nobby burden (stevespeedy) I titled this "documentary," although it's so much more. In retrospect England was an empire in precipitous decline. Mortgages were extended to 40 years leaving nothing to posterity. Immigrants - legal and illegal - were taking work cheap and crowding out the council estates, thus leaving youth disaffected with no hope. The Sex Pistols voice that deep discontent, so the Callahan Labour government ginned up a campaign of 2 Minutes Hate as a temporary distraction from his evil party's stupid policies. I was caught up in it too.However, in 1985 I bought a copy of Never Mind TheBollocks. After listening to it enough times to decipher the lyrics, I was blown away! No wonder the government had to shut them up, the Pistols pulled no punches - calling the government a fascist regime was simply going too far. Well, God bless these lads.This film paints the despair of four down and out, yet very real people. I'd buy the fellows a round any time. They are genuine, no phoniness whatsoever. The best scenes are when the band hurled green on the hook-nosed heroin addict from the New Musical Express who was responsible for starting the media's hate campaign. And also the scene during the TV interview with the totally forgettable Bernard Whathisname. The lecherous host came on to one of their fans, so Glen called him a dirty old man. You could see this lilylivered coward blanch with fear, and cringe as he called for a commercial break.The Sex Pistols proved to the world that if you have something to say, then set it to 3 chord rock and proclaim it loudly!

HughBennie-777 "The Filth And The Fury" Best punk rock documentary dedicated to the Sex Pistols, and this isn't that prestigious an honor, considering the number of ratty, bogus bootlegs in circulation--most of them tainted by the idol worship of Sid Vicious and the unhygienic walking sperm-bank and all-around diabolical c-nt that was Nancy Spungen. Director Julien Temple does a smash-up job of explaining the economic and political, class-based sludge that was England in the 70s, but the moments that detail the hardships of the actual life span of the band (under 2 years) and show how miserable being a "rock star" was during such turbulent times are the most riveting. The violence and hatred toward the group, the lack of money, the desperate tours, the phony fans who led to the posturing geek show that was to become the punk movement by the end of the decade, all these elements are given a proper, gritty screen examination, and a welcome one. Temple's montages and the band speaking on screen in disembodied voices with their faces disguised--as if fugitives from the law--is clever and funny. There's a good selection of songs and hilarious t.v appearances, including those of the British pop variety, performing alongside artists like the Bay City Rollers and disco, as well. This all makes the band's rise to infamy as exciting as it is tragic.

KeelyTheRockStar if your not a pistols fan before you watch this, you definalty will be after. at least thats the experience I've had from myself and people i know viewing this film. i was already a bit of a fan. you know i had a thing for sid pre nancy days and i thought johnny rotten was a unique man. but after watching this documentary with my dad ( who is a musician, but never liked anything the pistols did) i realized that this band, was so much more than the punks they were made out to be, they were rebeling against being a product of their surroundings, but at the same time find that it near impossible to achieve. my dad on the other hand, watched the movie, and immediately asked for one of my pistols cd. so i game him never mind the bollocks and set off to listen. the very next day, i find him singing 'anarchy' while doing the dishes. his views were exactly hte same as mine. except this documentary turned him from a non believe to a fan.I'm not really one for documentaries... i thought id cracked it when i watched spinal tap, and then realsied that they were only mocking hte whole genre... so then i felt like a fool (but immediately went to see if my dads marshall went up to 11 rather than just 10). but the filth and the fury held my attention from the very first shot to the rolling of the credits. so naturally when i saw it in the store, i bought it, and I've watched it A lot of times since. sometimes in the row... and every time, it makes me laugh, and cry and makes me want to have lived back in the days of the punk.the filth and the fury is an emotional ride of a doco that combines everything you want in a movie with an awesome soundtrack and some real meaning. this documentary is a MUST for all music fans, whether you think you like the pistols or not. by the end of it, you will be converted. or just appreciative. its an excellent piece of film making that tells the story of one of the most influential bands of the 70's, and indeed of rock history.

RobertF87 This film is a documentary about one of the most influential (certainly one of the most controversial) bands in music history: The Sex Pistols.During their brief career, the Sex Pistols defined the genre of music called Punk Rock. The film details the situation in Britain at the end of the 1970s, where widespread dissatisfaction and alienation, combined with a very dull music scene, helped fuel the anger and craziness of Punk, which, according to John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten), gave a voice to people who previously didn't have a voice. The film is a collection of present day interviews with the surviving members of the band (given in silhouette, for some reason), archive footage from concerts and TV appearances, vintage movie clips (notably Laurence Olivier as Richard the Third) and surreal animation.The film mostly sidelines the Pistols' notoriously self-aggrandising manager Malcolm McLaran to concentrate on the band members themselves. The movie gives a good insight into an often quite disturbing world and a scene that was truly anarchic and exciting, whether you were a fan or not. There are also moments of genuine sadness, for example when Lydon talks about his friend, the late Sid Vicious. This is recommended to anyone interested in popular music, or anyone who wants to see what real Punk was all about.