This film serves as a nice bridge between between Don Letts' 'The Punk Rock Movie' and Penelope Spheeris' 'The Decline of Western Civilization' as it mainly follows the Sex Pistols on their disastrous U.S. tour which lead to their implosion and was followed by the death of Sid Vicious and his girl friend Nancy (hence the film's title). Lech Kawalski captures some excellent footage of the band as well as the locals' reactions to the 'punk rock phenomenon.' Also Kawalski shows the social conditions from which the Pistols came from to give more back ground. And, to show some of the group's influence, has a good amount of live performances from other key punk bands like Sham 69, Generation X, X Ray Spex, Dead Boys and lesser known act Terry and the Idiots - not to mention a soundtrack which includes music from Iggy, the Ramones and the Clash! Good stuff! I was a little surprised as I thought I'd seen every punk rock movie from the era but this one seems to have fallen through the cracks. If you can get your hands on it, do so!
11 Reviews
Extremely Crude and Incredibly F***off. Just how it should be.
Quinoa19844 January 2018
D.O.A, an shot on-the-run warts and all bands and crowd look at a goid sampling of UK punk (and The Dead Boys for some reason), shows that it's all fun and games and the occasional bottle thrown by a redneck in a Texas town (where the Sex Pistols inexplicably toured in 78) and rock and roll and old stuffy British men criticizing the Pistols (and the other bands the uptight Brit wanker censor couldn't recall)... Until one sees Sid post final SF Winterlabd concert with Nancy totally zonked on heroin (or, sorry, he was just 'tired').
This will obviously be appealing to people who know the bands - or at least have some familiarity with Rotten and the rest (there's even film, which must be the only time it happened, of ex-Pistol Glen Matlock's next band singing 'Pretty Vacant') - but it also has the fascination of opening a buried time capsule. It may also suffer somewhat if one already laps up punk rock docs and movies. I'm one of those who find anything punk related that has just a tinge of quality appealing and will go easy even (ie I know deep down there's not much storywise to Rude Boy, but it's The gddamn Clash playing live for goodness sake), but at the same time I'm coming to this now as opposed to when all the others were readily available as a teen and younger adult. Only now is DOA finally available after years of rights issues, so one comes to it after already lapping up Temple's (really terrific) The Filth and the Fury and Spheeris' Decline movies.
So as I can try to be all objective Mr Critic-Suspender-Pants and say this isn't as cohesive and the main thread of the Pistols on the ill-fated/final tour of the US gets a bit ruptured due to the Vicious/Spungen scenes being cut in well before the end really comes and the context for the band splitting isn't really there (I could be wrong but McClaren isn't mentioned once) ... I can't carp. Every time one sees the Pistols on stage, most especially the wild-eyed quasi-hunchback gonzo Rotten and the almost for today innocent posing by Vicious and the guitarist Steve, it's electric energy and somehow, through the magic if film editing, it even seems as though the American audiences get into the songs live (many being burgeoning punks who have found the real charge from them, yes even in Memphis on Elvis's first birthday post death). Another connection one can make is some of the interviews, done so raggedly and clearly without permission you can see the spit on the lens some if the people hurl, is Heavy Metal Parking Lot, where the interest becomes as much anthropological than anything.
And sure, I don't expect High Times - yes, the effing pot magazine funded this - to be doing Maysles level work. That may be in part why it can't help but compare to that first Decline film, where going from band to band and the Wiseman influence made it a tighter constructed film. But I still give this such a high rating because it is totally compelling and seeing the likes of Sham 69 (perhaps the best punk crowd one gets to see during a live performance, great energy too), Xray Spex (an underrated treasure of 70s female-led punk), Billy Idol(!) in Generation X (doing a song that is better than anything Idol did solo, and I'm not a hater on him), Dead Boys, et al, is often thrilling and sometimes funny - it helps to have some humor when being an aggressive SOB, or trying to - to see what this was all about. The music didn't go away of course, but it didn't stay quite the same as far as the first flood of what it was about.
And, at the end of it all, Spungen and Vicious were dead. One is almost tempted to call exploitation on that part of it (ala one of those Kurt/Courtney docs over the years), but.... High Times? Naahhh.
