Rating: 
Summary: Order from Chaos
Review: To address some of the criticisms of this film, and add some analysis of my own.1) Overdubbed studio tracks over live footage. Would you rather hear the studio version, or hear nothing at all? The footage from which this documentary is culled was hardly not organized or cataloged when the Pistols won it in a civil case against Malcolm McLaren. Considering the time it was filmed, it was probably done with separate audio and video equipment. Even if the audio exists, its probably very faint. Anyway, you do get the blistering version of "No Fun," and the (in-studio, on-off) of "Road Runner/Johnny B. Goode." 2) The myth of the Sex Pistols' lack of talent. A myth, and just that. If Malcolm Mclaren wanted to say, with "Swindle..." that the Pistols were talentless, then he made a mistake by including their music. Still incendiary, and more relevant with every passing year. Try to listen to the aforementioned set of covers without acknowledging how thoroughly the Pistols exploded rock and roll-- turning rock "standards" into a glossalalia of destruction. 3) Too sociological in its scope. If you are used to "American punk," basically power-pop with bubblegum roots and a cartoon image, then you will probably deny the sociological roots of British punk culture. Watch the film again. The social climate was as relevant to the Sex Pistols as guitar, vox, bass, or drums. This is, to pay Temple a great compliment, a movie worthy of its subject. While I can't wave the banner of objective truth as the Pistols do in their modern-day interviews-- I wasn't there, and I'm not sure I believe in objective truth anyway-- "The FIlth and the Fury" is the kind of documentary that rescues its subjects from the cesspool of myth. Myth is just gossip grown old.
Rating:
Summary: A document for an time long past...but not forgotten
Review: They were never heartthrobs for millions of teenage girls. They were banned from performing almost anywhere in their country. Their musicianship could barely be called proficient. However, for a time, the Sex Pistols were one of the most talked-about and controversial bands in rock history. And their influence over pop culture during the late seventies, can only be compared to the Beatles' influence in the mid- to late sixties. "The Filth and the Fury" is both a document of a great rock band and of a revolutionary time in our modern cultural history. No one can actually call the Sex Pistols the first punk band (there are arguments for the Damned, Ramones, even MC5 and the Stooges); however, they are, in my opinion, the most important punk band to come down the pike. Not because they were so controversial but because they made the adult world stand up and take notice what was going on. Julien Temple's documentary perfectly illustrates the motivations, the main characters, and the happenings of that brief, but momentous, time in history. It is great to hear and see the band members in their own words (especially some rarely seen interviews with Sid Vicious). However, it was unfortunate Malcolm McClaren did not and/or would not participate in any interviews; especially because the way is he castigated and vilified by some of the band members. This film is great viewing for those who lived during and vividly remember these events; and also great viewing for those who consider Blink 182, Green Day, mXpX, etc. great punk bands.
Rating:
Summary: We Love Our Queen
Review: To many lies about the band prompted the full bleesing of Julian Temple, The Filth and the Fury. All surviving band memebers are interviewed with there faces blackened out as Temple takes the viewer through 1977 London, which at the time was a chaotic state. Through the squaller of London the Sex Pistols were born. Johnny Rotten is his usual brilliantly hilarious self as he corrects all the lies that were set forth mainly by Malcolm McLaren. Lots of footage shows the band on stage as well as in the streets. You get a clear picture on how pathetic a junkies life is in seeing Sid Vicious literally waste away right in front of you. Really sad. Lots of great moments for the band are in here as well. Like the Grundy interview and the Queens Jubilee boat ride. A definte must own for any Pistols fan. The best rock documnetary I ever seen.
