A Family Underground

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A Family Underground
Directed byPaul Andresen
Written byPaul Andresen
Produced byChris Kraft
CinematographyPaul Andresen
Edited byPascal Leister
Production
company
Short Dog
Distributed by Psychopathic Video
RED Distribution
Release date
  • May 12, 2009 (2009-05-12)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

A Family Underground is an American documentary film written and directed by Paul Andresen. Filmed at the 2008 Gathering of the Juggalos, the film focus on the event and the Juggalo fan base. Gathering of the Juggalos is a music festival hosted by Psychopathic Records every summer. Their fan base, known as Juggalos, have become an underground musical subculture.

Contents

The film features concert performances and interviews about the event and fanbase by the entire Psychopathic Records roster and other artists which performed at the festival. Released direct-to-video in 2009, it is the second documentary produced by Psychopathic Records, after Shockumentary, released in 1998.

Plot

The film loosely follows an English couple that travels to Cave-In-Rock, Illinois, United States to attend the ninth annual Gathering of the Juggalos. The 2008 event is the first Gathering that the couple has attended. While the couple explores the festival grounds, clips from the multiple events occurring are captured, including professional wrestling from Juggalo Championship Wrestling. Interviews about the fan base are conducted with artists Anybody Killa, Ice-T, Afroman, Boondox, Blaze Ya Dead Homie, Three 6 Mafia, Twiztid, and Insane Clown Posse. Concert footage of the interviewed artists as well as the supergroups Psychopathic Rydas and Dark Lotus is included. The film concludes with the English couple getting unofficially married by Insane Clown Posse member Violent J.

Production

Psychopathic Records' first documentary, Shockumentary, focused solely on hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. [1] The focus of A Family Underground is directed toward "the true story of ICP", their Juggalo fan base. [1] [2] The documentary is intended be an in-depth look at the Juggalo musical subculture, and "tries to [visually] explain what Juggalos are." [1] [2] The film was shot at the 2008 Gathering of the Juggalos, with film crews exploring the festival grounds and capturing activities at the event. [1] Live concert footage was also filmed, which included angles showing the Juggalo crowd. [1]

Release

A Family Underground was released on DVD on May 12, 2009. [3] [4] [5] In 2010, the documentary was reissued as part of the "Nuclear Edition" of Insane Clown Posse's album Bang! Pow! Boom! . [6]

Reception

In June 2009, A Family Underground peaked at No. 10 on the Top Music Video Sales. [7] Rapper Aesop Rock called it one of his favorite films of the year. [8]

Related Research Articles

Juggalo A fan of the group Insane Clown Posse or any other Psychopathic Records hip hop group

A juggalo is a fan of the hip hop group Insane Clown Posse or any other hip hop group signed to Psychopathic Records. Juggalos have developed their own idioms, slang, and characteristics. The Gathering of the Juggalos, alternatively known as just "The Gathering", is a notable annual festival held by juggalos and the artists that they support, which have included rap stars such as Busta Rhymes, Ice Cube, and MC Hammer; over its first eleven events (2000–2010), the festival drew a total attendance of about 107,500 fans, averaging nearly 9,800 per year, with a peak of 20,000 in 2010.

<i>Hells Pit</i> 2004 studio album by Insane Clown Posse

The Wraith: Hell's Pit is the ninth studio album by Insane Clown Posse. Released on August 31, 2004, the album is the final chapter of the Joker's Card series. It is the second album for the 6th Joker Card in the 1st deck, and the group's 19th overall release.

Dark Lotus was an American hip hop group based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Formed in 1998 as a side project of Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid, Dark Lotus was best known as a representative of the horrorcore subgenre. From 1998 to 2017, Dark Lotus' lineup changed multiple times, with the most consistent members of the group being Violent J, Shaggy 2 Dope, Jamie Madrox, Monoxide and Blaze Ya Dead Homie.

Jamie Madrox (rapper) American rapper

Jamie Michael Spaniolo, known professionally as Jamie Madrox, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan and performs as a member of the hip hop groups Twiztid and House of Krazees. Spaniolo's stage name is a reference to Marvel Comics's character Multiple Man.

Psychopathic Records, also known as The Hatchet, is an American independent record label headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The label is most associated with the hip hop music subgenres horrorcore and rap rock. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. The iconography of a man with a meat cleaver has been used for years as a symbol of the group, its fanbase, and its associates.

Juggalo Championship Wrestling American independent professional wrestling promotion

Juggalo Championship Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion founded in 1999 by Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, better known as the hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse. JCW currently runs shows throughout the country. The video games Backyard Wrestling: Don't Try This at Home and Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood feature numerous independent wrestlers from the promotion.