This will obviously be appealing to people who know the bands - or at least have some familiarity with Rotten and the rest (there's even film, which must be the only time it happened, of ex-Pistol Glen Matlock's next band singing 'Pretty Vacant') - but it also has the fascination of opening a buried time capsule. It may also suffer somewhat if one already laps up punk rock docs and movies. I'm one of those who find anything punk related that has just a tinge of quality appealing and will go easy even (ie I know deep down there's not much storywise to Rude Boy, but it's The gddamn Clash playing live for goodness sake), but at the same time I'm coming to this now as opposed to when all the others were readily available as a teen and younger adult. Only now is DOA finally available after years of rights issues, so one comes to it after already lapping up Temple's (really terrific) The Filth and the Fury and Spheeris' Decline movies.
So as I can try to be all objective Mr Critic-Suspender-Pants and say this isn't as cohesive and the main thread of the Pistols on the ill-fated/final tour of the US gets a bit ruptured due to the Vicious/Spungen scenes being cut in well before the end really comes and the context for the band splitting isn't really there (I could be wrong but McClaren isn't mentioned once) ... I can't carp. Every time one sees the Pistols on stage, most especially the wild-eyed quasi-hunchback gonzo Rotten and the almost for today innocent posing by Vicious and the guitarist Steve, it's electric energy and somehow, through the magic if film editing, it even seems as though the American audiences get into the songs live (many being burgeoning punks who have found the real charge from them, yes even in Memphis on Elvis's first birthday post death). Another connection one can make is some of the interviews, done so raggedly and clearly without permission you can see the spit on the lens some if the people hurl, is Heavy Metal Parking Lot, where the interest becomes as much anthropological than anything.
And sure, I don't expect High Times - yes, the effing pot magazine funded this - to be doing Maysles level work. That may be in part why it can't help but compare to that first Decline film, where going from band to band and the Wiseman influence made it a tighter constructed film. But I still give this such a high rating because it is totally compelling and seeing the likes of Sham 69 (perhaps the best punk crowd one gets to see during a live performance, great energy too), Xray Spex (an underrated treasure of 70s female-led punk), Billy Idol(!) in Generation X (doing a song that is better than anything Idol did solo, and I'm not a hater on him), Dead Boys, et al, is often thrilling and sometimes funny - it helps to have some humor when being an aggressive SOB, or trying to - to see what this was all about. The music didn't go away of course, but it didn't stay quite the same as far as the first flood of what it was about.
And, at the end of it all, Spungen and Vicious were dead. One is almost tempted to call exploitation on that part of it (ala one of those Kurt/Courtney docs over the years), but.... High Times? Naahhh.
A Must Have For Punk Fans
kirbylee70-599-5261794 January 2018
Warning: Spoilers
When the punk music scene began I was never a huge fan. It was only after time that I began to enjoy the music, at least some of it, and to appreciate what the genre was trying to accomplish. There was one thing about it that I noticed and that was the fact that it was only a major musical genre if you lived on either coast. Certainly there were band across the US that took to the style but the only areas where it was of major influence were New York, LA and England. Did it influence bands after? Perhaps but more so because of the press than because of actually seeing the bands perform.
That being said D.O.A. is a documentary about one of the biggest bands of the genre, the Sex Pistols, and there short tour of the US in 1978 that ended with the band breaking up. At least that's what's at the center of the film. In addition to that it takes a look at the entire punk rock scene. Interviews with various punks at the time as well as those who just didn't think much of the scene are mingled in with performances by other top bands as well.
Among those bands are The Dead Boys, Generation X (with Billy Idol), The Rich Kids, the X-Ray Spex, and Sham 69. All feature that hard edged, fast played, guitar driven sound that is synonymous with punk rock as well as lyrics that display an anger towards the world. The fact that so few of these bands have found their way to film, video or discs makes this film one that punk rock fans will want to pick up.
While the movie is supposed to be about that ill-fated tour it jumped around far too much for me to enjoy. One moment we're watching the band get ready to tour, then they're performing, then we move on to a different band, then the interviews and then somewhere else. There is no cohesive timeframe being followed here. The film is more Cinma vrit than straight documentary and that adds to the confusion for more mainstream viewers. It's an observation rather than an attempt to tell the story of what happened.
One of the most notable things included in the film is an interview with Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen in bed together. That piece has been used in numerous films about the couple. Its inclusion here, even though it took place after the band broke up, gives an insight into the band and the issues that drove them apart while at the same time not making note of the influence of Spungen towards that end. Interviews with the leader of the band Johnny Rotten aka John Lydon are nowhere to be seen here, perhaps because he wasn't interested.
