Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story (Blu-ray Review)
Director
Andrew ReichRelease Date(s)
2024 (April 3, 2026)Studio(s)
Born Innocent Productions LLC (Reich & Co.)- Film/Program Grade: A
- Video Grade: B+
- Audio Grade: B+
- Extras Grade: A+
Review
In a world where rock and roll documentaries are a dime a dozen, Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story really stands out. Odds are you’ll be in the same boat as me if you were to watch this. I was lucky enough to have it sent for review, so you may have to track it down, but it’s worth the effort, trust me. I had no idea who Redd Kross was. Born and raised in Hawthorne, California, home of The Beach Boys, two brothers—Jeff and Steve McDonald formed a band as teen and pre-teen respectively. Obsessed with pop culture, glam, rock, 60s music, 70s TV, KISS, pretty much anything else you can cram into a Gen X’s head to overflow. Redd Cross came to be in 1978 and simply exists on until today. Never having a real huge hit (in the US at least) they still became your favorite band’s favorite band influencing generations of bands coming out of California and Washington. These guys seemingly touched everything cool everyone currently loves, music-wise. And the stories they have and the way they tell them is half the fun of coming into this film. So rather that give a run down of what I learned watching this film, I heartily suggest you find this and consume it yourself and go in blind. Jeff and Steve McDonald are the real deal.
Video-wise, Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story looks good for a film culled together from sources of various quality. The main new interviews look best, presented in 1.78:1 with good detail. There are bits and bobs that show damage—pulled off of VHS tapes and 8mm that look not great, but as a whole, the film looks good. Sound is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1—again, some sounds good, some sounds limited but all of it serves the film and comes off clean. English subtitles are available.
As great as the film is, the value in tracking this set down for yourself is in the extras. This is a two-disc set and it’s packed. Supporting the film is a commentary track with the brothers McDonald and director Andrew Reich, peppered with so much additional info and details about the film it feels like a podcast. Disc two has enough material that it could have been made into a separate film. Most is extended material from the documentary as well as some of the more interesting archive footage. Beginnings – Expanded has them going more in depth on what they did to basically learn to be a band (learning Ramones tunes helped). There’s a featurette where we learn about a cult 8mm duology the boys made with David Markey—Desperate Teenage Lovedolls and Lovedolls Superstar. Polliwog Park Concert has the McDonalds further reminiscing on their first gig in 1979 when they opened up for Black Flag at a high school graduation party and a friends house—can you imagine? More behind the scenes discussions cover the Santa Monica Pier Concert, their The Posh Boy Era, the Name Change from Red Cross to Redd Kross, Teen Babes From Monsanto – Expanded, Neurotica – Expanded and Steve Breaks Down Every Redd Kross Record is further discussion about their albums and what went into making them.
There’s even more: Ron Reyes and Dez Cadena have an extended interview. There is discussion of Redd Cross’s The Naz Pad with an additional featurette capturing performance footage from the space (Naz Pad Rehearsal Jan 1989). Third Eye Gets a Good Rap is footage of folks praising the Neurotica follow-up. Some material dedicated to Sprit of ’76 in which they starred—Roman Coppola’s Original 16mm 1976 Music Video Footage and Spirit of ’76 – Expanded. Media Blitz Appearance is footage from local California TV show covering the release of Teen Babes From Monsanto from 1984. There are a few moments from the film, where you see the brothers pull out old albums so if that stoked any curiosity, there is a good bit of footage entitled Digging in Jeff’s Record Closet where you see said albums. There is also VHS and rare singles that may only exist in this closet space. Wonderfully, there is extended interview footage with the late great Kim Shattuck (Kim Shattuck Full Interview) lead singer, guitarist and primary songwriter of The Muffs. Rounding it all out is Santa Monica Screening Q&A with McDonald Brothers and Andrew Reich—footage from a screening Q&A where we learn they plan a new album so we also get to see The Tourists Reunion Rehearsal 11/21/15 and The Tourists Reunion Show 11/22/15 where we see that new music played. Finally, there is The McDonald Brothers Unplugged where they play acoustically in a living room. Oh, and there’s the film’s theatrical trailer. A lot of stuff and frankly, all of it is great.
- Todd Doogan