The Worst Film Ever

Let's be realistic.

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Put simply, this is awesome Clash footage of their late first album/early second album shows. I'd suggest getting a DVD version though, because having to fast forward through all the "plot" is really annoying after a while. I basically only watch it for the Clash footage, because Ray Gange's character is a real tool and practically unwatchable after once through.I must admit I love the scene when Joe is washing his Brigade Rosse shirt and he holds it up and widens his eyes when he's talking about it, like it's scary or something. It's also funny watching this gritty punk rocker scratch dirt off the shirt with his fingernail or Topper kicking the hell out of Ray in a yellow jumpsuit for no reason whatsoever.Joe comes off real well, Topper and Paul come off as party guys and Mick comes off as a real jerk. I don't know why, but this may be his jerk rock star coke phase, hence the goofy puffy shirt and vest ensembles. I heard he was a real nice guy though.

Read Marcus Gray's The Last Gang in Town.... I watched the film a couple of times, like other contributors, with many questions in my head about what it was really about, how much The Clash co-operated with it, why the film is presented in the way it is, who on Earth Ray Gange is...This book clears up those questions... The film is flawed, but as a document of the times, and especially the power of The Clash as a live band (there's not any better footage of them around - although they overdubbed the live tracks).... What a band...

...and smash the video box.If The Clash really was indeed "The Only Band that Matters", they deserved a better film than this. If you ever saw 'em back in the day, you know just how exciting it was. This movie doesn't do the experience justice, but then again, it really wasn't trying to, While this movie gets some props for attempting to merge drama with a documentary, it really leads to nowhere. When Mick Jones tells Rude Boy to "Get the F**k off the Stage", I should have done myself a favor and hit the stop button on my remote. Somehow, I slogged on 'til the end, but other than the live performances, there ain't no payoff. "Stay Free" of this one.

It is genuinely difficult to work out where the drama ends and the documentary takes over. When I sat down to watch it I had no idea whether Ray, the fan who becomes a roadie, was an actor or the genuine article. The stilted nature of some of the conversations, and self-conscious grins accompanying them, indicate contrivance, but it's as if real conversations are being reproduced for the camera. Only afterwards did I discover that Ray Gange was acting and had written the script.The film provides an insight into the world of punk rock in the late seventies. The Clash were more musically adept, and more politically aware, than most punk bands of the era, but the rebellious swaggers and the anger were typical enough. The concert footage is entertaining, and only marred by the fact that much is filmed from the back of the stage. It features much of the band's best material, from White Riot to Tommy Gun to London's Burning. This is a nostalgic treat for old punk rockers, and a useful introduction for those who, in the late 70s, were too young or allowed punk rock to pass them by.