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[Above: Previously unreleased 2004 theatrical trailer for MC5 - A True Testimonial.]
A REMARKABLY ACCLAIMED BUT EMBATTLED DOCUMENTARY FILM WITH ONE FINAL
HURDLE TO CLEAR BEFORE RELEASE; ACQUIRING THE SYNCHRONIZATION LICENSE
NECESSARY TO INCLUDE THE MC5's MUSIC WITHIN THE FILM.
WANT TO HELP UNLEASH MC5 - A TRUE TESTIMONIAL? "IT'S TIME TO ... KOTJMF!"
Note: Pledges can be made by credit card, Paypal or personal check;
contributors can also choose to keep their identity and/or amount of the
contribution anonymous.
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One of the world's most incendiary live acts during their late Sixties heyday, Detroit's MC5 had largely fallen from the public consciousness in the years following it's final bitter breakup on New Year's Eve, 1972. Two of the band's more prolific members, vocalist Rob Tyner and guitarist Fred "Sonic" Smith, had passed in the early 90's due to heart problems. Bassist Michael Davis worried his past career "might go down the tubes as a footnote"; drummer Dennis Thompson spoke of having dreams about the band "five out of seven days of the week, every week, since the band broke up."
It was the legendary band's relative obscurity and lack of widespread public recognition that intrigued David Thomas and Laurel Legler, two Chicago filmmakers. At the beginning, Legler wondered, "What happened? These guys looked fabulous! Theyre fabulous and scary and incredible and their music was astonishing. So it started out with a sense of mystery"
In 1995, the pair began their quest, researching and painstakingly crafting what would become the extraordinary documentary, MC5 - A True Testimonial. Over the next seven years Thomas and Legler would detail one of the great untold stories of the Sixties; illuminating the meteoric rise and fall of the Motor City Five while simultaneously exploring the cultural significance of the period in which the band existed.
The result was a film that celebrated the MC5, a documentary that captured the band's ethos, once described as risking everything, even their lives and careers, to make great music. One-time manager John Sinclair said the film gave "the feeling of what it was it was like to be in the audience and be in total abandon."
The completed MC5 - A True Testimonial would go on to screen at a dozen international film festivals, playing to SRO crowds and receiving rave reviews around the world. The festival tour concluded with one final sold-out screening, a benefit for public radio station WDET-FM, at the Detroit Film Theatre on October 30, 2003.
Unfortunately, on the eve of release in 2004, the film's
theatrical and DVD release was forcibly scuttled by a highly controversial
dispute over the ownership and licensing of the MC5's music publishing. Rob Tyner's wife, Rebecca, would note the filmmaker's "journey has so paralleled that of the MC5... The bully tactics, the pressure. Its almost cosmic.
A costly and exhaustive four year legal engagement ensued but the film makers emerged victorious; the elusive but requisite music synchronization license is now available.
This remarkable documentary deserves a proper release but there's one final hurdle to clear before the film's official release: acquiring the synchronization license to include the MC5 music.
Overcoming that one last obstacle will immediately unleash this brilliant, long overdue film and proceeds from this drive will be used towards that acquisition.
It's high time for that, isn't it?
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$11,105
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RAISED OF $25,000 GOAL
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0
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TIME LEFT
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Perks for your contribution:
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Tier One: $10
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| Two "MC5 - A True Testimonial" vinyl stickers and your name listed as one of our Sea of Hands at MC5-TrueTestimonial.com. |
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10 Claimed
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Tier Two: $25
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| Limited edition "MC5 - A True Testimonial" enamel lapel pin; two "MC5 - A True Testimonial" vinyl stickers and your name listed as one of our Sea of Hands at MC5-TrueTestimonial.com |
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36 Claimed
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Tier Three: $50
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| Limited-edition Fred "Sonic" Smith vinyl single; "MC5 - A True Testimonial" enamel lapel pin; two "MC5 - A True Testimonial" vinyl stickers; and your name listed as one of our Sea of Hands at MC5-TrueTestimonial.com |
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18 Claimed
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Tier Four: $100
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| Limited-edition "MC5 - A True Testimonial" shirt; limited-edition Fred "Sonic" Smith vinyl single; two "MC5 - A True Testimonial" enamel lapel pins; three "MC5 - A True Testimonial" vinyl stickers and your name listed as one of our Sea of Hands at MC5-TrueTestimonial.com |
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29 Claimed
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Tier Five: $250
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| Four tickets to a scheduled screening of your choice, limited-edition "MC5 - A True Testimonial" shirt; limited-edition Fred "Sonic" Smith vinyl single; two "MC5 - A True Testimonial" enamel lapel pins; four "MC5 - A True Testimonial" vinyl stickers; and your name listed as one of our Sea of Hands at MC5-TrueTestimonial.com |
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5 Claimed
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Tier Six: $500
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| Eight passes to a scheduled screening of your choice, limited-edition "MC5 - A True Testimonial" shirt; limited-edition Fred "Sonic" Smith vinyl single; three "MC5 - A True Testimonial" enamel lapel pins; five "MC5 - A True Testimonial" vinyl stickers; your name listed as a top level Sea of Hands supporter at MC5-TrueTestimonial.com and other surprises. |
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1 Claimed
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Tier Seven: $1,000
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| Kick out the jams, motherfunder! Everlasting gratitude, all the Tier Six perks; your name listed as a premier Sea of Hands supporter at MC5-TrueTestimonial.com along with some very special surprises. |
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3 Claimed
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