CBGB 2013

Critics score:
8 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: In place of punk's howling rage, you get gross-out jokes that include at least a half-dozen close-ups of the poop from Kristal's bowel-challenged dog. Read more

Scott Foundas, Variety: The music rocks, but little else does, in Randall Miller's sitcom snapshot of New York's iconic punk incubator. Read more

Mike D'Angelo, AV Club: Punk may not be dead, but this picture is D.O.A. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Whatever may be there, Miller doesn't quite capture it. Read more

Kate Erbland, Film.com: The absolute antithesis to the pioneering punk spirit it tries to portray. Read more

John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: Alan Rickman's lead performance highlights a sincere but insubstantial rock pic. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: If you really want to remember those times? Get out "Horses." Or "Talking Heads: 77." Or "Blank Generation." Preferably on vinyl, with all the pops and scratches. And play them. Loud. Read more

Mark Jenkins, NPR: This is not a film for purists or quibblers. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: The movie feels like a Las Vegas imitation of a place that was once scuzzily, beautifully alive. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: I would swear on a stack of Dead Boys T-shirts and a first pressing of Richard Hell and the Voidoids' "Blank Generation" that it could not possibly have been like that: so silly, so trivial, so boring. Read more

Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com: "CBGB" ain't no party, it ain't no disco, it ain't no foolin' around. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: I'm here to tell you why I enjoyed CBGB despite its terribleness. Or rather, because of its terribleness. Read more

Eric Hynes, Time Out: Mythologizing by way of whip-pans and slapstick spit-takes, CBGB just might be the CBGB that we deserve. Read more

Brian McManus, Village Voice: CBGB misses the opportunity to educate. But its biggest sin, unlike many who performed there, is that it also misses the opportunity to entertain. Read more