or
class conflict.
[Holo, VJ.]
Threat
. Suicide Girls. May 5, 2006.
Summary
![Threat Katie Nisa Kamouflage Matt Pizzolo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Threat_Katie_Nisa_Kamouflage_Matt_Pizzolo.jpg)
White, straight edge
hardcore
Hardcore, hard core or hard-core may refer to:
Arts and media Film
* ''Hardcore'' (1977 film), a British comedy film
* ''Hardcore'' (1979 film), an American crime drama film starring George C Scott
* ''Hardcore'' (2001 film), a British documen ...
kid, Jim (Carlos Puga), and black, hip-hop radical, Fred (Keith Middleton), become friends living on New York's
Lower East Side - both of them with the hope that their newfound brotherhood will bring solidarity to their disparate communities. Instead, the alliance triggers a violent race riot that spills into the city streets with devastatingly tragic consequences.
Production
The film was produced by
Kings Mob, a team of neophyte filmmakers in their late teen and early 20s. Director
Matt Pizzolo
Matt Pizzolo (born on Long Island, New York (state), New York) is an American film director, screenwriter, film producer, producer, bestselling comic book writer, playwright, and entrepreneur, best known for his work as writer of the speculative ...
was the eldest member of the crew: 19 years old when he wrote the script and 21 when shooting commenced. Pizzolo met filmmaking partner Katie Nisa at
NYU
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
's
Tisch School of the Arts
The New York University Tisch School of the Arts (commonly referred to as Tisch) is the performing, cinematic and media arts school of New York University.
Founded on August 17, 1965, Tisch is a training ground for artists, scholars of the a ...
. Both were enrolled in the school's Dramatic Writing Program. Pizzolo left the program and lived out of a backpack in Manhattan's
Lower East Side while writing the first draft of ''Threat''.
![Threat Rebekka Takamizu Carlos Puga Keith Middleton Matt Pizzolo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Threat_Rebekka_Takamizu_Carlos_Puga_Keith_Middleton_Matt_Pizzolo.jpg)
Still at NYU, Nisa recruited film student Benjamin Brancato to join the project as
cinematographer and
NYU business school student Carlos Puga to play the lead role. Pizzolo recruited fellow Long Island native Ben Knight who was still a teenager at the time and put him to work as a production designer for the film. Nisa also cast
Keith Middleton when she saw him walking on
St. Mark's Place. Unknown to Nisa, Middleton was on his way to perform in the popular dance show
Stomp
Stomp may refer to:
*Stomp (strike), a downwards kick using the heel
Music and dance
* ''Stomp'' (album), by Big D and the Kids Table, 2013
* Stomp (jazz), a type of rhythmic jazz tune popular in the 1920s
*Stomp (theatrical show), a percussive p ...
.
Kings Mob shot the film in a
DIY
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
style that sharply contrasted with other more polished independent films of the mid 90s (sometimes referred to as
Indiewood). The DIY style focused less on aesthetic and more on authenticity. This style later picked up traction with various DiY-Video movements including the
mumblecore
Mumblecore is a subgenre of independent filmHoberman, J. (August 14, 2007).It's Mumblecore!. ''The Village Voice''. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.Lim, Dennis (August 19, 2007)Mumblecore – The New Talkies: Generation DIY ''The New York Times''. Ret ...
scene of the 2000s. Unlike most movies of the DIY-Video era to follow, ''Threat'' was shot on
16mm film
16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, edu ...
.
![Threat matt pizzolo katie nisa kings mob brooklyn roof](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Threat_matt_pizzolo_katie_nisa_kings_mob_brooklyn_roof.jpg)
Pizzolo interned at NYC film co-op Film/Video Arts, where he cleaned up after film classes in exchange for free access to cameras and lights while not in use. Nisa waitressed at
East Village diner 7A to pay for production supplies that "couldn't be borrowed or stolen." Initially, sound recording was to be handled by one of Nisa's film student friends. When he could not make it to the first day of production, he instead gave Nisa a 15-minute lesson on how to run the
nagra
Nagra is a brand of portable audio recorders produced from 1951 in Switzerland. Beginning in 1997 a range of high-end equipment aimed at the audiophile community was introduced, and Nagra expanded the company’s product lines into new markets. ...
. She went on to be the film's sole sound recordist for the first months of production.
![Threat director Matt Pizzolo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Threat_director_Matt_Pizzolo.jpg)
At the start of production, the crew consisted solely of Pizzolo, Nisa, Brancato, and Knight but over the course of production it grew to include over 200 young people from 5 different countries.
Although shot without permits on a shoestring budget by a team of non-professional first-time filmmakers, some critics have compared ''Threat'' to such iconic films as ''
The Warriors'',
[http://www.filmcritic.com/reviews/2006/threat/?OpenDocument ] ''
Do the Right Thing
''Do the Right Thing'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson, ...
'',
''
American History X
''American History X'' is a 1998 American crime drama film directed by Tony Kaye and written by David McKenna. The film stars Edward Norton and Edward Furlong as two brothers from Los Angeles who are involved in the white power skinhead and n ...
'',
''
Slacker
A slacker is someone who habitually avoids work or lacks work ethic.
