The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead
Directed by Wes Orshoski
Starring Fred Armisen, Chrissie Hynde, Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister, Duff McKagan and Jello Biafra
From Lemmy filmmaker Wes Orshoski comes the story of the long-ignored pioneers of punk: The Damned, the first U.K. punks on wax and the first to cross the Atlantic. This authorized film includes appearances from Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jones (The Clash), Lemmy and members of Pink Floyd, Black Flag, GNR, the Sex Pistols, Blondie, Buzzcocks, and more. Shot around the globe over three years, the film charts the band's complex history and infighting, as it celebrated its 35th anniversary and found its estranged former members striking out on their own anniversary tour, while still others battle cancer.
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Reviews
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★★★½ review by Nathan Rabin on Letterboxd
If you enjoy movies about cranky old musicians as much as I do, then this is a movie about cranky old musicians for you!
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★★★★★ review by Damo Musclecar on Letterboxd
Great doco on a great band.
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★★★★ review by James Curtiss on Letterboxd
Everyone should be a fan of The Damned. Not everyone should watch this doc. If the idea of watching aged punk rockers lay it all out for everyone to see how non-rock and roll just being in the rock and roll business can be just makes you want to go country, this doc is not for you. Hell, even Damned fans might be put off by just how much this reveals. That, plus the length of the film, makes for kind of an exhausting experience. Warts and all, I love The Damned. I love that they continued to make music. I love that they still put on a hell of a show, as long as the Captain doesn't fly off the handle. So, no surprise I loved this doc. I'm, just saying you might not.
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★★★★ review by John Athey on Letterboxd
"What do you know about New York?"
"We know the MC5 and The Stooges." -
★★★½ review by ChainsawMasacre on Letterboxd
I wasn't a big fan of "Neat, Neat, Neat" or "New Rose" and almost turned this off for good after an hour. However, I'm glad I continued with it because not only did it get a bit more interesting in the second hour but the film ends with a fantastic live version of "Ignite" (a song which I had never heard before). Based on that song alone, I may investigate their back catalog but the rest of the film did not sell me on the band at all.
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