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58% Critic Match
The War on Disco
“The explosive sound that ignited a culture war”
5.8 / 10• 2023• 51m•NR• English
DocumentaryHistoryMusic
Storyline
The War on Disco explores the culture war that erupted over the spectacular rise of disco music. Originating in underground Black and gay clubs, disco had unseated rock as America’s most popular music by the late 1970s. But many diehard rock fans viewed disco, with its repetitive beat and culture that emphasized pleasure, as shallow and superficial. A story that’s about much more than music, The War on Disco explores how the powerful anti-disco backlash revealed a cultural divide that to some seemed to be driven by racism and homophobia. The hostility came to a head on July 12, 1979, when a riot broke out at “Disco Demolition Night” during a baseball game in Chicago.
Cast & Crew
Felipe Rose
Self
Lead
Steve Dahl
Self
LC
Linda Clifford
Self
Rich King
Self
DB
Daphne Brooks
Self
JC
Jefferson Cowie
Self
AG
Adam Greenfield
Self
RS
Ray Smith
Self
What People Are Saying
3.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Lisa Quijano Wolfinger's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. The War on Disco is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
