Sid and Nancy (1986)

Director:

Alex Cox

Writers:

Alex Cox (screenplay) and
Abbe Wool (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Tagline:

Love kills

Plot:

Morbid biographical story of Sid Vicious, bassist with British punk group the Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen...

Plot Keywords:

Sex Pistols | Sex | Nancy Spungen | Sid Vicious | Heroin

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 4 wins

Cast

Gary Oldman	...	Sid Vicious
Chloe Webb	...	Nancy Spungen
David Hayman	...	Malcolm
Debby Bishop	...	Phoebe
Andrew Schofield	...	John
Xander Berkeley	...	Bowery Snax
Perry Benson	...	Paul
Tony London	...	Steve
Sandy Baron	...	Hotelier - U.S.A.
Sy Richardson	...	Methadone Caseworker
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Hotelier - U.K.
Biff Yeager	...	Detective
Courtney Love	...	Gretchen
Rusty Blitz	...	Reporter
John Spaceley	...	Chelsea Resident

Also Known As:

Sid and Nancy: Love Kills

Runtime:

112 min | Australia:110 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Chelsea Hotel - 222 West 23rd Street, Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Initial Pictures

Trivia:

Though not mentioned in the film, Sid's one and only solo album, which we hear references to in the movie, was titled "Sid Sings". Also not mentioned is the actual name of the band that we see Sid put together while in New York City. They were called "Vicious White Kids", and though they never officially released an album, a bootleg of one of the very few gigs they actually did play can be found to this day, though the recording is of dubious quality.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: The "My Way" gig differs from the original. For example, in the real version, Sid did not stop singing and he put a small, black revolver out of one pocket of his jacket, whereas in the movie he took a much bigger gun in silver and brown under his left arm. Part of this goof can be explained as artistic license, due to the fact that the original video did not feature Malcolm and Vivienne (portrayed in the movie as Phoebe) getting shot. Many exact details will be changed for artistic and dramatic purposes.

Quotes:

Nancy: Boring, Sidney, Boring!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Beatniks (#5.15)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Ambient Drone

Rather Disappointing

I came to this movie with high hopes. I am a big fan of Gary Oldman's performances, and I have some interest in punk rock music. However, I was ultimately unable to engage with this movie. The problem, unfortunately, is the protagonists.

Although Oldman and Webb are very good in their roles, ultimately the film suffers from the fact that neither Sid Vicious nor Nancy Spungen were especially sympathetic figures. Frankly, they were a pair of idiot junkies whom even their own entourage couldn't stand. There was nothing tragic about what happened to them; they simply self-destructed. I simply could not care about them.

They didn't even have the saving grace of being hugely talented. Although Vicious was a good performer, he wasn't the greatest who ever lived. Spungen was mainly known for going out with Vicious. If this had been the case of a Caravaggio or Hemingway who collapsed under the weight of his own genius, it might have been more engaging.