Nerdcore Rising was a bit misleading only because it wasn’t so much about nerdcore rising. It was more about MC Frontalot (who looks a bit like Henry Rollins alter-ego in the video for “Liar”) and his band on their first tour. We have nerds, that happen to rap, on a road trip using the last tour stop at the Penny Arcade Expo (a three-day game festival) as the proof that nerdcore has arrived. Ok…right, so if I take a tray of salted whale blubber around and only a few people try it before it gets to an Inuit family does that mean it should be celebrated  as a culinary delight? Neigh. It’s just that you’re giving the right thing to the right people. As a fan of nerdcore rappers like MC Chris and MC Hawking I was left quite bored.

The film isn’t bad it’s just that the group they have carrying the nerdcore torch isn’t very interesting. They seem like nice guys but I’m not invested in what they’re doing or seeing them succeed. Come to think of it, I wasn’t a fan of his rapping either. MC Frontalot has a cadence that is difficult to follow. Like when a fifth grader tries to burp the pledge of allegiance…I know that these are words but can rarely understand them. The director must have known this too because early in the film when we hear Frontalot rapping they assault the image with the worst subtitles since “Man On Fire”. But funny thing here…this guy is rapping in English! As if it wouldn’t be difficult enough to catch the lyrics, the subtitles pop up all over the goddamn place. An attempt at style distracts from what should be substance. PS – I am not anti-nerdcore. If anything I am pretty much the target audience for this film. I’m listening to Jeff Wayne’s musical version of War of the Worlds  and looking at my Star Wars Holiday Special Animated Debut Boba Fett action figure right now…seriously.

Most of the shows seem poorly attended until the aforementioned Penny Arcade show. This makes for pretty uninteresting viewing. This is not the fault of Frontalot and crew but rather the filmmakers choice to follow them. I have seen MC Chris 4 or 5 times in the last 3 years and am constantly amazed by the draw he has. He doesn’t just appeal to the nerd stereotype and that’s what I think a documentary about the rise of a genre needs. Show me some diversity and let’s find out what it is that makes a “jock” or a “gear-head” or “whatever other high school social class I’m forgetting” go see a short white dude rap about video games. Don’t make me feel like I’m on the outside…show me why I need to get in.

The doc is most interesting in the interview segments. Hearing from Weird Al, Prince Paul and MC Chris (if you have *any* interest in nerdcore let the video below be your intro) and others in talking head interviews is where the doc finds merit. These people have opinions and perspectives that deserve more attention. Although MC Frontalot may have given it a name he is not the pioneer and he’s the first to admit that. Maybe if you’re not familiar with nerdcore you will find the doc more interesting.

But I doubt it.

To paraphrase Dr. Ian Malcolm, the filmmakers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could make a documentary about nerdcore, they didn’t stop to think if they should.

Tell me I’m wrong in the comment section!