Nostalgia Kinky

Oh man, I have been so stoked to watch Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story (2024), and it does not disappoint. The story of one of the great bands of my youth and beyond, this 90-minute documentary delivers in every way hoped for. Featuring the legendary McDonald Brothers telling their amazing story as one of the greatest American bands of our lifetime, Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story is engrossing, fun, and moving. An ode to the American Post-Punk scene of the eighties and nineties, as much as Redd Kross, this acclaimed documentary is coming soon as a packed Blu-ray from MVD featuring hours of extras.

Spilling over with one familiar face from the L.A. Punk scene after another, as well as nearly everyone connected to the Redd Kross saga Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story feels remarkably comprehensive. This is especially impressive considering how long Redd Kross has been around and just how many wild twists and turns the band and McDonald Brothers have had over the past five decades.

Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story is directed by first-time director and old-school punk Andrew Reich. He’s best known for his work on Friends, a perfect coincidence considering The McDonald’s lifelong obsession with pop culture and American sitcoms. Reich knocks his debut out of the park, creating a completely captivating look at a truly irreplaceable one-of-a-kind band.

Reich’s film handles the tricky proposition of telling both a story of family and a musical career dramatically well. Indeed, the interviews with the McDonald’s sweet parents are just as captivating as the many appearances by famed figures from the music and film worlds. Coinciding with all of these essential interviews is an astonishing amount of great archival footage chronicling the history of Redd Kross and the 80s/90s in general. It’s awesome stuff.

Like much of the McDonald’s music, Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story is endearingly infectious. The film takes a surprisingly dark and quite terrifying turn early on via a frightening story about a woman in her late twenties who took advantage of and eventually kidnapped the youngest McDonald, Steven. Only 12 years old and already a co-founder of one of the era’s best groups, Steven was missing for nearly three months. Watching his mom still visibly become shaken while recounting this horrifying chapter is one of the film’s most vivid moments.

For the most part, though, Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story is a really joyous affair turned up to 11 with incredible music and stories. I love these guys and am so glad Suicidal Tendencies didn’t murder them that afternoon in the park. It’s so amazing that Redd Kross ROCK ON to this day, still releasing essential music after most of their peers have long since imploded, vanished, or been removed.

While Reich manages to hit nearly every important note of Redd Kross’ existence, a few regrettable things fell to the side. Chief amongst these is the lack of mention regarding the McDonald Brothers’ work on Dave Markey’s Desperate Teenage Lovedolls films.

Thankfully, the few chapters from the story Reich left out (I suspect for pacing and time) are on the incredibly comprehensive bonus disc MVD has compiled here. This includes an entire section on Markey’s films. There are literally hours of footage on this bonus disc from live performances, extended interviews, and perhaps most impressive, a full, nearly hour-long eighties rehearsal! It is incredible stuff, and the fact that any of it would have fit perfectly with the main feature says much to the legacy of Redd Kross and how dedicated Reich was in telling their story. Along with the PACKED bonus disc, MVD has also provided a terrific commentary track with Redd Kross themselves, which is a really special thing.

As the world around us craters and the promise of 1968-1994 begins to fade more and more, I’ll happily admit that I’m someone who still believes the power and sound of loud electric guitars will save us all. Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story might begin in the seventies, but it feels especially necessary in 2026. I appreciated and loved this so much. Redd Kross was one of the great bands of my youth that I always blew seeing live. Watching Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story took me back in time and nearly got me into one of those lost gigs of my youth.

-Jeremy Richey, March 2026-