Origin
According to different sources, the term ''slacker'' dates back to about 1790 or 1898. "Slacker" gained some recognition during the British Gezira Scheme in the early ...
'',
Clerks
A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store.
Office holder
Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court.
*Barristers' clerk, a manager and adminis ...
,
''
Romper Stomper
''Romper Stomper'' is a 1992 Australian drama film written and directed by Geoffrey Wright in his feature film directorial debut. The film stars Russell Crowe, Daniel Pollock, Jacqueline McKenzie, Tony Le-Nguyen and Colin Chin. The film tel ...
'',
''
Kids
Kid, Kids, KIDS, and K.I.D.S. may refer to:
Common meanings
* Colloquial term for a child or other young person
** Also for a parent's offspring regardless of age
* Engage in joking
* Young goats
* The goat meat of young goats
* Kidskin, lea ...
'',
''
Doom Generation
''The Doom Generation'' is a 1995 black comedy thriller film written and directed by Gregg Araki. The film follows two troubled teenage lovers, Amy Blue (Rose McGowan) and Jordan White (James Duval), who pick up a young handsome drifter named Xavi ...
'',
and ''
Suburbia
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include Commercial area, commercial and mixed-use development, mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a ...
''.
Critical response ranged from "easily one of the most important films of the decade" to "there is no explanation, no logic, and no reckoning."
Produced largely in the
New York metalcore and hardcore punk scene, ''Threat'' features guest appearances by members of
Most Precious Blood from the
Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records was an American independent record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994. In 2010, the president of Trustkill, Josh Grabelle ...
label. Trustkill also contributed music to the film's score from
Most Precious Blood,
Bleeding Through,
Eighteen Visions
Eighteen Visions is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in October 1995. The band broke up in April 2007, less than a year after their major label debut was released through Epic and Trustkill Records. After ove ...
, and
Terror. Most of the film's score, however, was composed by
Alec Empire and his band
Atari Teenage Riot. The score was constructed by
jungle-music producer queque.
![Threat Laemmle Sunset 5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Threat_Laemmle_Sunset_5.jpg)
In keeping with the
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and
DiY
"Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and sem ...
ideologies of the movie and their production company, Pizzolo and Nisa eschewed distribution offers from Hollywood studios.
Initially, the film was released as an underground VHS tape and toured across the US and Europe, playing at non-traditional venues such as record stores, hip hop clubs, skateparks, and music festivals.
![Threat Tower Records Matt Pizzolo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Threat_Tower_Records_Matt_Pizzolo.jpg)
One of the more notable non-traditional screenings took place during the
Sundance Film Festival at a
Doc Martens
Dr. Martens, also commonly known as Doc Martens, Docs or DMs, is a German-founded British footwear and clothing brand, headquartered in Wollaston in the Wellingborough district of Northamptonshire, England. Although famous for its footwear, D ...
shoe store across the street from Sundance's flagship Egyptian Theater. It was here that
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
documented the sold-out screenings during Sundance as a cover story in its Saturday Magazine, leading the filmmakers to be invited on a European tour with the film. When they returned home, Threat screenings were added as an attraction on the
Van's Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
.
Years of touring culminated with an appearance at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, where music-video distributor HIQI Media signed on to distribute the film to theaters.
Soon after, Pizzolo formed the punk cinema label
Halo 8 and released ''Threat'' on DVD through a distribution deal with
Sony Pictures and
RED Music
RED Music, stylized RED MUSIC, formerly RED Distribution, LLC (Relativity Entertainment Distribution) was a Sony-owned sales and marketing division that merged under The Orchard in 2017. RED previously handled releases for more than sixty i ...
, who distributed the film's soundtracks.
Awards
In October 2006, ''Threat'' won the Grand Prize for Best Feature at the
Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival
The Lausanne Underground Film and Music Festival (LUFF) is a film festival and music festival devoted to underground film and music. It is held each year in Lausanne, Switzerland. The festival is organized by a non-profit organization (APCI ...
in
Lausanne
, neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR ...
, Switzerland. The award was presented to the filmmakers on stage by
Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for portraying eccentric characters on screen, such as George McFly in ''Back to the Future'' (1985), Layne in ''River's Edge'' (1986), Andy Warhol in ''The Doors' ...
.
In April 2007, ''Threat'' won the "First Feature Film - Special Mention" prize at the
Rome Independent Film Festival
Rome Independent Film Festival (or RIFF) is an annual film festival held every November in Rome, Italy to represent and promote independent filmmakers globally. The festival was started in 2001, and its 25th event was held in 2018. In November 20 ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
.
Soundtracks
''Threat: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack''
''Threat''s soundtrack consists mainly of
digital hardcore
Digital hardcore is a fusion genre that combines hardcore punk with electronic dance music genres such as breakbeat, techno, and drum and bass while also drawing on heavy metal and noise music. It typically features fast tempos and aggressi ...
courtesy of Alec Empire's
DHR label, and
metalcore courtesy of
Trustkill Records
Trustkill Records was an American independent record label that started as a hardcore punk fanzine in April 1993. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock records and merchandise in 1994. In 2010, the president of Trustkill, Josh Grabelle ...
