Italian wild hardcore punk rock’n’rollers BUSCEMI’S EYES, born from the Bergamo-Milan scene in 2019, dives deep into cinematic homage with Movie Core, their first full-length album, out on November 8, 2024.
After a solid reception to their debut EP Is It Bad?, this release shifts into a high-gear exploration of film-inspired fury. The record is brimming with riffs, tempo shifts, and a whole lot of Buscemi—from quirky, raw quotes to deeply ingrained cinematic atmospheres. Hardcore rock, punk, and a stoner edge converge in twelve intense tracks that embody Steve Buscemi’s indelible screen presence.
With Movie Core, BUSCEMI’S EYES presents twelve compositions linked directly to scenes, lines, and themes from Buscemi’s filmography. From Reservoir Dogs to The Big Lebowski, each track pays tribute, often channeling irony and despair that only wild punk rock can deliver.
The lead single, “Buscemi’s Eyes,” comes accompanied by a video that hurls viewers into an intense, “Tarantino-esque” visual experience, capturing the album’s violent, surreal tones. It’s a full dive into Buscemi’s chaotic universe, whether it’s the bitter cynicism of Ghost World’s Seymour or Mr. Pink’s existential musings in Reservoir Dogs.
This project isn’t just homage for the sake of it—founding members Morla, PierP, Ash, and Pao (veterans from Italian hardcore bands like DISORDINE, DISCOMOSTRO, SOTTOPRESSIONE, and LEMARTIRE) blend quotes and personal interpretations in a way that reimagines scenes from their favorite films.
Recorded by PierPaolo Alessi at Gotama Studio and featuring guest vocals from Olga of SVETLANAS on “99%,” this album sounds as sharp as the vision behind it, taking listeners through Buscemi’s lens.
Movie Core pulls listeners into its film-inspired madness, with each song sketching a different scene in Buscemi’s chaotic film universe. Every track is crafted to capture the heart of a different moment or character, from the existential comedy of “Ghost World” to the visceral menace of “No Jean, No Money” in Fargo.
The iconic bowling alley showdown in The Big Lebowski finds its hardcore counterpart in “Mark It Zero,” while “Buddy Holly” is a nod to that fleeting yet unforgettable cameo in Pulp Fiction. And if you’ve ever wondered how hardcore fits into Buscemi’s role as a disenchanted rock ‘n’ roller in Airheads, “The Lone Rangers” has your answer—unfiltered rock energy in homage to that underdog spirit.
BUSCEMI’S EYES delivers a record that doesn’t settle for superficial homage. Get the album and dive into the full track-by-track commentary for insights into the band’s vision for each song.
“It’s tough to make a top ten movies from Steve, because most of his films are great.” – says the band. “And even when the movie isn’t, Steve Buscemi’s performance always is. So here’s just a list, in no particular order: Reservoir Dogs, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, Airheads, Ghost World, Coffee and Cigarettes, Miller’s Crossing, Mystery Train, Barton Fink, and Con Air.”.
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BUSCEMI’S EYES
“Please don’t lie: have you ever tried to see this world through Buscemi’s Eyes?”
Perhaps you have, if you’ve ever found yourself in an unexpected, dangerous situation where things go wrong, nothing is clear, and you can’t trust anyone around you. This is Mr. Pink’s perspective in Reservoir Dogs. We used his words during the verse, the same lines he speaks in the movie, to describe and try to understand what’s happening there. The chorus is our request and question… have you? Because we did.
GHOST WORLD
The title of the track is the same as the movie. Sure, it’s a comedy with no blood or violence, but that doesn’t mean we’re here to laugh—this one’s about life. Steve Buscemi plays Seymour, a character with misanthropic reflections on existence, people, and relationships that we can absolutely relate to.
NO JEAN, NO MONEY
It’s freezing in Fargo… California’s blue skies are far away, and everything is covered in snow. Steve’s wearing a heavy coat instead of a black suit, but he’s still carrying a gun, and everything’s still going wrong.
THE LONE RANGERS
If you’ve seen Airheads, you know that the title of this song is the name of a wild rock ‘n’ roll band… with Steve Buscemi on bass guitar! They just want what most musicians want: to play loud, express themselves, communicate, send a message, and have a blast. They’re determined to get their song on the radio and will do anything to make it happen. Speaking of which—play this album on the radio!
MARK IT ZERO
The Big Lebowski doesn’t just have iconic scenes; every scene from that movie is iconic! This song centers on one of them. There are rules, and they matter. Donny (played by Steve) learns this in a bowling alley when his friend Walter loses control, pointing a gun at Smokey, whom he accuses of cheating, and forces him to mark zero on the score sheet. We all have a friend who exaggerates, and if you don’t… maybe it’s you.
BUDDY HOLLY
One of the things we love most about Quentin Tarantino is his irony. For instance, he cast “Mr. Pink” (known for not tipping) in a quick cameo as a waiter, dressed like Buddy Holly, serving Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction. We couldn’t pass this up, so here’s a song that’s less than a minute long, for Buscemi’s brief moment in that Tarantino classic.
IS IT BAD?
Back in the Reservoir Dogs universe, in that same tense situation. The theme is the same as in the first track, though this time without direct lines from the movie—except for the chorus, of course. The lyrics list legitimate questions we’ve all asked ourselves when everything’s gone wrong. Did you ever find the answers?
MAP TO THE STARS
This one’s named after one of Steve Buscemi’s funniest characters, from Escape from L.A., directed by John Carpenter. From antagonist to hero’s sidekick, here’s what we imagine he would say to Snake Plissken in our personal script.
99%
Another track inspired by Ghost World. If our misanthropic outlook wasn’t clear enough in the other song, here we make it more explicit, capturing Buscemi’s sentiment in this simple quote: “I can’t relate to 99% of humanity.” We get it, Steve. We feel you. Special thanks to Olga from Svetlanas for adding her incredible voice and attitude to this track!
CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE CHANGED
Back in Fargo. It’s the worst phone call ever for Jerry Lundegaard, with Steve on the other end of the line, delivering a barrage of bad news and threats. Guess what? Yes, something’s gone wrong again, everything’s falling apart, even though we’re in another movie. But things can always get worse…
I DON’T TIP
Reservoir Dogs again, this time before the tragedy unfolds. Mr. Pink is very clear: he doesn’t tip. He doesn’t believe in it. It’s a truly punk message we agree with—don’t do something just because society tells you to! (Though he certainly didn’t know then that he’d end up working as a waiter…)
DONNY
Back in The Big Lebowski’s world, back in that same legendary bowling alley, back in the Coen Brothers masterpiece. Walter is speaking again, this time directly to Steve’s character Donny. It seems there’s yet another lesson for Donny to learn, and Walter teaches it throughout the movie: if you don’t know what you’re talking about, shut up. Well, that’s something a lot of people could stand to learn!
