Name: Tear the Roof Off: The Untold Story of Parliament Funkadelic
Director: Bobby J. Brown
Genre: Documentary, Music
Released: 2016-02-26
Duration: 57 min
Rating: 7.7
Cast: Fuzzy Haskins, Debbie Wright, Gary Shider, Cordell Mosson, George Clinton

The funk empire built on LSD lawsuits, spaceships, and George Clinton's mad genius — then torn apart by greed.

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Chaotic family reunionBitter ex-bandmates spilling teaCosmic funk mythology

Overview

Documentary Music

The untold true story: The rise and fall of the greatest funk band ever, Parliament Funkadelic.

Content warning

amused music industry disgusted tense straightforward shocking candid informative defiant callous+5 more

Standout Aspects

Acting

George Clinton's unbothered chaos energy — performance as lifestyle.

Writing

Brutal firsthand accounts from wronged band members, no PR filter.

Editing

Jarring cuts between glorious live funk and bitter present-day testimony.

Best for:Solo·Friends·Streaming

Heads up:Drug Use·Triggers

Director

Bobby J. Brown

ReleasedFeb 26, 2016

Runtime57m

StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast

Intensityhigh

Tonemixed

Feelheavy

Top Cast

Fuzzy Haskins

Himself

Gary Shider

Himself

George Clinton

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

Director Bobby J. Brown is himself a former Parliament member, making this essentially a revenge documentary by an insider with receipts.

Cultural

The film exposes how Clinton's Afrofuturist vision — the Mothership, the clones, the P-Funk mythology — was built on unpaid labor from the same Black musicians it celebrated. The aesthetic liberation vs. material exploitation tension remains unresolved.