End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
THE RAMONES
(Rhino)
As depicted in this riveting 2003 documentary, the New York proto-punk band was a highly dysfunctional unit that never reached the level of commercial success it deserved. Century does a terrific job of setting the CBGB punk scene, of establishing how this quartet of misfits found each other and proceeded to make seminal music, and of gathering all manner of visceral stage and backstage footage. Most compelling, though, are the interviews with Johnny (the control-freak prick), Dee Dee (the songwriting junkie), Tommy (the manager-cum-drummer) and Joey (the gawky frontman) airing loads of dirty laundry — made more poignant because all but Tommy are dead. —ES
This article appears in Aug 6-12, 2008.