A documentary about the angriest old man of music, drummer Ginger Baker, who is filmed whacking the interviewer with his cane, can only be enthralling
A refreshing aspect of this film about Ginger Baker, the legendary 73-year-old rock and jazz drummer, and former smackhead given to smacking people in the head, is that it doesn't mention the phrase "national treasure". This status is traditionally conferred on England's ageing rebels whose cantankerous and reactionary tendencies are thought to be picturesque. However, it is perhaps worrying that the chief character witness for Baker, produced in the opening few minutes, is the hectoringly pop-eyed John Lydon, who recently distinguished himself by telling a woman interviewer: "When a man is talking, you do not interrupt."
Probably music's angriest old man, Baker gives the American journalist and film-maker Jay Bulger pure film gold – that Bulger uses at the beginning and end of his documentary – by...
A refreshing aspect of this film about Ginger Baker, the legendary 73-year-old rock and jazz drummer, and former smackhead given to smacking people in the head, is that it doesn't mention the phrase "national treasure". This status is traditionally conferred on England's ageing rebels whose cantankerous and reactionary tendencies are thought to be picturesque. However, it is perhaps worrying that the chief character witness for Baker, produced in the opening few minutes, is the hectoringly pop-eyed John Lydon, who recently distinguished himself by telling a woman interviewer: "When a man is talking, you do not interrupt."
Probably music's angriest old man, Baker gives the American journalist and film-maker Jay Bulger pure film gold – that Bulger uses at the beginning and end of his documentary – by...
- 5/16/2013
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
An Australian celebrity newsteam slowly antagonized Sex Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) to the point of no return the other day. The Sex Pistols and Public Image Limited frontman was in the middle of a light hearted interview with Channel Ten.s .The Project. Tuesday night. The no B.S. iconic punk rocker had to shush the female of the group, with his ire spilling over to the rest of the talking heads whose Oz accent and tone were too shrill for Lydon. John Lydon (Rotten) told 'The Project' host Carrie Bickmore, .Hey missus, shut up, shut up...Now listen, when a man is talking, do not interrupt. and that "you sound like one of those dreadful loud birds I...
- 4/14/2013
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
Johnny Rotten was acting pretty, well, rotten. The former lead singer of the Sex Pistols (real name John Lydon) got into hot water after telling a female host on the Australian talk show The Project on Channel Ten to "shut up when a man is talking" when she cut in with a question about the death of Margaret Thatcher. Oh yeah, he went there. "Hey, hey missus, shut up, whoever you are, shut up, shut up, shut up," Rotten told anchor Carrie Bickmore. "Now listen, when a man is talking do not interrupt." Bickmore tried her best to play it off and continue with the interview, but the rocker didn't let it slide, telling her,...
- 4/12/2013
- E! Online
Public Image Ltd.’s debut record, First Issue, is getting a deluxe reissue, courtesy of Seattle-based Light In The Attic Records. Released in the UK in 1978, First Issue was PiL’s response to the media frenzy created by frontman John Lydon’s first band, Sex Pistols. The band was more secretive, shy, and deliberate, and its sound was more dub than punk, boogie than snarl. First Issue was never commercially available in the states, having been deemed too uncommercial by the band’s U.S. label. Debut single “Public Image” was the only track ever made commercially available in ...
- 4/3/2013
- avclub.com
To mark the discovery of Richard III's skeleton under a car park in Leicester, we've put together some clips of the monarch's most memorable screen portrayals
Reading on a mobile? Watch here
Laurence Olivier's 1955 Shakespeare adaptation remains the dominant source for our assumptions of all things Richard III. Dressed in black, scowly as hell, and with that creepy, reedy intonation, Olivier's interpretation defined Richard as evil Crookback, of whom we should be grateful to Henry Tudor that we are rid. Perversely, punk rocker John Lydon cited him as a major influence, and clips from the film pop up in Julien Temple's Filth and the Fury doco. (Look for him at 1:45 in this clip.)
Reading on a mobile? Watch here
Olivier was endlessly, instantly parody-able, as Peter Sellers showed on a 1964 Beatles TV show, doing Hard Day's Night in the style of Winter of Discontent.
Reading on a mobile?...
Reading on a mobile? Watch here
Laurence Olivier's 1955 Shakespeare adaptation remains the dominant source for our assumptions of all things Richard III. Dressed in black, scowly as hell, and with that creepy, reedy intonation, Olivier's interpretation defined Richard as evil Crookback, of whom we should be grateful to Henry Tudor that we are rid. Perversely, punk rocker John Lydon cited him as a major influence, and clips from the film pop up in Julien Temple's Filth and the Fury doco. (Look for him at 1:45 in this clip.)
Reading on a mobile? Watch here
Olivier was endlessly, instantly parody-able, as Peter Sellers showed on a 1964 Beatles TV show, doing Hard Day's Night in the style of Winter of Discontent.
Reading on a mobile?...
