I was quite happy (and surprised) to pick this up for $3 at a Wal-Mart; granted, it was a "Goodtimes Home Video" recorded in EP mode, but still... Unlike some of the other early punk movies, this movie actually focuses on bands and their music. There are funny situations with the Sex Pistols (what punk movie doesn't have a funny Sex Pistols segment?), but that isn't the only thing it has to offer. Live performances by the Slits and Siouxsie and the Banshees are my favorite portions, with nothing else really being so dull that it isn't worth watching. Well, Billy Idol isn't that great, but it's interesting to see him pre-MTV, pre-stardom. The movie itself is pretty low quality; the film appears to be 8mm- when transferred, probably through a few video generations, to an EP tape, the quality is poor. I'm not sure how much blame should go to the "photographer" and how much should go to Goodtimes. I'm not sure I would recommend this movie to everyone; my former roommate was disenchanted with the Pistols' juvenile humor and with a segment with the band Eater wherein a pig's head is beaten with a hammer- but anyone interested in the history of punk is doing themselves a disservice by not watching this movie. (And anyone who considers themselves punk and aren't interested in punk's history... you don't know what you're missing.)
