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Screenings:
Whether the Sex Pistols were simply a sophisticated hype run amok or the true voice of their generation has been widely debated, and is the central theme of not one but two films about The Sex Pistols by director Julien Temple. There's always been two sides of the Sex Pistols story-the Malcolm Mclaren view and the Johnny Rotten view. In Mclaren's version, the Sex Pistols were really his brainchild, a brilliant and intricate marketing and promotion scheme geared towards making a boat-load of cash from a band who couldn't be seen nor heard. In the film, Mclaren talks about his need to hide the fact that the band didn't know how to play. It is true that original bass player Glen Matlock was replaced with Sid, despite the fact that Sid knew nothing about the bass. In Johnny Rotten's version, Malcolm had no control over the band, they themselves are the true genius' behind the Pistols' notorious legacy. The truth (like most truths) probably lies somewhere between. The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is the Mclaren side of the argument. Its rambling plot bears testimony to its tumultuous production history. Despite its random, haphazard script (hey, it's punk rock after all), the film trundles along at a cheerful pace, and is bolstered by the incredible live footage of the band at the peak of it's power, and sadly, at their lowest point of their short-lived career. Indeed one of the most fascinating portions of the film is footage of the last Pistols show ever (their 1996 "reunion" fiasco not withstanding) in San Francisco. The look on Johnny Rotten's face is unforgettable-as he realizes that it's the end, he utters the now famous line "Ever feel like you've been cheated?" The archtypal, iconic "My Way" segment, performed by Sid Viscious, has to be seen to be believed. Punk's influence can still be felt today in every corner of art and popular culture: music, fashion, design. As incredibly ridiculous as this may sound, especially after watching this movie, I can honestly say that, growing up in the fervent D.C. scene of the early '80s, punk rock changed my life. I remember seeing this The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle on video, a copy of a copy of a copy, in someone's basement. The film was never really released in the U.S., and was caught up in court battles for years-so to even have a bad bootlegged copy was something quite special. It felt like we were watching something we were never meant to see. And it still does. To see it on the big screen is a rare opportunity not to be missed. Despite some of its historical inaccuracies The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle is an important document of the punk scene in London in 1978. As you enjoy this extremely rare print of the original punk rock classic, please refrain from gobbing at the screen, pogoing in the isles, and joining in the naked calesthenics performed by Paul Cook and Steve Jones on a South American beach with an exiled nazi-Jon Jolles. Tidbit:
Bio:
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Punk's
influence can still be felt today in every corner of art and popular
culture: music, fashion, design. As incredibly ridiculous as this
may sound, especially after watching this movie, I can honestly
say that, growing up in the fervent D.C. scene of the early '80s,
punk rock changed my life. I remember seeing this The Great Rock
'n' Roll Swindle on video, a copy of a copy of a copy, in someone's
basement. The film was never really released in the U.S., and was
caught up in court battles for years-so to even have a bad bootlegged
copy was something quite special. It felt like we were watching
something we were never meant to see. And it still does. To see
it on the big screen is a rare opportunity not to be missed.