Rudy Childs

The Dogmatics might very well be the most emblematic Boston band of this half-century, that too-few people know about. They gained notoriety with a loyal following in the Boston music scene, and beyond. The quartet was no different than any other talentless, self-deprecating, beer-swilling, girl-chasing lunkheads with guitars. It wasn't about money. Catching a girl's eye, a free round of drinks, or simply completing a song in unison were their rewards. Fans and fellow bands in Massachusetts look fondly on the decades of positive ripple effects their presence (still to this day) has on the local music scene. This documentary is a labor of love by family and friends, crafted as a tribute to the Dogmatics' late co-founder and bassist Paul O'Halloran. See how the band came into being in the early 1980s, rising out of a pocket of musical talent in the South Shore area near Boston. At its core, this is a story of brothers - by both blood and bond.

Tension: 25 Years Underground chronicles the band's rise in popularity and how, even through several line-up changes, they stuck to their guns and refused to bow to the demands of record companies. The film leaves you wondering what would have happened to Tension if they had 'sold out' and made it big, and indeed the common notion of success itself. Marty Friedman and Tommy Gattis cut their teeth in this band, and the film opens a time capsule to reveal vintage video footage and unbridled interviews on subjects like how the PMRC helped and hindered 80s heavy metal music, and how 'hair bands' of the time commercialized the public perception of the genre.

Stoned to the Bone is a short that focuses on a 1985 weekend field party bacchanal that took place in Montgomery County, Maryland. A cast of colorful characters are recorded using a home video camera and a CBS microphone swiped from the Reagan Inauguration earlier that year. Music included is the doom metal icons Pentagram who are interviewed as they setup for the performance. Rudy Childs created this short to look back in time to wilder days.