Sid and Nancy (1986)

Director:

Alex Cox

Writers:

Alex Cox (screenplay) and
Abbe Wool (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Tagline:

Love kills

Plot:

Morbid biographical story of Sid Vicious, bassist with British punk group the Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen...

Plot Keywords:

Sex Pistols | Sex | British | Death | Punk Rock

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 5 wins

Cast

Gary Oldman	...	Sid Vicious
Chloe Webb	...	Nancy Spungen
David Hayman	...	Malcolm
Debby Bishop	...	Phoebe
Andrew Schofield	...	John
Xander Berkeley	...	Bowery Snax
Perry Benson	...	Paul
Tony London	...	Steve
Sandy Baron	...	Hotelier - U.S.A.
Sy Richardson	...	Methadone Caseworker
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Hotelier - U.K.
Biff Yeager	...	Detective
Courtney Love	...	Gretchen
Rusty Blitz	...	Reporter
John Spaceley	...	Chelsea Resident
Coati Mundi	...	Desk Clerk
Ed Pansullo	...	Detective
Vincent J. Isaac	...	Detective
J. Steven Markus	...	Detective
Anne Lambton	...	Linda
Sallie Anne Field	...	Singer
Kathy Burke	...	Brenda Windzor
Sara Sugarman	...	Abby National
Mark Monero	...	Jah Clive
Michele Winstanley	...	Olive McBollocks (as Michèle Winstanley)
Andy Bradford	...	Dick Bent
Tom Little	...	Publican
Barbara Coles	...	Reporter
Pete Lee-Wilson	...	Duke Bowman
Graham Fletcher-Cook	...	Wally Hairstyle
Stuart Fox	...	Rock Head
Victoria Harwood	...	Hermione
Jude Alderson	...	Ma Vicious
James Snell	...	Edward
Niven Boyd	...	Rock Head's Trainer
Miguel Sandoval	...	Record Company Executive
Richard W. Barker III	...	Sid's Minder
Patti Tippo	...	Tanned and Sultry Blonde
John M. Jackson	...	Lance Boyles M.D. (as John Jackson)
Peter McCarthy	...	Hugh Kares
Desirée Erasmus	...	Mrs. Hugh Kares (as Desiree Erasmus)
Gloria LeRoy	...	Granma
Milton Selzer	...	Granpa
Bruce J. Magrane	...	Andy
Stefanie Auerbach	...	Bette (as Stephanie Auerbach)
Jeffrey Kumer	...	Buzz
Bradley Lieberman	...	Chipper
Tricia Bartholome	...	Mary Jane
Jeanne McCarthy	...	Trell
John Snyder	...	Vito
Ron Moseley	...	Wax Max (as Ron Moseley Jr.)
Fox Harris	...	Old Stain
Iggy Pop	...	Prospective Guest
Suchi Asano	...	Prospective Guest (as Suchi)
Pray for Rain	...	Guitarist (as Dan Wul)
Mitch Dean	...	Drummer
Circle Jerks	...	Kittens (as The Circle Jerks)
Angel Dove	...	Punkette
Sherice Prince	...	Punkette
Kelly Louise Lynn	...	Punkette
Sri Johnston	...	Punkette
Jamie L. Crowe	...	Punkette
Julie St. Claire	...	Punkette (as Julie Marie Capone)
Raymond Rosario	...	ABC Kid
Daniel Louis Rivas	...	ABC Kid (as Daniel Rivas)
Favian Xavier	...	ABC Kid
Al Alu	...	TV Interviewer
Bob Ellis	...	Fireman (as Bobby Ellis)
Peyton Kirkpatrick	...	Fireman
Jimmy Emig	...	Chelsea Child
Keith Morris	...	Rikers Junky
Alexander Folk	...	Riker's Guard
Dick Rude	...	Riker's Guard
G.J. Thomson	...	Dancing Kid
Lawrence Bell Jr.	...	Dancing Kid
Rome Jefferson Jr.	...	Dancing Kid
Cat Vicious	...	Smoky
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alex Cox	...	Man Sitting in Mr. Head's Room (uncredited)
Colin Davis	...	Smeggy (uncredited)
Peter Jaques	...	Priest Carrying Bottle of Whisky (uncredited)
Ken Leicht	...	Punk Rocker (uncredited)
David McCarthy	...	Kid Hustler (uncredited)
Slash	...	Punk Rocker (uncredited)
Anthony Straeger	...	Band Manager (uncredited)
Jaynie Sustar	...	Punkette (uncredited)
Barrie Wild	...	Longhaired Rocker (uncredited)
Del Zamora	...	Mexican Transvestite (uncredited)

