Mensa Lord of the Rave
2014 · 89m · Documentary · Music
The story of seminal UK nightclub Sterns (aka The House on the Hill) and its infamous promoter Mensa.
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Free Party: A Folk History
2023 · ★ 10
The film follows the inception of the movement, a meeting between ravers and the new age travellers during Thatcher's last days in power, and the explosive years that followed, leading up the infamous Castlemorton free festival in 1992 - the largest ever illegal rave, which provoked the drastic change of the laws of trespass with the notorious introduction of the Criminal Justice Act in 1994.
More info →Locked Off
2016
Rave Culture is one of Britain’s great cultural exports, but after its first wave in the late eighties and early nineties, it was soon forced into the underground by stringent new laws and superclubs. But forward 25 years into in the midst of a nationwide purge on the nation’s nightlife, where nearly half of all British clubs have shut down in the last decade, and a new kind of scene has emerged. Clive Martin investigates this 21st century version of Rave, where young people break into disused spaces with the help of bolt-cutters and complicated squatting laws, to suck on balloons and go hard into the early morning. But with the police using increasingly extreme tactics to clamp down on these parties, and more than one fatality causing nationwide media panic, can the scene survive?
More info →Berkshire Goes Balearic
2014
Charting the untold story of the Balearic sound, and how hedonism gripped the hearts, minds and dance floors of the English Home Counties, fueled by the freewheeling party island of Ibiza.
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A Techno Tragedy
2024
An explosion in the underground music scene is met by massive investment into Tucson, Arizona. Documentarian, Ty Besh, followed the scene from 2016 to 2018 showing the vast changes that happened to the people, venues, and scene in just 2 years. This Documentary serves as an archive and also a reminder to everyone in the DIY scenes across the world that moments come and go.
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What We Started
2018 · ★ 7.2
Bert Marcus and Cyrus Saidi present an informed and absorbing exploration of the history of EDM, boosted by an energetic soundtrack and anchored by the personal stories of legendary DJ Carl Cox and superstar newcomer Martin Garrix. Insights from numerous other DJs and musical talents like Moby, David Guetta, Paul Oakenfold and Usher help tell the often oppositional tales of old school vs. new school and mainstream vs. underground.
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Groove
2000 · ★ 6.2
An inside look into one night in the San Francisco underground rave scene.
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Thunderdome - The Video (Live In Jaarbeurs Utrecht 27 Nov 1993)
1994
As noted on back-cover: "The 27th of November 1993 the Jaarbeurs Utrecht was the location of the biggest and most spectacular house event in European history. 20.000 Ravers, 160 K Sound, 500.000 Watts of Lights, 12 DJ's, 5 Live Acts and the famous Thunderdome Octopus. Witness the unbelievable "Wall Of Sound", hypnotizing lights, lasers, video effects and of course the Thundertruck."
More info →Party! Party! Party! – Der lange Tanz des Techno
1996
A documentary about the rave and techno scene of the 90s. Back then, this emerging youth scene was still unfamiliar to most people and difficult to categorize.
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Im Techno-Rausch - 60 Stunden Dauerparty
1996
Documentary about the rave and techno scene of the 90s.
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The Party
2026
A young woman is pulled away from a colorful party and thrust into a nightmare.
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Melbourne Shuffler
2005 · ★ 9.8
Dance music has spread across the world transcending religious & racial barriers connecting to the hearts and souls of millions. People have always felt the rhythm of music and have as a result evolved countless dance styles throughout the ages. Beginning in the late 80's in Melbourne's underground dance music party scene, a revolutionary freestyle dance began to grow and has now developed into the most unique and robust underground dance style since the birth of Breakdancing. The Melbourne Shuffle has no set steps but encourages individuality and imagination, incorporating dance moves from numerous styles such as miming, popping & locking, liquid and breaking.
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Paradise
2025 · ★ 7
In the early 90s, Portugal experienced its own dance music explosion. Raves of epic proportions and a new sound shaped what was then called: “Underground house music from a paradise called Portugal”. Featuring exclusive footage and interviews with DJs, producers, dancers, and promoters, the story unfolds to reveal the birth and evolution of Portuguese rave culture and its lasting influence on electronic music worldwide.
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