When Nirvana burst onto the national scene in 1991, the music they played spoke directly to a generation that had emerged from the Reagan-Bush years angry and disenfranchised. As grunge took off, the music industry was completely transformed in a way nobody expected especially the young musicians who went from tiny shared Seattle apartments to international superstardom, sometimes overnight. Some handled it well and some did not. Just three years later, the drug-related deaths of several prominent musicians, capped by the suicide of Kurt Cobain, closed the books on an all too brief era.As the acclaimed drummer of Courtney Loves seminal rock band Hole, Patty Schemel was right in the middle of all of it. The openly gay woman who always felt different never dreamed she would be part of a multi-platinum selling band, touring with legends, or on the cover of Rolling Stone. Or that, thanks to drug addiction, she could lose it all. Hit so Hard tells the story of Pattys rise to fame (and nearly fatal fall from it), with no punches pulled and its one hell of a story.Told with insider interviews and stunningly intimate, never-before-seen footage shot by Patty and her friends (Patty was given a Hi-8 camera just before Holes infamous Live Through This world tour), Hit So Hard is not only an all-access backstage pass to the music that shaped a generation, but a harrowing tale of overnight success, the cost of addiction, and ultimately, recovery and redemption.

Its told using a lot of archival footage Patty herself shot on Hi-8 (its what they used to use in video cameras, kids) or had shot for her during her time with Hole and includes things like never before seen footage of her and close friend Kurt Cobain. The film is fleshed out using modern day interviews with people who know Patty, including all of her former Hole band mates.

Ill start this review with a bit of backstory as I feel it effects my feelings towards the movie. A bias if you will. I love Hole. Theyve been one of my favorite bands ever since I first heard Live Through This in 1994. You might know this if youve read some of our previous articles about the band. I also play the drums as you can tell by reading my little author bio below this very review. Patty Schemel, the subject of Hit So Hard has basically been one of my biggest inspirations in that. So since I found out this movie existed Ive been excited to see this. Patty pretty much dropped off the earth after she left Hole in 1998. I was lucky to see her in one of her few tours since, playing with Juliette Lewis Licks several years ago. But shes always been, for lack of a better word, an idol of mine, and someone I always considered one of the great uncredited feminist icons of a generation. With that in mind lets talk about the film.

Instantly this film takes you into the world of Patty and her obvious unrestrained love of drums. You get a lot of other famous female drummers talking about how great she is and why. The footage is personal and raw and real. Youre onstage and backstage with Hole at their prime. Then they take it back and discuss the backstory. One of the things about Hit So Hard is that its not entirely linear. It sort of jumps around as it moves forward, taking its time to meander off into sort of sub-sections of Pattys story. Normally this sort of loss of focus would be something Id complain about, but here it feels necessary and all the little journeys are certainly worth it.One section shows and discusses Pattys life with Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. She lived with them for a while right after Francis Bean Cobain was born and this footage is extraordinary. Nirvana fans (of which Im one) will find this breathtaking. You have this wonderful footage of Kurt being a father and being in glee. You see them all being a family. And theres a never before released Courtney/Kurt collaboration song performed. Thats worth the price of admission alone. And if that wasnt enough theres an original Kurt Cobain film within the film featuring him voicing Francis Bean talking back to him. It might be easy to write this off as just amazing footage that youd have to include in a film if you had it, but it actually really ties into the story as you learn that Patty was a very close friend of Kurts, and as Nirvana fans probably know was almost a member of Nirvana. It also shows how as Patty is fighting her addictions Kurt loses his battle.

From there more extraordinary footage discusses Pattys closeness with Kristen Pfaff, Holes bassist on Live Through This. Theres a very nice extended piece on their relationship and where the various band members were at at the time and how close she was to kicking heroin before she ultimately overdosed. This is the second hard loss for Eric, Courtney, and especially Patty in 2 months. And then they start a world tour. Right when Patty is 27. Im sure by now youve heard about the 27 club, and thats discussed.You really get a feeling for the emotional craziness that was going on and how hard staying sober had to be. This also is a theme throughout the film of Pattys attachments and losing them. It also really brings me to another thing I loved about this movie.Things like Kristens death have never really been discussed in any sort of detail by anyone involved. A lot of Holes story has never been discussed openly. Theres always been various versions by various people and usually through the filter of the press. This movie although it focuses on Patty and her experience, is probably the closest you will ever get to a Hole documentary, and probably the closest anyone will ever get to hearing the truth about how things occurred and how people felt straight from the actual people involved (the band). It seems like although the wounds are obviously still fresh, somehow in the name of Patty, the filmmakers got Eric, Melissa, and Courtney to open up about a lot. If you are a Hole fan or ever were then you need to see this movie. Watch free movies online

Going along with getting these people to open up, including Patty herself who really just lets out a lot of really personal things, you learn just how much love and respect there is out there for Patty. Ive always told people one of my musical influences is Patty Schemel and her style and how her playing just goes with whatever band shes in so well and perfectly and how her sort of take on playing I really could get behind but Ive usually been met with blank looks at the mention of the name alone. But watching this you realize that even if the various members of Hole havent talked in forever and have various feelings still between them theres a great love there for Patty. So much so that in the Q&A with director P. David Ebersole and Producer Todd Hughes that followed the movie they revealed that Eric and Courtney gifted them all of Holes music for the movie.

Speaking of music, this movie has a kick ass soundtrack. Lots of bits of live Hole in their prime just killing it are all over the place and theres an original score by Faith No Mores Roddy Bottum to go along with it.The movie talks about Melissa Auf Der Maurs entrance to the band and how her and Patty became fast friends and some of the footage of them goofing around is just priceless (one brilliant piece involves the two talking about Courtney backstage after a show). For a movie filled with so much serious stuff there sure are a lot of laughs to be had by various antics and most notably even in Pattys modern day interview footage where she manages to be hilarious even when getting into dark territory. Melissas joining the band and their friendship includes a particularly great piece of footage with the two discussing how Patty falls for straight girls who then dump her by saying oh I realized Im not a lesbian. It almost feels like in that moment theyre almost in a relationship, or that at least Patty has a major crush. But that piece of footage is just placed so well as an introduction to Pattys lesbianism.This is a powerful part of the story. Pattys mom (who is just wonderful and steals every little bit of footage shes in) relays the story of Patty coming out as a teenager. Its sad and heartwarming at the same time.

Perhaps though one of my personal favorite parts of the film is talking about the recording of Celebrity Skin. As I mentioned above information has never really been open about what happened and its always been assumed that Patty was so strung out on drugs the band fired her. Hit So Hard sets the record straight. This is one section where you really see everyones bias come out. But the story is essentially the same from everyones point of view, just with their own flavor to make them not look like the bad guy. Essentially the producer on that album didnt want Patty from the beginning. Hed secretly hired a session drummer to come in and was just trying to break her so his guy could come in and do the job. I dont want to tell you everything that happens, let the movie do that, but youll be shocked. I really related to this part particularly as Ive drummed on an album and when youre not doing a good job it does feel like the world is ending. I in fact made a short about it. Now imagine you are doing a good job but someone is telling you youre not. Youd go insane.