Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Criterion Collection Edition #982
With this trailblazing musical, writer-director-star John Cameron Mitchell and composer-lyricist Stephen Trask brought their signature creation from stage to screen for a movie as unclassifiable as its protagonist. Raised a boy in East Berlin, Hedwig (Mitchell) undergoes a traumatic personal transformation in order to emigrate to the U.S., where she reinvents herself as an “internationally ignored” but divinely talented rock diva, characterized by Mitchell as inhabiting a “beautiful gender of one.” The film tells Hedwig’s story through her music, an eclectic assortment of original punk anthems and power ballads by Trask, matching them with a freewheeling cinematic mosaic of music-video fantasies, animated interludes, and moments of bracing emotional realism. A hard-charging song cycle and a tender character study, HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH is a tribute to the transcendent power of rock and roll.
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Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Directed by John Cameron Mitchell • 2001 • United States
Starring John Cameron Mitchell, Andrea Martin, Michael PittWith this trailblazing musical, writer-director-star John Cameron Mitchell and composer-lyricist Stephen Trask brought their signature creation from stage to screen for a movie...
Extras
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HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH Commentary
This commentary, recorded in 2001, features actor-director John Cameron Mitchell and director of photography Frank G. DeMarco. The two discuss all aspects of the film’s shoot, from color tests and staging to lighting and design.
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A "Hedwig" Reunion
This program, produced in February 2019, brings together many of the key collaborators on HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, including actor-director John Cameron Mitchell, director of photography Frank G. DeMarco, composer-lyricist Stephen Trask, hairstylist-makeup artist Mike Potter, animator Emily Hub...
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The Music of "Hedwig"
Music critic David Fricke first wrote about HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH after seeing the off-Broadway production at New York’s Jane Street Theatre in 1998. In this program, recorded in February 2019, Fricke talks to composer-lyricist Stephen Trask about Trask’s band Cheater, how the band influenced...
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Whether You Like It or Not: The Story of Hedwig
This 2003 documentary, directed by Laura Nix, covers the story of Hedwig, from the inception of the character through her first appearance at New York City’s SqueezeBox party, to the off-Broadway productions of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH and, finally, the making of the film. It features actor-dire...
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From the Archives: John Cameron Mitchell
The story of the origins, production, and legacy of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH can be told through the vast archives collectively held by members of the film’s cast and crew. Here, actor-director John Cameron Mitchell guides viewers through the ephemera that illuminates their processes and inspire...
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Costume Designer Arianne Phillips on HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY ITCH
The story of the origins, production, and legacy of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH can be told through the vast archives collectively held by members of the film’s cast and crew. Here, costume designer Arianne Phillips guides viewers through the ephemera that illuminates their processes and inspires t...
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From the Archives: Mike Potter
The story of the origins, production, and legacy of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH can be told through the vast archives collectively held by members of the film’s cast and crew. Here, hairstylist-makeup artist Mike Potter guides viewers through the ephemera that illuminates their processes and inspir...
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Anatomy of a Scene
Produced by the Sundance Channel in 2001, this short documentary investigates the creation of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH’s Adam and Eve sequence, from its workshopping at the Sundance Institute’s Director’s Lab in 1999 to its realization in the film.
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HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH Deleted Scenes
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Deleted Scenes with Commentary
