Back to browse
75% Critic Match
Urgh! A Music War
“Stand up & dance!”
7.5 / 10• 1981• 2h 1m•R• English
MusicDocumentary
Storyline
Urgh! A Music War is a British film released in 1982 featuring performances by punk rock, new wave, and post-punk acts, filmed in 1980. Among the artists featured in the movie are Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), Magazine, The Go-Go's, Toyah Willcox, The Fleshtones, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, X, XTC, Devo, The Cramps, Oingo Boingo, Dead Kennedys, Gary Numan, Klaus Nomi, Wall of Voodoo, Pere Ubu, Steel Pulse, Surf Punks, 999, UB40, Echo & the Bunnymen and The Police. These were many of the most popular groups on the New Wave scene; in keeping with the spirit of the scene, the film also features several less famous acts, and one completely obscure group, Invisible Sex, in what appears to be their only public performance.
Cast & Crew
Sting
Self
Lead
Stewart Copeland
Self
Andy Summers
Self
Danny Elfman
Self
Jello Biafra
Self
Toyah Willcox
Self
Stan Ridgway
Self
John Cooper Clarke
Self
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Derek Burbidge's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
4.0
“Every frame feels alive. Urgh! A Music War is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
