END OF THE CENTURY:
THE STORY OF THE RAMONES
Year: 2003
UK: Tartan Films
Cast: Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Tommy Ramone, Joey Ramone, Marky Ramone, Ritchie Ramone, Christopher Ward
Directors: Michael Gramaglia, Jim Fields
Country: USA
UK: 108 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and drug references
UK Release Date: 7 January 2005
Synopsis
In 1974, the New York City music scene was shocked into consciousness by the violently new and raw sound of a band of misfits from Queens called the Ramones. Playing in a seedy Bowery bar to a small group of fellow struggling musicians, the band struck a chord of disharmony that rocked the foundation of the mid-seventies music scene. This quartet of unlikely rock stars travelled across the country and around the world connecting with the disenfranchised everywhere, while sparking a movement that would resonate with two generations of outcasts across the globe. Although the band never reached the top of the Billboard charts, they managed to endure in face of fleeting success and crushing interpersonal conflicts by maintaining a rigorous touring schedule for twenty-two years. Tracing the history of the band, from its unlikely origins, through its star-crossed career, bitter demise and the sad fates of Joey and Dee Dee, End of the Century is a vibrant, candid document of one of the most influential groups in the history of rock.
END OF THE CENTURY begins at the end of the Ramones' career with their 2002 induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Here, the wayward sons of rock music were honoured by an industry that had ignored them for their entire career. It was a triumphant yet bittersweet night for the band. As drummer Tommy Ramone acknowledged in his acceptance speech, members of the group were still bickering and battling over issues that transcended even the death of their singer, Joey Ramone. Despite the ongoing rancor, Tommy recalled the common background and bonds of brotherhood that recent animosity couldn't obscure.
The Band
Joey (Jeffrey Hyman) - vocals
Johnny (John Cummings) - guitar
Dee Dee (Douglas Colvin) - bass
Tommy (Tom Erdelyi) - drums, producer
Marky (Marc Bee) - drums
C.J. (Christopher John Ward) - bass
Ritchie (Ritchie Reinhart) - drums
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