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Features: DVD
Punk glam rock band, the New York Dolls made a splash in the 70 s, but infighting and drug use broke up the band. Lead singer David Johansen had a successful solo career but others, like bass guitarist Arthur "Killer " Kane, weren t so lucky. Arthur was plagued by drinking problems and depression, and a failed suicide attempt ultimately led him to become a Mormon. He was leading a quiet, contented life. Then while curating the 2004 Meltdown Festival in London, Morrissey (of The Smiths), reunited the remaining members of the Dolls and this documentary chart s Kane s wary step back into the spotlight. Format: DVD MOVIE
Editor's Note
Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, Greg Whiteley's NEW YORK DOLL is a revealing look at a simple, humble man who was once caught up in the maelstrom of sex, drugs, and rock & roll. In the early 1970s, the New York Dolls became an underground sensation, dressing up in outrageous clothing and blasting a new kind of glam rock that would leave a lasting legacy. In 2004, British superstar Morrissey asked the surviving Dolls--David Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain, and Arthur "Killer" Kane--to reunite for the first time in 30 years. However, during the intervening decades, Kane had lived a very different kind of life, having become a devout Mormon, following a bizarre suicide attempt. This fascinating documentary follows Kane, showing him to be a sweet, slow-talking, calm, relatively ordinary man who works in a Mormon library, rides the bus, and lives a rather mundane existence--especially for a former rock star. Kane is completely forthcoming with Whiteley, a fellow Mormon, discussing his ups and downs, his hopes and dreams, and his deep-seated faith, in a heart-wrenching film that includes plenty of great footage of the Dolls as well as interviews with Morrissey, Johansen, Sir Bob Geldof, Chrissie Hynde, and a riotous pair of women who worked with Kane at the Mormon Family History Center Library.
| Features | Full Frame - 1.33 |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
|  | Studio: Universal (Music) |
| Release Date: 4/4/2006 |
| Original Release Date: 2005 | | Catalog ID: 10130 | | UPC: 00855280001304 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew | Arthur Kane - Featured | | Sylvain Sylvain - Featured | | David Johansen - Featured | | Don Letts - Featured | | Chrissie Hynde - Featured | | New York Dolls - Music | | Roderick Santiano - Director of Photography | | Iggy Pop - Featured | | Bob Geldof - Featured | | Ed Cunningham - Producer | | Frank Infante - Featured | | Seth Gordon - Editor | | Clem Burke - Featured | | Johnny Thunders - Featured | | Morrissey - Featured | | Jerry Nolan - Featured | | Greg Whiteley - Editor | | Mick Jones - Featured | | Seth Gordon - Producer | | Barbara Kane - Featured | | Greg Whiteley - Director |
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"Greg Whiteley's small, tender documentary portrait NEW YORK DOLL looks at life after rock 'n' roll as experienced by Arthur Kane, the original bassist for the legendary glam-punk band the New York Dolls." 10/28/2005 p.E32Entertainment Weekly
"[Kane] remains haunted by demons of failure....[A] modestly touching journey..." -- Grade: B 11/11/2005 p.51 Movieline's Hollywood Life
"As far as rock docs go, this is top-shelf stuff, all the way to the heartfelt reunion concert..." 03/01/2006 p.107 Rolling Stone
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "[A] sad and funny doc about Kane's unlikely journey to find peace of mind and one final moment of fame." 04/20/2006 p.77 Mojo
4 stars out of 4 -- "With respect and sympathy, NEW YORK DOLL portrays a man who balances the incongruity of mourning his lost life in rock and thriving in his new life at church." 05/01/2006 p.135 Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "Don't be surprised if you leave the cinema in tears. A beautiful film about a beautiful soul." 05/01/2006 p.146 Sight and Sound
"[Whitley] offers an affectionate but unsentimental sketch of a slightly bewildered but spirited Kane." 05/01/2006 p.60-62 Ultimate DVD
3 stars out of 5 -- "A celebratory film of the late rocker that is both touching and tragic." 09/01/2006 p.214 |
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