Sid and Nancy: the movie

[justina]

What do you think about it? I just saw it for the fifth time (thanks to a girl from youtube, and a program from my friends) and I just did a little research on google about it. So, what did you like or hate about it?

[Snoogans4Jay]

It was a great film before I knew all the facts. I didn't get into the Pistols music until a couple of years before the film was released and even so I wasn't that interested in Sid, mainly John (go figure). So at first I took the movie at face value. Except for the way they portrayed John I KNEW that was bullshit . Although I thought the best thing about the movie was Chloe and Gary's performance, they were both too old for the parts. At the time Courtney Love would have been a better Nancy, she was around the right age then. As to even MORE casting blunders, they made Malcolm look relatively cool when we ALL know he would have been NOWHERE if someone were getting beat up, they made Cookie out to be FAT , and we won't even BEGIN to get into what they did to John because that STEAMS the living fuck out of me. What is even sadder is no doubt many many people will think that is the way it really was AND I think it somewhat glorifies heroin addiction.

Other than all of that, great movie .

[M!$H]

I saw it when I was already "jaded" by fact... and also, just as a movie in general, I thought it was really confusing. The actors for Sid and Nancy were good (I Love Gary Oldman!!), in fact, they were great, spot on. But I found it really confusing and i don't know.... Just in general, I feel like a lot of young fan girls (13, 14, those confusing ages) see it and are like "OMG SID" before they know the whole story and they don't bother to find out. (Not knocking at 13/14 year olds, I know I was like that with other fandoms when I was 13/14, so yeah!)

I don't really like the movie, because I'm not a fan of Sid at all. I mean, I'm sure he was a nice, sweet kid and I feel bad for him, but at the same time, I don't think he deserved to have a movie made about him - he lived a really sad life, from childhood to adult hood, and I'm sure nowadays he would have gone to a therapist and been fine. But I just felt like the whole movie was like "LOOK AT HOW COOL HE IS - he does HEROIN - cool, right? it's cool!" and it's like, Culture grew out of that "heroin is cool" phase a long time ago.

Also, the other actors in the movie literally caused me to go "WTF?" Cookie was hilarious!! Cookie was never a fat, redhead as far as I know and the actor for John looked like he was about 4 feet tall.

I basically have trouble taking the movie seriously because it just seems like a huge joke on society to me, IDK how to explain that, but in general, I just don't like it because I feel like a more entertaining movie would have been about John or you know, the Pistols before Sid.... And it probably would have been improved if it wasn't like "look how romantic they were!" I doubt Nancy and Sid ever had a conversation that was about something other than drugs or sex or Sid's career. Not to be mean or anything, but seriously, they were hardcore heroin addicts.... and two of my very close cousins were heroin addicts and let me just say, nothing in their lives is romantic or can be seen as romantic, let alone their "boyfriends/girlfriends".

I feel like society has taken Sid's story and turned it into something it wasn't - this you know PUNK Romeo & Juliet... which it wasn't. It was a sad, horrible story and we should tell it as a warning, as a warning to never, ever, ever, ever, EVER do that, but instead, I feel like it gets told like "look how sweet and romantic this was!" And as nice as it would be to tell romantic little stories about Sid, it's not a reality.... what is reality is that he died a horrible death and so did Nancy and that's not romantic - that's sad.

*steps off soapbox*

[Tao~]

You sure put ir the right way!!! I couldn't have said it better myself......I was never a big fan of this movie either......You're right....to *romanticize* the sad lives they lived...(and died) is such a crying shame......There truly is a lesson to be learned from seeing that movie......

[elisabeth]

I'm not really qualified to say anything about this movie since I've only seen about 3 minutes of it, that was all I could take, it was like a lame parody, all I have to say is that I'm sorry Johnny had to see himself being portrayed like this.

But I agree- kudos to the actors!

[justina]

I, personally, liked it, because I went trough hell to get it. And yeah, I do think that the whole thing was quite romantic, because they really loved each other (well, maybe Sid did) and their death was really sad. I simply loved Gary (he really was 28 during the filming? Wow, I thought he was 20) and Chloe (well, her voice was a bit pain in the ass), but others:

John: Firstly, I begged God, that he doesn't eat like that and doesn't burp so much. I really hope, he doesn't eat that so called "baked beans". Secondly, the voice. I laughed when I heard his singing. Why couldn't Alex just turn on a recording? I would have been grateful, to hear the real thing, than that "pathetic excuse for an actor" whine. And does John REALLY eat like that? Just can get that awful sound from my head. Just because of this, he should have shot Cox. The only thing I liked, was his and Sid's fight in the beginning.

Steve: he was so much cooler, slimmer and more bad ass. And that Bill Grundy show. Jesus. He didn't say those amazing words into the camera, he said them straight into Grundy's face. And he said them with a laid back, cool, bad ass and sexy hooligans voice. But that guy was just a fat bastard, who wanted to be bad ass and said those words, as if he was saying "I'm an actor, be be be".