Fans of punk music will want to make sure that they include this disc in their collection. The amount of live performance footage by some of the biggest names in the genre makes that worth it in itself. But there is more for those fans to enjoy as well. Included in the extras are a 12 page booklet with liner notes written by John Holmstrom the founding editor of PUNK Magazine, "Dead On Arrival: The Punk Documentary That Almost Never Was" a feature length documentary about the making of the film, reversible artwork for the sleeve, a 2 sides poster, the original theatrical trailer, a limited edition retro "Video Store Style" slipcover for the first pressing of the disc and a rare Sex Pistols photo gallery.
If you love punk music then you'll want to pick it up. If it's not your thing you might find the film a curiosity at best. Of note is that this is the first film as part of MVD's Rewind Collection, a series of films from the golden days of video stores with more to follow. It's nice to see some recognition for those films as well as the businesses that were there in the past offering more than just mainstream movies for fans on their shelves. Here's looking forward to the next release.
That being said D.O.A. is a documentary about one of the biggest bands of the genre, the Sex Pistols, and there short tour of the US in 1978 that ended with the band breaking up. At least that's what's at the center of the film. In addition to that it takes a look at the entire punk rock scene. Interviews with various punks at the time as well as those who just didn't think much of the scene are mingled in with performances by other top bands as well.
Among those bands are The Dead Boys, Generation X (with Billy Idol), The Rich Kids, the X-Ray Spex, and Sham 69. All feature that hard edged, fast played, guitar driven sound that is synonymous with punk rock as well as lyrics that display an anger towards the world. The fact that so few of these bands have found their way to film, video or discs makes this film one that punk rock fans will want to pick up.
While the movie is supposed to be about that ill-fated tour it jumped around far too much for me to enjoy. One moment we're watching the band get ready to tour, then they're performing, then we move on to a different band, then the interviews and then somewhere else. There is no cohesive timeframe being followed here. The film is more Cinma vrit than straight documentary and that adds to the confusion for more mainstream viewers. It's an observation rather than an attempt to tell the story of what happened.
One of the most notable things included in the film is an interview with Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen in bed together. That piece has been used in numerous films about the couple. Its inclusion here, even though it took place after the band broke up, gives an insight into the band and the issues that drove them apart while at the same time not making note of the influence of Spungen towards that end. Interviews with the leader of the band Johnny Rotten aka John Lydon are nowhere to be seen here, perhaps because he wasn't interested.
Fans of punk music will want to make sure that they include this disc in their collection. The amount of live performance footage by some of the biggest names in the genre makes that worth it in itself. But there is more for those fans to enjoy as well. Included in the extras are a 12 page booklet with liner notes written by John Holmstrom the founding editor of PUNK Magazine, "Dead On Arrival: The Punk Documentary That Almost Never Was" a feature length documentary about the making of the film, reversible artwork for the sleeve, a 2 sides poster, the original theatrical trailer, a limited edition retro "Video Store Style" slipcover for the first pressing of the disc and a rare Sex Pistols photo gallery.
If you love punk music then you'll want to pick it up. If it's not your thing you might find the film a curiosity at best. Of note is that this is the first film as part of MVD's Rewind Collection, a series of films from the golden days of video stores with more to follow. It's nice to see some recognition for those films as well as the businesses that were there in the past offering more than just mainstream movies for fans on their shelves. Here's looking forward to the next release.
Excellent documentary
littlesiddie10 May 2000
Features live performances by the Sex Pistols, the Rich Kids, the X-Ray Specs, Sham 69 and Generation X.
Hard to believe that this title is out of print. It's one of the best documentaries of the early Punk rock era.
It's got great interviews with some of the principal people of the time, such as the head of the GLC. And interviews with concert goers outside the Sex Pistols American gigs. And the famous Sid and Nancy bed interview. And a bunch of other stuff.
Hard to believe that this title is out of print. It's one of the best documentaries of the early Punk rock era.
It's got great interviews with some of the principal people of the time, such as the head of the GLC. And interviews with concert goers outside the Sex Pistols American gigs. And the famous Sid and Nancy bed interview. And a bunch of other stuff.
A snapshot of punk as it happened
simon-810937 February 2022
Firstly, all credit to the makers for having the foresight to capture the Sex Pistols and the punk scene in it's element for future prosperity.
Whether you like punk or not, you can't deny it made a lasting impression on the music scene. This documentary is padded out with lots of additional footage in the form of an artistic montage. I would like to have seen more film depicting the punk scene on the streets and interviews in addition to the bands performing.
