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.
8 Reviews
Cool Historical Time Piece, Not The Whole Scene Though (I hope)
verbusen20 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Great historical document on the London 70's punk scene.
StudentDriver28 September 1999
I was quite happy (and surprised) to pick this up for $3 at a Wal-Mart; granted, it was a "Goodtimes Home Video" recorded in EP mode, but still... Unlike some of the other early punk movies, this movie actually focuses on bands and their music. There are funny situations with the Sex Pistols (what punk movie doesn't have a funny Sex Pistols segment?), but that isn't the only thing it has to offer. Live performances by the Slits and Siouxsie and the Banshees are my favorite portions, with nothing else really being so dull that it isn't worth watching. Well, Billy Idol isn't that great, but it's interesting to see him pre-MTV, pre-stardom. The movie itself is pretty low quality; the film appears to be 8mm- when transferred, probably through a few video generations, to an EP tape, the quality is poor. I'm not sure how much blame should go to the "photographer" and how much should go to Goodtimes. I'm not sure I would recommend this movie to everyone; my former roommate was disenchanted with the Pistols' juvenile humor and with a segment with the band Eater wherein a pig's head is beaten with a hammer- but anyone interested in the history of punk is doing themselves a disservice by not watching this movie. (And anyone who considers themselves punk and aren't interested in punk's history... you don't know what you're missing.)
I know about this....
YouKnowMyName6829 October 2005
I had bought The Punk Rock Movie on video tape in 1994 and was amazed at seeing video footage of the British punk rock bands: The clash, Eater, Billy Idol and Generation X, The slits, Siousxie & the Banshees, of course, the Sex Pistols, just so amazed. Seeing footage of the band members in their tour bus (The clash and the slits) just messing around and joking, footage of musical performances: X-ray spex, Selecter (Wow), the clash (1977) with J. Strummer looking ferocious and snarling and M. Jones handling that e.g. like a machine gun (F@#$ing Great!) Johnny Rotten doing a crazy dance, it just opened my eyes to what was a taste of what was going on in England at that time. I had no idea. Very shocking, because I had previously not known about the movement, this 'punk rock' Oh, I had heard the term but I was unaware, for example, I clearly remember seeing the clash perform on Saturday Night Live but that was it. I knew that they were the ones who sand "Should I stay or should I go" but that was it. I never knew that they had years behind them. NEver knew that about them and the rest of the others. I made the COLOSSAL mistake of lending it to a 'friend'. I never lend to anyone now. I hope to get a copy of the Punk Rock Movie again. I love it!!!!
Not worth seeing unless you like VHS in EP mode quality
jbl21214 June 2007
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.
Punk As F**k
Seamus28294 September 2007
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.
Worth A View, No Real Live Footage With Watching
schmidtp-542211 April 2023
Basically as others have said, it's a time capsule of Punk Rock at the time. While it's nice to see some familiar faces in their formative years like Billy Idol, The Clash etc it's mostly unknown bands from the time. If you're expecting to see The Sex Pistols in all their glory, you'll be sadly disappointed as theres a small bit at the start. Probably the most interesting part is The Clash being taught to play Reggae. But mostly clips of bands playing extremely bad and fly on the wall interviews. The footage is also pretty bad and hard to makeout faces sometimes.
Worth a look, although you'd only watch it once then move on.
Worth a look, although you'd only watch it once then move on.
70's Time capsule material about the British Punk scene.
Captain_Couth19 November 2003
Don Lett's Punk Rock Movie is just like the music it captures, crude but effective. Lett's (who would later become a member of Big Audio Dynamite) shot this movie on Super8mm. He was friends with many of the punk bands because he was their reggae connection (there was an interesting punk/reggae connection in London during that time). The footage of the Sex Pistols is priceless and worth the price of the tape itself. The Clash and the other major players are featured in this documentary. An interesting watch. I also recommend U.K. Decay as a follow up.
Be on the look out for a young Shane Mac Gowan (The Pogues). He was a huge punk back in the late seventies before he re-invented himself as a hard edged Irish folk musician. He went on to combine the two elements and create a new sound.
Highly recommended!
Be on the look out for a young Shane Mac Gowan (The Pogues). He was a huge punk back in the late seventies before he re-invented himself as a hard edged Irish folk musician. He went on to combine the two elements and create a new sound.
Highly recommended!
The best of the UK punk documentaries
InjunNose13 January 2020
Don Letts deejayed at London's Roxy Club during its brief but enormously significant existence (one hundred days), and was therefore in the perfect position to capture the creativity, the opportunism and the madness on his super 8mm camera. And he documented not only what was happening at the Roxy (X-Ray Spex, Slaughter and the Dogs, Eater with their ridiculous pig's head routine) but also the Heartbreakers, the Clash, the Slits, et al. on tour. The grand finale is footage of the Sex Pistols at Screen on the Green on April 3, 1977, marking the debut of Sid Vicious as the band's bassist. Through it all Letts eschews commentary, allowing the action to speak for itself, and the non-musical interludes (shooting up in the Roxy's restroom, police shutting down an "obscene" window display at London punk boutique BOY, various tour bus antics) give "The Punk Rock Movie" an extra patina of ghostly authenticity. This is true rock history right before your eyes and ears.
Complete, uninterrupted live performances include 'Cranked Up Really High' by Slaughter and the Dogs, 'Walking in the City' ('This Heat') by Generation X, 'Cream in My Jeans' by Wayne County and the Electric Chairs, 'No Brain' by Eater, 'Chinese Rocks' by the Heartbreakers, 'Bad Shape' and 'Limblessly in Love' by Siouxsie and the Banshees, 'Oh, Bondage Up Yours!' by X-Ray Spex, and 'Seventeen' and 'God Save the Queen' by the Sex Pistols.
Complete, uninterrupted live performances include 'Cranked Up Really High' by Slaughter and the Dogs, 'Walking in the City' ('This Heat') by Generation X, 'Cream in My Jeans' by Wayne County and the Electric Chairs, 'No Brain' by Eater, 'Chinese Rocks' by the Heartbreakers, 'Bad Shape' and 'Limblessly in Love' by Siouxsie and the Banshees, 'Oh, Bondage Up Yours!' by X-Ray Spex, and 'Seventeen' and 'God Save the Queen' by the Sex Pistols.
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