The Punk Rock Movie

The directness of the title sums it up sweetly: after nine years this still emerges as the most faithful and wittiest punk documentary ever made. Filmed largely during the famed 100 days of the Roxy in early '77 by resident DJ Letts, it captures the smell and rush of the phenomenon at its chaotic peak, and the jitter of Super-8 shoots most of the prime movers as the spirit of the thing befits; video would have been disastrous. Priceless and highly embarrassing highlights include pre-Pogue Jam fan Shane McGowan pogoing fitfully during the opening credits, a confused Siouxsie applauding herself at the end of 'Bad Shape', assorted Clash persons making dicks of themselves outside a cafe (reminiscent in part of Dezo Hoffman's home movies of the Beatles), and a splendidly explicit Wayne County sticking his head into the bass drum at the end of 'Cream in My Jeans'. Best of all, Rotten's performance on stage and off is magnificent. In pre-punk terminology, it's all eminently groovy.