Violent J American rapper

Joseph Francis Bruce, known by his stage name Violent J, is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler, and part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. He is a co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Shaggy 2 Dope and their former manager, Alex Abbiss. Also along with Utsler, Bruce is the co-founder of the professional wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling.

Shaggy 2 Dope American rapper

Joseph William Utsler, known by his stage name Shaggy 2 Dope, is an American rapper, record producer, DJ, podcast host of Shaggy and The Creep Show, and professional wrestler. He is part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Violent J and their former manager, Alex Abbiss. Along with Bruce, Utsler is the co-founder of the professional wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling, where he currently acts as color commentator.

Gathering of the Juggalos Annual festival in the USA

The Gathering of the Juggalos is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label roster as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by Jumpsteady, Insane Clown Posse, and their label in 2000. Described by Joseph Bruce as a "Juggalo Woodstock", the Gathering of the Juggalos spans five days and includes concerts, wrestling, games, contests, autograph sessions, karaoke, and seminars with artists. Over its first eleven events (2000–2010), the festival drew a total attendance upward of 100,000 fans.

Hatchet House is the sub-label of independent record label Psychopathic Records, based in Royal Oak, Michigan in the United States, which was formed in 2007 by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse.

Monoxide Child American rapper

Paul Robert Methric is an American rapper and producer from Detroit, Michigan, also known as Monoxide of the rap group Twiztid.

Insane Clown Posse discography

The discography of Insane Clown Posse, an American hip rock duo from Delray, Detroit, composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the wicked clowns Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope, consists of sixteen studio albums, eighty-four singles, nineteen extended plays and nineteen compilations. Music videos and collaborations are also included, as are film and television appearances and home video releases.

Michael Velasquez, better known by his stage name DJ Clay, is an American record producer, rapper and disc jockey from Detroit, Michigan. He was signed to Psychopathic Records, but is now on his own label, Armed Robbery Entertainment. As of 2010, Velasquez has sold over 200,000 units.

<i>The Shining</i> (Violent J album) 2009 studio album by Violent J

The Shining is the solo debut album by American rapper and Insane Clown Posse member Violent J. It was released on April 28, 2009 under his own label Psychopathic Records. Mostly produced by Mike E. Clark, a music video for "Jealousy" was released in May 2009.

<i>Bang! Pow! Boom!</i> 2009 studio album by Insane Clown Posse

Bang! Pow! Boom! is the eleventh studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. Released on September 1, 2009 by Psychopathic Records, it was the group's second album with producer Mike E. Clark since his return to Psychopathic Records, and the first album to focus on the Dark Carnival since the conclusion of the group's original "Joker's Cards" series. The character is the first of a set of six new Joker's Cards.


Over the years, a variety of bands have made up the main stage and second stage lineups of the Gathering of the Juggalos, a yearly festival held by Psychopathic Records.

Insane Clown Posse American hip hop duo from Michigan

Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989 as a gangsta rap group, ICP's best known lineup consists of rappers Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse is known for its elaborate live performances and theatrical horror-inspired lyrics. The duo has earned two platinum and five gold albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the entire catalog of the group has sold 6.5 million units in the United States and Canada as of April 2007. The group has established a dedicated following called Juggalos numbering in the "tens of thousands".

Insane Clown Posse is a professional wrestling tag team currently competing in Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW) that consists of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Both members began wrestling as single competitors in 1983 in their backyard wrestling promotion Tag Team Wrestling, later renamed National All-Star Wrestling.

Robert Bruce is an American retired rapper and professional wrestler who would go on to become a Don for Psychopathic Records.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Violent J Talks About The Shining and A Family Underground". Hatchet Herald. Psychopathic Records. 2 (1). March 23, 2009. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Fontana Partners With Psychopathic Records". PR Newswire. February 17, 2010. Archived from the original on May 22, 2010. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
  3. Graham, Adam (October 30, 2008). "ICP's annual Halloween bash brings the insane circus to town". The Detroit News . Retrieved November 2, 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. Insane Clown Posse (presenters) (January 27, 2009). Weekly Freekly Weekly January Edition (internet news). Detroit, Michigan: Psychopathic Records. Event occurs at 7:45. Archived from the original on April 26, 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2009.
  5. Fats Pepper (presenter) (April 11, 2009). Weekly Freekly Weekly April 2009 (internet news). Detroit, Michigan: Psychopathic Records. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2009.
  6. "Bang! Pow! Boom! Nuclear Edition Out NOW!". Psychopathic Records. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
  7. "Best Sellers-Video". Associated Press. June 12, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. "Aesop Rock interview". The Citrus Report. December 16, 2009. Archived from the original on May 2, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.