Film Reviews

End of the Century: Story of the Ramones

• Rating:
• Director: Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields.
• Starring: Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Tommy Ramone, Marky Ramone, C. J. Ramone, Ritchie Ramone, Arturo Vega.
• Details: US/ 120 mins/ (no cert).

Even if you're not a fan of their music, it would be impossible to dismiss the massive influence that New York punk pioneers The Ramones had on generations of musicians. Epitomising the punk attitude, the band's sheer energy, recklessness and occasionally childishness is translated quite marvellously in Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields' meticulous documentary, End of Century. Starting with the band's formation in New York in the early 1970s, End of Century tells the full story of the group's tumultuous history, the members of which all changed their name to Ramone and who, when they weren't in-fighting or nicking each other's girlfriends, fashioned some classic slices of three-minute punk. Like many bands, The Ramones story is one filled with tragedy and the interviews with Joey and DeeDee Ramone before their untimely deaths and the other surviving members gives End of Century a sense of authority, while the vintage footage adds authenticity. Like last year's Metallica documentary, Some Kind of Monster, End of Century brilliantly etches out the intangible dynamic at the heart of a rock band, and though directors Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields could have trimmed twenty minutes off the running time, it's a small price to pay. One, two, three, four, indeed...

Review by Garreth Murphy