Paul: he was cute, funny, slim and gorgeous. He definitely wasn't fat, ugly and with a bad taste in clothes, which, I think, Paul has a great taste.

Malcolm: he definitelly wasn't that charming and funny. He was (and is) a piece of scum. That guy, looked like an angel and a comedian, which the real thing, well, isn't.

Others: excuse me, I have to barf. Siouxie was slim and beautiful, not porky and ugly. The "cat woman", give me a break. That black guy. Wasn't he white in reality? And that black woman, who was always around Malcolm, wasn't she WHITE and "a little person"?

But still, I really liked this movie, I watched it (so far) for about five, six times. And yeah, it got my attention, just because of the fuss that it had gotten. I think, that Alex made the film so incorrect, because he wanted to get attention.I mean, he must have known, how John and others would react. At the end of the day, it all comes down to Johnny's word's, who are said in the darkness and with tears in his precious eyes: "And they turned it into money making". Poor John, he lost his best friend and he was shown as a fat fuck, who let his friend die.

[praisepicnicking]

The worst part of Sid and Nancy for me is the part where X-Ray Spex is supposed to be opening for the Sex Pistols and Poly Styrene is played by this tall, skinny, blonde white woman. Poly Styrene was black, chubby, had braces and bad skin. It's so typical Hollywood that they had to get someone better looking to play her, eventhough she's only in the film for about 5 seconds. Very unpunk. The guy they got to play John is terrible too. He's got a Northerner accent and lacks any sort of charisma or intelect. Gary Oldman is actually pretty good, as is the actress who plays Nancy, but that's about the only good things I can say about the film. I really think it glamorizes heroin adiction in the worst way.

[M!$H]

justina said:

But still, I really liked this movie, I watched it (so far) for about five, six times. And yeah, it got my attention, just because of the fuss that it had gotten. I think, that Alex made the film so incorrect, because he wanted to get attention.I mean, he must have known, how John and others would react. At the end of the day, it all comes down to Johnny's word's, who are said in the darkness and with tears in his precious eyes: "And they turned it into money making". Poor John, he lost his best friend and he was shown as a fat fuck, who let his friend die.

I read an interview of Alex Cox and he said the story he told of Sid was the story he got from his sources - i.e., people who actually didn't know Sid. Cox never ONCE consulted anyone who knew Sid personally - like John or Jah Wobble or anyone we ASSOCIATE with Sid. He talked to people from random bands who had met him ONCE. So Alex Cox really did do it just to make money - not to get attention or anything becuase if he wanted attention, he could have done something that didn't insult the memory of basically a CHILD who DIED a horrible, tragic, disgusting death.

I really actually shouldn't continue commenting on this because I get so worked up over it. I'm very self righteous and it just makes me angry, so I'm going to stop before I get myself into a bad mood. lol.

[Snoogans4Jay]

justina said:

I, personally, liked it, because I went trough hell to get it. And yeah, I do think that the whole thing was quite romantic, because they really loved each other (well, maybe Sid did) and their death was really sad. I simply loved Gary (he really was 28 during the filming? Wow, I thought he was 20) and Chloe (well, her voice was a bit pain in the ass), but others:

John: Firstly, I begged God, that he doesn't eat like that and doesn't burp so much. I really hope, he doesn't eat that so called "baked beans". Secondly, the voice. I laughed when I heard his singing. Why couldn't Alex just turn on a recording? I would have been grateful, to hear the real thing, than that "pathetic excuse for an actor" whine. And does John REALLY eat like that? Just can get that awful sound from my head. Just because of this, he should have shot Cox. The only thing I liked, was his and Sid's fight in the beginning.

Steve: he was so much cooler, slimmer and more bad ass. And that Bill Grundy show. Jesus. He didn't say those amazing words into the camera, he said them straight into Grundy's face. And he said them with a laid back, cool, bad ass and sexy hooligans voice. But that guy was just a fat bastard, who wanted to be bad ass and said those words, as if he was saying "I'm an actor, be be be".

Paul: he was cute, funny, slim and gorgeous. He definitely wasn't fat, ugly and with a bad taste in clothes, which, I think, Paul has a great taste.

Malcolm: he definitelly wasn't that charming and funny. He was (and is) a piece of scum. That guy, looked like an angel and a comedian, which the real thing, well, isn't.

Others: excuse me, I have to barf. Siouxie was slim and beautiful, not porky and ugly. The "cat woman", give me a break. That black guy. Wasn't he white in reality? And that black woman, who was always around Malcolm, wasn't she WHITE and "a little person"?

But still, I really liked this movie, I watched it (so far) for about five, six times. And yeah, it got my attention, just because of the fuss that it had gotten. I think, that Alex made the film so incorrect, because he wanted to get attention.I mean, he must have known, how John and others would react. At the end of the day, it all comes down to Johnny's word's, who are said in the darkness and with tears in his precious eyes: "And they turned it into money making". Poor John, he lost his best friend and he was shown as a fat fuck, who let his friend die.