Rating: 
Summary: Finally Canned the Whirlwind
Review: After that funereal Pistols reunion, only thing missing from the glass exhibition case was a "rockumentary". Here it is, kids: a shiny lead pin through the heart of this terrible butterfly. Doesn't it look dainty on our parlor wall? Nice the way Temple trimmed all the ambiguities and extremities out of the Pistols' story: They were (pencils ready, class?) an Eruption of Working Class Outrage and a Grassroots Response to Social Elitism, period. Just like the Rolling Stones back in the 60's, dig? If not, we can repeat it another ten times. There will be no questions. I have some anyway. Why: ...repeatedly intercut band footage with British music hall comedians? What these baggy-panted, gladhanding old tossers had to do with Rotten's adolescent cool is anyone's guess. (Mine would be: geriatric hindsight.) ...such dishonesty in a film ABOUT honesty? All throughout we're told how "raw and honest" the Pistol's live sound was, eschewing studio polish to grab audiences by the bollocks, etc., etc. But ALL of the live footage in this movie, besides one short segment, is overdubbed by STUDIO recordings. Sometimes a totally different song is dubbed over the one Rotten is singing. It's bizarre to see footage of a furious, ramshackle gig paired with the slick, overproduced swamp of the Pistols' album, with its twenty guitar overdubs. Why was this done? The original soundtrack was not only "honest", but sounded much better! I know because I've heard it; this film offers NO live footage not available elsewhere. The cheesy history lesson about Britain's social strife (largely a media fantasy) is interesting, and there's a rarely-seen interview with Sid Vicious. All in all it's a cute, bangin' little documentary, concise and entertaining. If it were about, say, The Who it would be fine. But the heart of this story is missing. The Pistols were a tone-deaf little pop band who recorded almost nothing and played only a few gigs, yet they were denounced in Parliament. MP's shrieked about them like they were German rockets spiraling toward Buckingham Palace. Rotten and Cook were beaten and razored by mobs on the street. Classic rock fans (in America!) would try to stomp you just for liking them. Why? Could it be that we saw something in them, fans and foes alike, that can't be nailed down by Class Struggle cliches or clips of Benny Hill? Figures the little gray men would finally get a hold of them. Here's your film about the Pistols, folks, a staid nostalgia exercise with four neat corners. There they are for the ages, wrapped in a big academic ribbon and comfortably set in stone. Glad we can forget about them now.
Rating:
Summary: Best Rock Movie I've Ever Seen
Review: A great movie that captured the Sex Pistols brief career well. It captured all the strife and turmoil within the band very well, with interviews of the band members that showed how each member really felt. The movie showed the Sex Pistols rise and the Sex Pistols fall, which was brought on by their manager and their disastrous U.S. tour. Anyway, the movie was definately entertaining and the concert footage was great. The movie told the real story of the Sex Pistols well and showed what a crook Malcolm McLaren(their manager) really was. It showed how the Sex Pistols were destroyed by greed and the very things that they were rebelling against. A must see for any rock fan!
Rating:
Summary: lydon, cook, jones
Review: I can't say this is the best rock and roll documentary ever made because I couldn't care less about the music of most other bands, let alone watch a happy little movie about how they became the celebrated, mediocre band they are. I can say this is a touching, hilarious, inspiring, fascinating film about some very young men, their music, their fashion and the social upheaval they caused just by saying what they believed. Julien Temple does a great job with the movie itself, giving the Pistols a strong sense of context for the American viewer, but his commentary on the DVD leaves something to be desired. Someone should have told him that this isn't an interview, but a chance for him to comment on the images in front of him.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Ever Sex Pistols Documentary
Review: Far superior to "The Great Rock & Roll Swindle," "The Filth and the Fury" is a well-rounded, honest look at the history and aftermath of the most influential rock band of the last quarter of the twentieth century. (Will they be making documentaries about N'Sync or Kid Rock or Eminem or Creed in 25 years? Please. I somehow doubt it.) This documentary isn't afraid to be honest, and the result is the utter humanization of a very misunderstood band. Johnny Rotten even sheds tears over the tragic waste that was his friend, Sid Vicious, and he is touching with his sentiment and candor. This movie is always fun, and it certainly provokes nostalgia for anyone who grew up as a punk while educating those who kept their distance. Punk may very well be quite dead, but the spirit is still alive in those who keep the faith.
Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining and enlightening
Review: If you care at all about The Sex Pistols, I think you'll find this film extremely entertaining. I hope this film gets them some new fans, too. I remember when I was growing up, thinking that if I were ever to hear the band, it'd just be a bunch of noise. I couldn't have been more surprised when I first heard "God Save the Queen"--it's just great rock music, that's all. I think that this movie makes a convincing case for the band's importance and power. They were, in the end, with all the controversy and shocked onlookers aside, just a fantastic rock band. This film gets behind that great band, lets the individual members tell the truth, intercuts the footage with some compelling images--some sad, some hilarious, all memorable--and lets you sit back and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A thinking man's documentary on a band of hellions
Review: Julian Temple directed this tour-de-force documentary on seminal punks The Sex Pistols. Loaded with interviews and behind the scenes footage (some never seen before), you can see why a band that only released one album in their short career has become such an icon of modern music. Whether you care for the band or not, do not miss this one!
Rating:
Summary: Why didn't this movie play in every theater in america?!?!?
Review: This movie is truly incredible. I've been a punk fan since the day a friend handed me a cassette of the Dead Milkmen, a truly awful band from PA, but this movie just blew my mind. The Sex Pistols, along with the Ramones, have been a constant favorite of mine since age 16, and this movie just strengthens my love of their music. after watching this, everything currently on the radio seems calculated and spineless, which of course it is... This is required viewing for any punk, former punk, or anyone sick of what passes for rock these days.
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