The Good

One of the best movies I have ever seen.

The Bad

I would have loved a director’s commentary.

Having grown up listening to classic rock and then getting into punk rock, I came across The New York Dolls in a very small way. However, who can ever forget one of the first bands to look like women? As an aside, who forget the boisterous David Johansen? So I put in New York Doll not knowing anything about it, except for that it chronicled the life of New York Dolls bass player Arthur “Killer” Kane. Apparently, after the band dissolved, Kane’s life became a wreck and he hit rock bottom. He eventually pulled himself back up, becoming a Mormon and devoting his life to the Church.

However, there was a great deal of unresolved issues. Especially with his bandmates and most certainly with Johansen. So when the opportunity arises to play a show in London that Morrissey has put on, we literally see all the bitterness and angst erode from Kane’s shoulders. And if that wasn’t enough, this movie captures a life so succinctly that New York Doll really is something that has to be seen in order to be believed.

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Features

David Johansen Hymn

Witness Johansen in the studio singing “Come, Come Ye Saints.” While I have never really cared for Johansen’s solo stuff, I really found this to be hard to stomach. I guess he is just one of those people that is who he is and you either like him or you don’t. I like him, I always have, but I am just not sure how much.

Director Interview

The very likable Greg Whiteley matter-of-factly discusses how this film came together. From that first day when Kane went to buy a bass to get ready for The New York Dolls reunion show, to the stories he would tell, to what it was like following him around making New York Doll; if Whiteley could capture it, he did. Best of all, the director seems profoundly changed by this whole experience.

Morrissey Interview

Moz Angels are going to be buying these DVDs by the truckloads. Though it’s only twenty minutes long, this is a really thoughtful interview given by someone who is known for captivating millions with his words. Morrissey discusses how The New York Dolls had a lot of bad luck, but what helped them was that “the right people” had heard of the band and knew what their contribution to music was.

Video

1.78:1 - Widescreen. From what I can tell this movie was shot on video. What really helps the film is the animated timeline that tells The New York Dolls story. First of all, it really puts this film in perspective, but even more than that, it gives us a greater understanding of the rift between the band members. Overall, the camera always seems to be in the right place capturing what is truly a one man show by both subject and director.

Audio

Dolby Digital 5.1 - Close Captioned. As I am not a big listener of The New York Dolls, I wasn’t able to place the songs they were playing. As a result of this, a lot of what they played just seemed like dissonant noise. I am sure if I was more familiar with their stuff, I would have been as excited as people like Bob Geldof and Morrissey. Overall, I think the sound on this film is really good considering they were shooting all around LA, New York and London.

Package

The front cover features Arthur Kane with his eyes closed, hugging a bass and the city of New York behind him. The image creates the idea that in some way Kane is a biblical angel of sorts. I think I liked the one sheet that was used when the movie was theatrically released, better. Kane had the look of a man who seemed perplexed about his lot in life. The back cover features some images from the film as well as an older picture of The New York Dolls. There is a description of what this movie is about, a “Special Features” listing, a credits list and technical specs.

Final Word

Director Greg Whiteley seems to have become a filmmaker in spite of himself. The way he discusses putting together this documentary is really astounding because he never planned anything. Of course I am taking him at his word, but New York Doll really is a film that seems born out of someone’s desire to just tell a story about someone they know. In this way, this film more than many other films, really explores the idea of just how special we all are. And, if given the chance we can seize an opportunity to maybe transcend ourselves a little bit.

Regardless of what you think of religion, punk, glam or whatever… New York Doll is a must see for anyone who believes and/or disavows the human spirit.

New York Doll was released January 1, 2005.