Directed by
Alex Cox

Writing credits
Alex Cox		(screenplay) and
Abbe Wool		(screenplay)

Produced by
Eric Fellner	....	producer
Peter Jaques	....	associate producer: UK
Margaret Matheson	....	executive producer
Peter McCarthy	....	co-producer
Abbe Wool	....	associate producer
Abbe Wool	....	producer: USA
Scott Millaney	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Pray for Rain

Cinematography by
Roger Deakins

Film Editing by
David Martin

Production Design by
Lynda Burbank		(as Linda Burbank)
J. Rae Fox
Andrew McAlpine

Art Direction by
J. Rae Fox

Set Decoration by
Marcie Dale
Joanne Woollard		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Catherine Cook

Makeup Department
Peter Frampton	....	makeup designer
Aaron Glynn	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Andrew Z. Davis	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Dodds	....	second assistant director: UK
Josh King	....	third assistant director: Los Angeles
Betsy Magruder	....	first assistant director: USA
Rip Murray	....	second assistant director: Los Angeles
Marianne Myatt	....	second assistant director: New York
Barbie Painter	....	second assistant director: New York
Chris Rose	....	first assistant director: UK
Gerard Wall	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Charmian Adams	....	assistant art director
Lynda Burbank	....	art director: US
Michael D'Imperio	....	assistant property master
Clifford 'Kip' Gynn	....	assistant props
Caroline Hanania	....	art director: UK
Tyler Smith	....	special set construction
Philip Steuer	....	property master
Mark White	....	construction

Sound Department
Peter Glossop	....	production sound mixer
Scott Jacobs	....	sound
Andrew Sissons	....	sound assistant
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer

Special Effects by
Jarn Heil	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tony Willis	....	effects cameraman (uncredited)

Stunts
Jery Hewitt	....	stunt coordinator
Sherry Leigh	....	stunts
J.D. Silvester	....	stunts
Tom Wright	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jeff Baynes	....	third camera: UK
David Bridges	....	second camera: UK
David Bryant	....	first assistant camera
Roger Deakins	....	camera operator
Steven Fierberg	....	additional cinematographer
Jim Grce	....	gaffer
John Higgins	....	gaffer
Dwight Joseph Lavers	....	key grip
Peter G. Lindsay	....	best boy grip
Clay Liversidge	....	electrician
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
Gary Molyneux	....	electrician
William Moore	....	best boy electric: New York
Bill O'Leary	....	best boy
Simon Reeves	....	second assistant camera
Michael Rudolph	....	electrician
Stephen Williams	....	camera operator: rostrum camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Lucy Boulting	....	casting: UK
Victoria Thomas	....	casting: USA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lisa Riddle	....	costume assistant: Los Angeles
Lisa Riddle	....	costume design assistant
Pam Tait	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Michael Danks	....	second assistant editor
Justin Krish	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Kathy Nelson	....	music supervisor
Graham Walker	....	music production supervisor
Graham Walker	....	music supervisor
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Richard Booz	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Libbie Barr	....	script supervisor
Jacob F. Conrad	....	location manager: New York
Tom Garrett	....	assistant to producer
Ted Hope	....	production assistant
Tom Lowe	....	production assistant
Charles M. Lum	....	assistant location manager: New York
James R. Powell	....	projectionist
Dick Rude	....	commercials author
Joe Stevens	....	consultant
Rachel Talalay	....	location manager: Los Angeles
Abbe Wool	....	kitten wrangler

