The Punk Rock Movie (1978)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Don Letts

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

Documentary on the London punk-rock scene, circa '78.

Plot Keywords:

Punk Rock | Sex Pistols | Punk | Punk Music | Reggae

Cast

Wayne County	...	Himself
Terence Dackombe	...	Himself
Billy Idol	...	Himself
Debbie Juvenile	...	Herself
John Lydon	...	Himself (as The Sex Pistols)
Steven Severin	...	Himself
Siouxsie Sioux	...	Herself
Joe Strummer	...	Himself
Johnny Thunders	...	Himself
Sid Vicious	...	Himself (as The Sex Pistols)

Also Known As:

The Punk Rock Movie from England (USA)

Runtime:

USA:86 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA | Singapore:M18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

The Roxy, Neal Street, Covent Garden, London, England, UK

Company:

Notting Hill

Trivia:

Most of the bands were filmed at the Roxy club in London, where Don Letts worked as a DJ. Letts filmed the bands very simply with a Super-8 camera, and also filmed on the tour bus and at shows with The Clash and The Slits. The Sex Pistols were filmed at Screen on the Green in London on 3 April 1977, Sid Vicious's first show with the band.

Movie Connections:

References The Harder They Come (1972)

70's Time capsule material about the British Punk scene.

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!