GG Allin was one of those artists who hovered between notoriety and obscurity, combining catchy punk rock music, intentionally over the top lyrics, and oft-times sickening stage antics. It was this combination of things that made him an underground phenomenon with hardcore punk fanatics around the world, and, in turn, they fueled the fire that was GG; a disturbed, angry, and hateful man whose musical message was quite simply "fuck off".

In this documentary by director Todd Phillips, Allin's last days on Earth are chronicled with unflinching honesty and graphic detail. We see Allin in all of his onstage glory, naked and smeared with his own feces, swatting at rabid fans, beating up girls and getting himself beaten just as brutally. Onstage he was a dynamic, if not obnoxious, prescence who seemed to frighten his audience more than entertain, but offstage he was a rather soft-spoken and tragic figure. For all of his posturing, Allin was ultimately a sad man with a sad history. While he seemed convinced that his music could save the world, in the end it couldn't save him from himself. Somewhat fittingly, instead of the eventful onstage death that he promised his fans for years, GG Allin died quietly in a flea-bag apartment, sad, penniless and alone.

This MVD release is the full-version of hated, with over 60 minutes of fan shot video footage that actually chronicles the very last day in Allin's life. It's a bittersweet extra hour that is, perhaps, one of the most visceral pieces of video I have seen, from the ferocious two song performance at The Gas Station, to the riot that followed, and ultimately Allin's quest for the drugs that would kill him later that night. It's strange to watch the events that lead up to an actual human beings death, but, in Allin's case, it almost seems appropriate in that he seemed to relish any and all attention he could derive. Now, thanks to a fan and a camcorder, his last day on the planet is now part of the public record for all to view.

Hated is a very entertaining documentary that is oftentimes very funny, albeit unintentionally, and at times very sad. The title refers to artists notorious reputation, but could just as easily have summed up Allin's feelings for himself.

Very highly recommended.