VIDEO: Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Kiss’s Gene Simmons, and Fashion Designer John Varvatos Celebrate Creem Magazine in New Rock Documentary

Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Jeff Daniels, and Cameron Crowe also appear in the upcoming film

June 18, 2020

A generation of icons all celebrate the memory of an influential underground music publication in the upcoming documentary “Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine.”

The Scott Crawford-directed film explores everything from Creem’s humble beginnings and unexpected rise in the world of rock journalism to its unfortunate demise following the untimely deaths of publisher Barry Kramer and celebrated editor Lester Bangs. The doc blends behind-the-scenes footage from the ‘70s with quite a few interviews with celebrities who attempt to convey just how much the magazine inspired them.

“I lived by what was printed in Creem magazine,” Metallica guitarist and repeat Stern Show guest Kirk Hammett explains at one point (above).

“Buying Creem was a little bit like buying Playboy. You didn’t want your parents to see either one of them,” Emmy-winning actor Jeff Daniels later adds.

The film features sit-downs with Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Kiss legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Suzi Quatro, R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, fashion designer John Varvatos, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, MC5’s Wayne Kramer, J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf, and Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, among others. It also interviews filmmaker and former Creem contributor Cameron Crowe, whose beloved rock film “Almost Famous” helped immortalize Bangs thanks to a memorable performance from the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

“Creem: America’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll Magazine” arrives later this summer.

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