I don't think so much footage of 'Terry and the Idiots' adds that much value to the documentary. It would be nice to see an even longer alternative edit of this in restored quality HD. I imagine there's far more unused footage available.
As it stands, it's a unique visual record of the Sex Pistols in the USA but I feel it will mostly appeal to punk fans or curious onlookers. The making of D. O. A documentary is much better.
Whether you like punk or not, you can't deny it made a lasting impression on the music scene. This documentary is padded out with lots of additional footage in the form of an artistic montage. I would like to have seen more film depicting the punk scene on the streets and interviews in addition to the bands performing.
I don't think so much footage of 'Terry and the Idiots' adds that much value to the documentary. It would be nice to see an even longer alternative edit of this in restored quality HD. I imagine there's far more unused footage available.
As it stands, it's a unique visual record of the Sex Pistols in the USA but I feel it will mostly appeal to punk fans or curious onlookers. The making of D. O. A documentary is much better.
16mm of rawness....
jerryfranc123 November 2004
FINALLY had a chance to see this raw, indy piece of work. As a punk snob from the era it refreshing to hear the original brit punks that slogged it out for obscure cult status and to be on about a zillion punk compilations, but w/ little else to show for it. Fans of Green Day, Rancid or whatever $$$-making outfit should bow their heads to these folks that would have loved the glory and cash but it was not to be.
A good non-obtrusive film that lets music speak for itself (albeit somewhat out of sync). It was a pleasure to see and hear COMPLETE songs as so many documentaries show perhaps a minute of a song and go back to commentary, etc.
Covers the Sex Pistols tour rather well, both on stage and crowd reaction. About 10 songs in all from the early '78 tour.
Sid and Nancy are there for real and are anything but the shapely, stylish Chloe Webb and Gary Oldman from "Sid and Nancy" from Alex Cox. Rather wrenching to sit through it all.
A tragic highlight was suffering through working-class yob Terry Sylvestre and his 'Terry and the Idiots' outfit that bomb heavily at the local pub.
If you want a double feature, pick up "Decline of Western Civilization" - a bit more polished, but pretty damn raw and worth it for the Fear concert footage.
A good non-obtrusive film that lets music speak for itself (albeit somewhat out of sync). It was a pleasure to see and hear COMPLETE songs as so many documentaries show perhaps a minute of a song and go back to commentary, etc.
Covers the Sex Pistols tour rather well, both on stage and crowd reaction. About 10 songs in all from the early '78 tour.
Sid and Nancy are there for real and are anything but the shapely, stylish Chloe Webb and Gary Oldman from "Sid and Nancy" from Alex Cox. Rather wrenching to sit through it all.
A tragic highlight was suffering through working-class yob Terry Sylvestre and his 'Terry and the Idiots' outfit that bomb heavily at the local pub.
If you want a double feature, pick up "Decline of Western Civilization" - a bit more polished, but pretty damn raw and worth it for the Fear concert footage.
We Miss You, "D.O.A.!!"
leshaholland22 January 2011
"Why, why, why why why?!" Discharge may have had something else in mind when penning the lyrics to that classic crust-punk tune, but it's a question that comes to my mind each and every time I think about Lech Kowalski's semi-lost semi-classic, "D.O.A.-A Right Of Passage." (That's the way the title was misspelled on my bootleg VHS copy.) Why oh WHY has this flick never had an official DVD release??! The director received the "film classic" treatment from Troma for one of his lesser works, "Gringo," AKA "Story of A Junkie," so why not THIS one?
Yes,this includes a far longer version of the infamous "bed-terview" with Sid& Nancy than what was seen in "The Filth & The Fury." The film is well worth watching for these scenes alone. You get the feeling that these two are almost entirely unaware of the camera, and the far-reaching consequences of its presence. Also, that they've been lolling about on that bed for a very, VERY long time. (Still think junkies are 'glamorous?')
Perhaps, like Penelope Spheeris' "The Decline," the interminable delay has something to do with securing the music rights from such a disparate and far-flung group of people. In the meantime, while we wait (and wait) for these two vital documents of my youth to have official releases, do you think maybe You-Tube could STOP removing clips of them for copyright violations??!
Yes,this includes a far longer version of the infamous "bed-terview" with Sid& Nancy than what was seen in "The Filth & The Fury." The film is well worth watching for these scenes alone. You get the feeling that these two are almost entirely unaware of the camera, and the far-reaching consequences of its presence. Also, that they've been lolling about on that bed for a very, VERY long time. (Still think junkies are 'glamorous?')
