The Filth and the Fury (2000)

A film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.

Director:

Julien Temple

Stars:

Paul Cook, Steve Jones, John Lydon

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Paul Cook	...	Self
Steve Jones	...	Self
John Lydon	...	Self (as Johnny Rotten)
Glen Matlock	...	Self
Sid Vicious	...	Self (archive footage)
Malcolm McLaren	...	Self
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Bowie	...	Self (archive footage)
Alice Cooper	...	Self (archive footage)
Stewart Copeland	...	Self (archive footage)
Ronnie Corbett	...	Self (archive footage)
Bryan Ferry	...	Self (archive footage)
Stephen Fisher	...	Self (Sex Pistols' lawyer) (archive footage)
Alice Fox	...	Woman in crowd (voice)
Bill Grundy	...	Self (archive footage)
Eric Hall	...	Self (as Eric 'Monster' Hall)

Storyline

A documentary about the punk band The Sex Pistols. The film tries to lighten some of the backgrounds of their way through the punk era while telling the story of the band from zero back to zero. Features lots of interviews and comments of folks who were involved.

---

Plot Keywords:

black comedy | music history | rock 'n' roll | chelsea london | year 1980 | 

---

Taglines:

A Sex Pistols film - uncut, unseen, unbelievable.

---

Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Music

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive strong language, drugs and sexual content

Did You Know?

Quotes

Bill Grundy: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and Brahms have all died...
John Lydon: They're all heroes of ours, ain't they?
Bill Grundy: Really... what? What were you saying, sir?
John Lydon: They're wonderful people.
Bill Grundy: Are they?
John Lydon: Oh yes, they really turn us on.
Steve Jones: But they're dead!
Bill Grundy: Well, suppose they turn other people on?
John Lydon: [under his breath] That's just their tough shit.
Bill Grundy: It's what?
[...]

---

Connections

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

---

Soundtracks

Who Killed Bambi
Written by Edward Tudor-Pole (as Tudor) / Vivienne Westwood (as Westwood)
Performed by Tenpole Tudor (as Ten Pole Tudor)
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc. for North America
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products
Courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd. for the rest of the World

User Reviews

Best of all, we're all told the answer to the big question ... WHY???

MUSIC: In the same way the meaning of the word Scientific means "of or pertaining to Science", we all know that Music means "of or pertaining to a muse". It's a sound that punctuates (Punk-tuates?) the feeling, emotion, idea, thought, etc. that the person/s are feeling at the time.

There are many today who still wonder how "that "God-awful noise made by a bunch of underclass hoodlums" came into being and caught on as a style that spread. Especially when they hardly had any musical skills whatsoever.

Here's one example of why:

If you listen to the song "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", you'll notice that the lyrics are very bitter, to say the least. But there's nothing bitter about the accompanying music. It doesn't punctuate nor put to sound the extreme emotion that the singer/songwriter was feeling at the time of the song's conception, it's just cutesy and nauseatingly nice, a sugar-coating until you realize "Wait a minute, this isn't a nice song, it's totally angry and bitter."

That's why it came into being (in Britain, anyway): the Sex Pistols were not just making the loudest noise at the time, but the noise also seemed to be the only one that fit what they as well as many others were feeling at the time.

This documentary is not a P.R. film that is clipped to portray the Sex Pistols as great and wonderful geniuses of music who changed the world, as most movies and documentaries do; it explains what it all meant to the members of the band in THEIR time and place and why they HAD to come into being then and there. Their sound, their attitudes, their antics represented EVERYTHING they were feeling, had to say, etc.

From the way they tell Their case, it seems to me as the plain and simple balancing of Nature in the same way you'll find that the more churches there are in a neighborhood, the more crime and corruption you'll also find. Don't like that last explanation? Okay, it also seems to me that they were the necessary musical (and cultural) fuel to one of many fires during an already existing social upheaval.

I haven't seen the VHS version but the DVD also comes with a documentary featuring other people who were in the scene during its roots and why THEY were a part of it, as Punk had different meanings, depending where and when you were. That's probably where the explanation "If you don't know what it means/meant, then (up yours)" came from.

By the way, in case you're wondering about how biased my opinion is, I should let you know that I'm fully aware that such groups as Black Sabbath (who knew more about instrumentation) more or less started that "God-Awful Noise" approximately 10 years prior to Punk's conception, much less given its title. So, as much as I enjoy Punk and Metal [as well as Mozart, Bjork, 2-Live Crew, and many others (depending on my mood)], I know very well that there is nothing new under the sun and that they were no more original than "Grunge" groups like Nirvana; if you stick a pearly-white tooth and leave it in a glass of cola for a month, is the brown tooth you see later a different tooth? Of course not.

Anyway, for the fans as well as those who didn't understand, this is one very well-told explanation. Love the subculture and/or the music, hate it, feel what you will about it. At least you'll have a clue to understanding (maybe not supporting, but at least understanding) why it WAS. And that clue will also help you at least theoretically understand such other things like Hardcore Rap, Industrial, and any other punctuated sounds from those who at least Felt Like they're in the "Underclass" at one time or another.

Aaaannnnnd ... CUT!

That's a wrap.

Details

Official Sites:

The Klock Worx [Japan] Transformer [Japan]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 May 2000 (UK)

Also Known As:

I goiteia tis orgis

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,305, 2 April 2000

Gross USA:

$612,192

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$612,192

Company Credits

Production Co:

FilmFour, Jersey Shore, Nitrate Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1