Rat Skates: Born In The Basement is the story of Skates and his early years in the industry. It's a fascinating inside look at what it took to get Overkill off the ground. Skates came from the punk scene and had that DIY ethic. He literally did everything at the beginning, from making his own stage clothes to building the stage set to designing flyers to silk screening tee shirts.
In addition to Skates narrating his story, there are also tons of candid photos of the early thrash bands, or as Skates calls them, "The Thrash Metal Class Of '80." Skates wrote and produced the movie and his wife directed (they have a film production company), so everything is seen from his viewpoint. Information about Overkill and some of the other bands of that era is given, but the main focus is on Skates and his DIY efforts in building the band.
Rat Skates: Born In The Basement is just over an hour long, and there is also plenty of bonus material and even a director's commentary. This is a movie that will be of great interest to fans of early thrash, but Skates' story is compelling and unique enough that you don't have to be a fan of Overkill or even metal to enjoy it.
