Chip On My Shoulder: The Cautionary Tale of Slapshot (2009)

• 68%
• 2009
• Documentary
• Ian McFarland
• Anthony Moreschi
• Mark McKay
• Jack 'Choke' Kelly
• Steve Risteen

Boston, Massachusetts 1985: The first great wave of hardcore-punk bands like SSD, DYS, and Jerry's Kids were breaking up or moving on, leaving a generation of kids and adults inspired and in search of someone, something, or some band to light the powder keg once more. Enter Slapshot; a viciously unapologetic new take on hardcore-punk that stemmed from the seemingly polar opposite personalities of singer Jack "Choke" Kelley, guitarist Steve Risteen, and drummer Mark McKay and put the Boston scene back on the map. "Chip on My Shoulder" follows the members of Slapshot through their turbulent twenty-year history, documenting every up and down along the way. It is an unflinching look into the life of a band that was seemingly destined to implode from its very inception. "Chip on My Shoulder" is a story of friendship and betrayal, loss and redemption, self-destruction and sacrifice. Born in the streets and underground music halls of Boston, Slapshot went on to inspire millions worldwide while simultaneously tearing a group of friends apart. Through hundreds of hours of the band's own archival footage, rare images, and revealing present day interviews comes the true story of one of the most influential hardcore bands of all time. It is a unique look at the ugly side of music-- a side that few people have a chance to see. It is what happens when sanity and stability are thrown to the wind in pursuit of passion, regardless of how destructive that passion may be and regardless of how it will forever change the trajectory of people's lives.