Scott Crary
A documentary filmmaker who turned his lens on the abrasive, influential underbelly of New York's art-punk scene across generations.
Born 1978 (age 48)·American film director·Birthday: April 12·Generation X
Biography
Scott Crary entered filmmaking with a specific, noisy curiosity. His defining work, 'Kill Your Idols,' is less a traditional documentary and more a provocative conversation between eras of New York's underground music. Released in 2004, Crary didn't just interview bands; he juxtaposed the confrontational giants of the late 1970s, like Suicide and Lydia Lunch, with the millennial inheritors of their dissonant throne, such as Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Liars. The film's tension—fueled by purist disdain from the old guard and defiant ambition from the new—captured the eternal cycle of artistic rebellion. Crary's hands-on approach, serving as director, producer, cinematographer, and editor, gave the project a cohesive, gritty personality. While not a prolific mainstream director, his film remains a vital cultural artifact, a time capsule that questions the very nature of influence and authenticity in alternative art.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Scott was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Scott Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Scott's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Directed, produced, filmed, and edited the influential 2004 documentary 'Kill Your Idols,' examining New York's art-punk history.
- His film featured seminal interviews with artists from Suicide and Swans to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Liars.
- Served as a producer on the award-winning documentary 'We Live in Public,' about internet pioneer Josh Harris.
Did You Know?
'Kill Your Idols' takes its title from a song by the no wave band Sonic Youth.
He is a graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts.
The film includes a famously tense interview where artist Lydia Lunch walks out.
“I wanted to film the sound of a scene tearing itself apart.”
