The Punk Rock Movie (1978)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Too much of everything

good back-story, and good acting

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

I caught this online at google vids at this web address if you want to see it http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4101813390428941237, I couldn't sit through the whole thing in one take to be honest, a LOT of the material is really bad at least in this format. To give you a reference on where I was personally in 77, I was in NYC Greenwich Village, lived a couple of blocks from where Sid died, remember seeing a couple of curiosity seekers, punk was not at all big in NYC in 77. I was into Led Zep, I saw them in concert that year and it was pretty good, punks were really weird to me then (I guess still are even though I love the music). You were either into disco (losers), Classic Rock (WPLJ radio), or "punk" and not many punk rockers were around at least in 77. Oh, I was all of 13, my first concert was Peter Frampton the year before some dude offered me a joint but I was next to my chaperons and had to refuse, that was a cool concert. Music to me was all about trying to score with a chick, classic rock helped that out a lot, the punks I saw in the Village at first looked like leather gays to me, and probably were. If you look at the scene in this movie what I found really missing was SEX, there's no sex at all here, not even kissing. There's a chick in the first minute who flashes herself but nothing else. I'm just trying to make an observation, I went to a couple of punk concerts, at Max's Kansas City (Johnny Rotten after the Pistols, really small crowd), The Misfits at a place in Chinatown I think, The Ramones in central park (they were sooo drugged out at least Joey was, he was just slurring the simple lyrics, it was really bad), TSOL in Milwakee (about 5 people for that crowd, partied with them after the show, that was fun), and did some shows on the west coast, but in all that stuff, no chicks for me. So I moved on from punk as did the more successful bands here, like the Clash and Billy Idol. So instead of saying who was really horrible in this raw footage (most) let me just say who I thought was decent. The Pistols and The Clash were both good, and unfortunately thats all I can say was good. Video and audio quality is really bad, watch this as a history time piece, I'm glad the dude made it, the filmmaker would later join the band B.A.D. (with Mick Jones of Clash Lead singer fame) I still listen to them every now and then. 7 of 10 to see some of the original punk scene and some good Pistols footage. Wish it had some punk chicks making out with each other, lol. Oh also let me say I saw the Selector live in NYC around 1979, great time, I didn't see them in this movie like another reviewer said, I don't think they were formed in 77 either and they only lasted a year or so before breaking up (I think they reformed as a revival thing now, we all got to pay the bills). Check this out, it's free and you can fast forward to the end and see the Pistols if you get tired of the other stuff.

There's no doubt about it. Punk was a sorely needed antidote to the pathetic drivel that made up (most of)the music of the mid to late 70's. Okay, I know you're going to bellyache about the rampant self destructive behavior of both the bands, as well as their audience, but the music (which in itself was born of boredom,anger,disillusionment,as well as rampant unemployment in the U.K. in the mid to late 70's)acted as an call to arms to a generation that was sick to death of the hyper slick,over produced dreck of the era. This film captures the spirit of the time with performances of some of the best (or worst,depending on your view of this kind of music & sub culture)talent that was out there (The Sex Pistols,The Clash,Generation X,with Billy Idol,Alternative TV, etc.). Besides the music,it also manages to capture a cinema verite window into the culture of the era,as well (there is some footage shot in Malcolm McLaren's shop,Sex). This film is a classic example of the whole kitchen sink, do it yourself (D.I.Y.) approach of the whole punk phenomena (it was shot on the old school Super 8 film stock, giving it a grainy,gritty look that does service to the films raw punk texture). This film is/was made available some years back on VHS (on an equally cheap & cheesy video stock quality that was sold in cut rate department stores for about five bucks). Perhaps it will one day resurface on DVD for a generation of punks who were not around back in the day.

I just got copy of this on DVD, and its worst quality video I've seen, its like EMI took the VHS version that was recorded on EP speed and transferred it to DVD. From looking at the video you can hardly see the faces on artists a lot of blurring and out of focus, looks like artist don't have eyes thats how bad it is. The sound track also is very bad, this could be that when they originally filmed it wasn't always good, a lot of songs on here you cant hardly hear the artist vocals just the music even at that the music still sounds like the Mic was down the hall, when the band on stage was playing. The only thing this video redeems from is you get to see a lot of punk bands from British wave in 70's, If your looking for at least good audio and video of British punk bands, there's a lot better then this out there in compilations out in DVDs with same bands on here, Like Old Grey Whistle Test or Rude Boy for Clash or Ramones Raw is a lot better.

I was quite happy (and surprised) to pick this up for $3 at a Wal-Mart; granted, it was a "Goodtimes Home Video" recorded in EP mode, but still... Unlike some of the other early punk movies, this movie actually focuses on bands and their music. There are funny situations with the Sex Pistols (what punk movie doesn't have a funny Sex Pistols segment?), but that isn't the only thing it has to offer. Live performances by the Slits and Siouxsie and the Banshees are my favorite portions, with nothing else really being so dull that it isn't worth watching. Well, Billy Idol isn't that great, but it's interesting to see him pre-MTV, pre-stardom. The movie itself is pretty low quality; the film appears to be 8mm- when transferred, probably through a few video generations, to an EP tape, the quality is poor. I'm not sure how much blame should go to the "photographer" and how much should go to Goodtimes. I'm not sure I would recommend this movie to everyone; my former roommate was disenchanted with the Pistols' juvenile humor and with a segment with the band Eater wherein a pig's head is beaten with a hammer- but anyone interested in the history of punk is doing themselves a disservice by not watching this movie. (And anyone who considers themselves punk and aren't interested in punk's history... you don't know what you're missing.)