Thanks
Terence Dackombe	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Initial Pictures
• U.K. Productions Entity
• Zenith Entertainment

Distributors

• Artédis (1986) (France) (theatrical)
• CEL (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1995) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Criterion Collection, The (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Embassy Home Entertainment
• Highlight Film (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Highlight Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• New Line Cinema
• New Line Home Video (1995) (USA) (video) (LaserDisc) (licensed to Criterion)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The
• Sultan Entertainment (video)

Other Companies

• Film Wheels Ltd.  transportation
• Mayflower Recording  adr recording
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Also Known As:

Runtime:

112 min | Australia:110 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | Italy:VM18 | Australia:MA (cable TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Bramley Arms Pub, Bramley Road, Notting Hill, London, England, UK

Company:

Initial Pictures

Trivia:

In Alex Cox's previous film Repo Man (1984), a punk at a party in the beginning can be seen wearing a shirt with Sid Vicious on it.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Nancy puts the famous chain and padlock necklace around Sid's neck, as if it was a present from her. In fact, it was not given to him by Nancy, but by Chrissie Hynde, from the band The Pretenders.

Quotes:

Nancy:I don't think that Johnny likes me.
Sid:He doesn't like anybody. He's a fool.
Nancy:You like me, don't you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Lovers Walk (#3.8)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Anarchy In The UK

Convincing portrait of the wasted and the talentless.

Recent social history is very hard to capture through drama and Alex Cox must be grateful to have such a good plot device (a far from standard love story) to carry us through this difficult and much misunderstood period of history.

Punk rock was born to be a cult. Through all the headlines and publicity the central music barely scrapped the US charts: The Sex Pistols one studio album only just crept in to the American top 100 and they were viewed more as a novelty act than the next big thing. Only when the whole thing was tamed and popified did the thing take off, by then renamed "new wave" to differentiate between the new and old school.

(By this time the Pistols had long since self-destructed.)

In the beginning, the Sex Pistols were more a private party than a band, indeed they often played them instead of more normal gigs. The original punks were anti fashion and anti everything, attracting misfits of all kinds and colours; although art and fashion students made up the majority. This really was an open house with prostitutes, homosexuals and exhibtionists being equally welcome.

(This is accurately depicted in the movie.)

Sid and Nancy were from this hanging-on group and although joining the group as bassist and groupie respectively (Nancy tried to get it on with most of the band) they were never more than window dressing. The Pistol sound was Lydon/Rotten's voice and Steve Jones's power chords. Sid never even played on the records.

It is notable that many icons manage to have an icon haircut (Elvis, Rolling Stones, Beatles all set hair fashions) and amazingly SV even managed one himself with his perfect spikes. His look, his life and his early death made him a cult, but he didn't leave a legacy behind other than a series of half-hearted drunken rants.

Hard to see how Oldman could do more to be Vicious other than lose a few years. SV died at 21 and Oldman is clearly older (28 at the time of filming), but that is my only quibble. Chloe Webb (as Nancy) is also good, but annoying, like a dog that won't shut up barking and chewing the furniture, until you just accept it. A life consisting of drugs, sex and TV - often consumed all at the same time.

Alex Cox's direction (possibly because he knew the punk movement first hand rather than through the papers) is first rate - like Quentin Tarantino lite - but he is just as much a flash-in-the-pan as Sid and Nancy himself. He can't make a mainstream movie, because all he is interested in is man's ugly underbelly and without major acting talent these things look self-indulgent and even amateurish.

However this is a moral look at drug taking - not the "fun before it gets serious" moral - the "its never a good idea full stop" one. Sid is a child, Nancy is barely any more than a child, but more street-wise. Too lazy for work she used oral sex like most people use a credit card.

I like this film because it has something to say about undeserved fame, what you do (or the few choices you have) after your fifteen minutes is up and how empty headed people with no agenda get treated in this big bad world. Whether you want to spend time learning all this is up to you, but it is very well done if you do.