$100 and a T-Shirt: A Documentary About Zines in the Northwest

From 1990 to 1994, ground zero for the all-ages, alt-rock scene in Portland was the X-Ray Cafe. Brought to life and operated as a flight of fancy by Benjamin Arthur Ellis and Tres Shannon, the X-Ray was both a critical venue for emerging local and touring bands and hang-out for an amazing array of outcasts, street kids and creative eccentrics of all stripes. When band such as Crackerbash, Sprinkler, Poison Idea, Hell Cows, Smegma, Dead Moon, Hitting Birth, Beat Happenings, Cake, Hole, Green Day or the Spinanes were not on stage, anything from poetry to Spanish lessons to a sewing circle might have connected and entertained the customers. Whether shelter, social or information hub, or music mecca, the X-Ray represented and remains, in age-old fashion, a key chapter in many Portlander's coming of age. Ellis's film, loaded with interviews and performance clips, is a spirited valentine to the craziness and glory of days gone by and to the many who called the X-Ray home.

Over the last fifteen years, Plan-it X Records helped foster a huge cultural revolution -- uniting geographically divided DIY punk communities under one umbrella. With a united ethic and common goals, this scene has grown to a critical mass while some bands flirted with mainstream success and others choose to remain firmly rooted in the basement punk scene. This original documentary climaxes in the 2006 Festival where punks from all over the world met up in Bloomington, IN for a week of music and skillsharing. Original footage of This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, Japanther, Defiance, Ohio, Ghost Mice, One Reason, Operation: Cliff Clavin, Soophie Nun Squad, and more!