. The soundtrack was released by
HALO 8 Entertainment in January 2006.
Track listing
# "Night of Violence" –
Alec Empire
# "Start the Riot" –
Atari Teenage Riot
# "Into the Death" – Atari Teenage Riot
# "Rage" – Atari Teenage Riot feat.
Tom Morello
Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock band Rage Against the Machine and then with Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, More ...
& D-Stroy
# "Sick to Death" – Atari Teenage Riot
# "Get Up While You Can" – Atari Teenage Riot
# "Gotta Get Out" – Alec Empire
# "Common Enemy" – Panic DHH
# "Wanna Peel" –
EC8OR
# "Number Seven with a Bullet" –
Bleeding Through
# "The Great Red Shift" –
Most Precious Blood
# "One Hell of a Prize Fighter" –
Eighteen Visions
Eighteen Visions is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in October 1995. The band broke up in April 2007, less than a year after their major label debut was released through Epic and Trustkill Records. After ove ...
# "Overcome" –
Terror
# "Drone" – Eyes Like Knives
# "mPathik" – queque
# "heVn" – queque
# "I Am a Threat" –
King David
# "Kids Are United" – Atari Teenage Riot
''Threat: Music That Inspired the Movie''
In addition to the ''Threat'' soundtrack, Halo8 produced and released the compilation ''Threat: Music That Inspired the Movie''. In the tradition of soundtracks featuring collaborations/remixes, from such films as ''
Spawn
Spawn or spawning may refer to:
* Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise
** '' Spawn: ...
'' and ''
Judgment Night'', the album consists of
mashups of
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...
and
metalcore with
breakcore
Breakcore is a style and microgenre of electronic dance music that emerged from jungle, hardcore, and drum and bass in the mid-to-late 1990s. It is characterized by very complex and intricate breakbeats and a wide palette of sampling sou ...
. The album was released by HALO 8 Entertainment in January 2006.
[Hefflon, Scott.]
Threat – MTITM review
. ''Lollipop Magazine.'' March 19, 2006.
Track listing
# "Pandemic" –
Most Precious Blood vs.
Alec Empire
# "World at War" –
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore punk band from New York City. Founded in 1980, the band is considered an important influence on the New York hardcore scene, as well as a pioneer of the crossover thrash genre.
History First era (1980–1 ...
vs. Schizoid
# "Ghost in the Machine" –
Inside Out vs.
Oktopus from
Dälek
Dälek () (stylized in all lowercase) is an American experimental hip hop group formed in Newark, New Jersey in 1998. The group's current lineup consists of MC dälek (vocals and producer) and Mike Manteca (aka Mike Mare) (electronics and prod ...
# "World Ablaze" (Threat mix) –
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel an ...
vs. Edgey
# "Overkill" –
Terror vs.
Enduser
# "Champagne Enemaz" –
Eighteen Visions
Eighteen Visions is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California, formed in October 1995. The band broke up in April 2007, less than a year after their major label debut was released through Epic and Trustkill Records. After ove ...
vs.
Otto von Schirach
Otto von Schirach (born March 10, 1978 in Miami, Florida) is an American IDM and breakcore musician. Of Cuban and German heritage, he grew up in the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami and heavily incorporates elements of Miami bass
Miami b ...
# "Zolobovine" –
Gorilla Biscuits
Gorilla Biscuits are an American hardcore punk band from New York City, New York, United States, formed in 1986. The band currently consists of Anthony "Civ" Civarelli, Walter Schreifels, Arthur Smilios and Luke Abbey, and is signed to Revelatio ...
vs. Defragmentation
# "Cannibal Kitten" –
The Icarus Line
The Icarus Line was an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, active from 1998 until 2015.
Career 1998–2003
The Icarus Line's roots started from a high school rock group, Kanker Sores. Tragedy struck the band in 1997, when ...
vs. The End
# "Slapped with an X" –
Vision of Disorder
Vision of Disorder is an American hardcore/ metalcore band from Long Island, New York, that initially released three albums before disbanding in 2002. The band garnered attention for blending melody and groove into a traditional hardcore framew ...
vs. The Tyrant
# "Bring It" –
Judge vs. Bill Youngman
# "Stalwart Carapace" –
Youth of Today
Youth of Today is an American hardcore punk band, initially active from 1985 to 1990 before reforming in 2010. The band played a major role in establishing the "Youth Crew" subculture of hardcore, both espousing and evolving the philosophies o ...
vs. Edgey
# "Deathbed" –
Bleeding Through vs.
Hecate
Hecate or Hekate, , ; grc-dor, Ἑκάτᾱ, Hekátā, ; la, Hecatē or . is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depict ...
# "I Know That You're Lying" –
Today Is The Day vs. darph/nadeR
# "Star Buried in My Yard" –
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential i ...
vs.
Enduser
# "Don't Step" –
Minor Threat
Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitar ...
vs. Holocaust
References
External links
*
ThreatSynopsis and reviews of the movie at threatfilm.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Threat (Film)
2006 films
American independent films
Punk films
2000s English-language films
1990s English-language films
1990s American films
2000s American films