Very well said Justina. I agree about most of that especially about how it kinda rubs salt in the wound when you see how upset and hurt John is still about all of the marketing of Sid. Like Mishhell the whole thing steams me up.

Sid and Nancy were in reality kids. I do think they got her pretty right according to her Mom's book except for the age. Sid was not that stupid as portrayed.......it was drugs that made him stupid and like Mish said he was a child, so was she. Sid was sick, but Nancy was much much sicker mentally and he had no idea how to deal with that or what to do with it in reality. In a way, if one must see romance in the Sid and Nancy story, I think his letters after Nancy's death to her mother are the sweetest and saddest of all. Like Nancy's mother said, they are not here any longer to speak for themselves and that is really their only remaining authentic voice. Not Alex Cox.

[vickyjl]

I had been wanting to watch Sid & Nancy, not because I cared about their ill-starred love, but because I wanted to check out how Alex Cox had reflected the Pistols and all the punk movement. I was utterly disappointed when I realised it was a sad and almost laughable depiction. The actors that "played" John, Steve and Paul were horribly miscast, the plot is full of mistakes and artistic licenses, and it definitely reflects Sid and Nancy as the Romeo and Juliet of junkies...awful.
Gary Oldman could put a paper bag on his head and he'd still be awesome (hehe), so his Sid is more or less acceptable, though I've come to realise Sid was far more witty (just listen to that radio interview where he talks about South Africa). Nancy was a fuck-up right from the beginning, and Chole Webb was quite good playing her, altough it's hard to believe someone THAT annoying could exist.
The ending is so Hollywood-esque and phoney...yeah OK so perhaps they've met "somewhere" after dying two horrible and pathetic deaths, but is there a need to glorify heroin? This film is the reason why most people confuse Sid with John or "admire" the tragic lovers' life and demise. It really pisses me off. Sure, Sid was (probably) a talented or at least charismatic kid that got up tangled up in fame and drugs (even though his upbringing with a hippie mother had already instilled that in him), and who ended up loving someone even more screwed up than him. But I don't understand this "Sid/Nancy cult", I think it's sad and useless. It doesn't mean anything, it's just an idealization of self-destructive behaivour. I reckon people like to see other destroy themselves, just because they know they'll never have the balls or attempt to do it.

There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.

Sounds familiar?

[johnnysgirl]

Err.. I had seen it once and believe it I couldn`t care less I didn`t even see the end well someone mentioned iit in some forum or maybe I read it on Johnny`s book .. I`d like to see Johnny`s biography being taken to the big screen and teh I will see it ...

C`mon...that movie was shit... Johnny (the Johnny of the movie) looked terribly bad.. (for Vicky... he looked more or less like Roberto Petinatto lol) But I liked Gary Oldman playing Sid.. and Chloe Webb was good at playing Nancy too.. well they had to they were not to blame for having been part of that shit film...they just played the characters...

[M!$H]

johnnysgirl said:

Err.. I had seen it once and believe it I couldn`t care less I didn`t even see the end well someone mentioned iit in some forum or maybe I read it on Johnny`s book .. I`d like to see Johnny`s biography being taken to the big screen and teh I will see it ...

C`mon...that movie was shit... Johnny (the Johnny of the movie) looked terribly bad.. (for Vicky... he looked more or less like Roberto Petinatto lol) But I liked Gary Oldman playing Sid.. and Chloe Webb was good at playing Nancy too.. well they had to they were not to blame for having been part of that shit film...they just played the characters...

Gary Oldman was on Jonesy's Jukebox once and said he refused to be in the movie, but then they offered him $36,000 and he was dead broke, so that's the only reason he took the role.

[Snoogans4Jay]

mishhell said:

johnnysgirl said:

Err.. I had seen it once and believe it I couldn`t care less I didn`t even see the end well someone mentioned iit in some forum or maybe I read it on Johnny`s book .. I`d like to see Johnny`s biography being taken to the big screen and teh I will see it ...

C`mon...that movie was shit... Johnny (the Johnny of the movie) looked terribly bad.. (for Vicky... he looked more or less like Roberto Petinatto lol) But I liked Gary Oldman playing Sid.. and Chloe Webb was good at playing Nancy too.. well they had to they were not to blame for having been part of that shit film...they just played the characters...

Gary Oldman was on Jonesy's Jukebox once and said he refused to be in the movie, but then they offered him $36,000 and he was dead broke, so that's the only reason he took the role.

Yeah, even though he was way too old for the part, he and Chloe were the movie's only saving grace. Too bad that for many ignorant people that movie is thought to be accurate and heroin use is glamorized yet again.

[johnnysgirl]

Thanks for the information Misshell I didn`t know that Gary Oldman didn`t want to be in the movie...

[vickyjl]

Hehehe he did look like Roberto Pettinato Bren! You're right lol