Perhaps, like Penelope Spheeris' "The Decline," the interminable delay has something to do with securing the music rights from such a disparate and far-flung group of people. In the meantime, while we wait (and wait) for these two vital documents of my youth to have official releases, do you think maybe You-Tube could STOP removing clips of them for copyright violations??!
Essential
marceloromero-9759918 August 2018
Shows political insecurity
fecund-219 August 2001
The film features not only punks and their performances, but also the reactionary times they played in. It's fascinating to see how threatened the powers-that-be felt, threatened by youth culture. (And it's too bad that the reactionary politicos of today are too secure to be threatened by any populist movement...)
Padded punk rock picture
lor_31 December 2022
My review was written in April 1981 after a screening in Greenwich VIllage:
D. O. A." is the sixth film thus far attempting to use the defunt group The Sex Pistols to document the much-publicized punk rock movement of 1977-78. Director Lech Kowalski hits only the obvious point in his padded survey approach, creating an artifact of sociological interest only.
Pic focuses mainly on the Pistols' 1978 U. S. tour. Kowalski intercuts performance footage with lots of stray footage of freaked-out U. S. fans and camp followers, as well as no-nothing opponents of the new music fad. Pompous statements by Warner Brothers Records execs set the tone as helmer seeks out various straw men representing "the establishment" to expose as reactionaries. Chief amongst these are a tough-talking but hissable member of the Greater London Council who is opposed to punk rockers and a mercenary record store operator, Bleecker Bob.
Randomly inserted in the film are grubby sequences purporting to show contemporary England in a state of decay, while man-on-the-street interviews indicate punk may be an outlet for aggressions of unemployed youth in Blighty. The American fans, by way of contrast, seem merely out to have a wild time.
To achieve feature length, Kowalski pads the picture with footage of other punk bands, ranging from the genuinely exciting Sham 69 to the incompetent Terry & the Idiots. Leader of latter outfit, Terry Sylvester, is interviewed at length to boring effect, Hokey subtitles are superimposed to highlight the barely-intelligible lyrics of the Pistols' songs.
Pic's highpoint, as far as historians and black humor fans are concerned, is a morbid non-interview with Pistols' member Sid Vicious and his g.f. Nancy Spungen. As titles-over remind us, duo died in 1978 and 1979, and spectacle of watching a near-comatose Vicious lamely attempt to answer questions while Spungen yells at him puts "D. O. A." briefly into the "Mondo Cane" expose school of filmmaking.
Sound recording is poor for most of the film and blown-up from 16mm visual are murky.
Pic focuses mainly on the Pistols' 1978 U. S. tour. Kowalski intercuts performance footage with lots of stray footage of freaked-out U. S. fans and camp followers, as well as no-nothing opponents of the new music fad. Pompous statements by Warner Brothers Records execs set the tone as helmer seeks out various straw men representing "the establishment" to expose as reactionaries. Chief amongst these are a tough-talking but hissable member of the Greater London Council who is opposed to punk rockers and a mercenary record store operator, Bleecker Bob.
Randomly inserted in the film are grubby sequences purporting to show contemporary England in a state of decay, while man-on-the-street interviews indicate punk may be an outlet for aggressions of unemployed youth in Blighty. The American fans, by way of contrast, seem merely out to have a wild time.
To achieve feature length, Kowalski pads the picture with footage of other punk bands, ranging from the genuinely exciting Sham 69 to the incompetent Terry & the Idiots. Leader of latter outfit, Terry Sylvester, is interviewed at length to boring effect, Hokey subtitles are superimposed to highlight the barely-intelligible lyrics of the Pistols' songs.
Pic's highpoint, as far as historians and black humor fans are concerned, is a morbid non-interview with Pistols' member Sid Vicious and his g.f. Nancy Spungen. As titles-over remind us, duo died in 1978 and 1979, and spectacle of watching a near-comatose Vicious lamely attempt to answer questions while Spungen yells at him puts "D. O. A." briefly into the "Mondo Cane" expose school of filmmaking.
Sound recording is poor for most of the film and blown-up from 16mm visual are murky.
Terry and the idiots at their best
Toyne29 July 2003
Great live footage of Terry and the Idiots with Terry Sylvester talking about his bands performance after the gig, noting their lack of professionalism. Also the guy who who claims he's 'still has to go out thieving to collect his money' but is he fifteen or sixteen that is the question. Oh and its got The Sex Pistols on it too!
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