- 2/4/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or in the belly of the all-powerful Sarlac, it can’t have escaped your attention that Disney has just bought Lucasfilm for a whopping $4bn. Not only that, but Disney intends to use this modest acquisition to create a new trilogy of Star Wars sequels, the first of which will be due in 2015.
Much ink has been spilled (or typed) about this story, with responses ranging from great excitement at what the news film might hold, to seething rage at George Lucas’ ‘latest betrayal’, to admiration after Lucas announced that all the money from the sale would go to his charitable foundation. There have been copious articles, on WhatCulture! and elsewhere, discussing possible storylines, the relationship the new films should have with the other films, and possible choices for directors. There has been so much written, in fact, that there’s not...
Much ink has been spilled (or typed) about this story, with responses ranging from great excitement at what the news film might hold, to seething rage at George Lucas’ ‘latest betrayal’, to admiration after Lucas announced that all the money from the sale would go to his charitable foundation. There have been copious articles, on WhatCulture! and elsewhere, discussing possible storylines, the relationship the new films should have with the other films, and possible choices for directors. There has been so much written, in fact, that there’s not...
- 11/4/2012
- by Daniel Mumby
- Obsessed with Film
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
It’s certainly a striking image with which to start a documentary when the subject is observed assaulting the documentarian. Ginger Baker, largely touted as the greatest drummer who has ever lived, shouts “I’m gonna put you in the hospital!”, as he smacks director and Rolling Stone journalist Jay Bulger with a stick, which is then sharply, hilariously contrasted with the various names from the music world – John Lydon, Chad Smith etc – who line up to declare his genius, as well as his insanity. Bulger has tracked down the 73-year-old to South Africa, where he proves a cantankerous, embittered, but always compelling subject, shedding some light on why he has become so alienated from the enormous talents he worked with over the years.
Going right back to his childhood during WW2, Baker provides us with a concise summary of the defining facts of his life...
It’s certainly a striking image with which to start a documentary when the subject is observed assaulting the documentarian. Ginger Baker, largely touted as the greatest drummer who has ever lived, shouts “I’m gonna put you in the hospital!”, as he smacks director and Rolling Stone journalist Jay Bulger with a stick, which is then sharply, hilariously contrasted with the various names from the music world – John Lydon, Chad Smith etc – who line up to declare his genius, as well as his insanity. Bulger has tracked down the 73-year-old to South Africa, where he proves a cantankerous, embittered, but always compelling subject, shedding some light on why he has become so alienated from the enormous talents he worked with over the years.
Going right back to his childhood during WW2, Baker provides us with a concise summary of the defining facts of his life...
- 10/13/2012
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
From James Franco's spoken word soul band to the ultra-violent Dredd 3D
Talk to Franco
In news that will surprise no one, the most postmodern man in Hollywood James Franco has a "spoken word soul band" called Daddy. Hear their first offering here.
Eric Knowles simulator
Sunday teatime staple Antiques Roadshow roars into the 21st century – just! – with a red button feature that lets you predict the value of the tat on show.
Bon voyage, Iver
"Permanent hiatus" is soooo last decade; Justin Vernon finds a new way of saying his band are splitting up by announcing that Bon Iver are "winding down".
Bluth and injustice
Tumblr Lucille and Mitt splices Arrested Development's icy matriarch with Romney's litany of poor-bashing gaffes. Check it out here.
A bitter PiL
"This is not Kiss!" – John Lydon doesn't think much of the new deluxe edition of Never Mind The Bollocks.
Challenge...
Talk to Franco
In news that will surprise no one, the most postmodern man in Hollywood James Franco has a "spoken word soul band" called Daddy. Hear their first offering here.
Eric Knowles simulator
Sunday teatime staple Antiques Roadshow roars into the 21st century – just! – with a red button feature that lets you predict the value of the tat on show.
Bon voyage, Iver
"Permanent hiatus" is soooo last decade; Justin Vernon finds a new way of saying his band are splitting up by announcing that Bon Iver are "winding down".
Bluth and injustice
Tumblr Lucille and Mitt splices Arrested Development's icy matriarch with Romney's litany of poor-bashing gaffes. Check it out here.
A bitter PiL
"This is not Kiss!" – John Lydon doesn't think much of the new deluxe edition of Never Mind The Bollocks.
Challenge...
- 9/28/2012
- by The Guide
- The Guardian - Film News
Public Image Ltd. has announced a fall tour that kicks off Oct. 3 in the rock mecca of Orlando, Florida. The John Lydon-fronted band is out supporting its first studio album in 20 years, This Is PiL, and hasn’t played in the U.S. for two years. The band is touring the U.K. right now and will finish its stateside run at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas. Public Image Ltd. 2012 Tour Dates: July 31—O2 Academy Bournemouth—Bournemouth, United Kingdom Aug. 1—Sub89—Reading, United Kingdom Aug. 3—Wolfrun Hall—Wolverhampton, United Kingdom Aug. 4 ...
- 7/30/2012
- avclub.com
I’ve been lucky enough to attend the Fantasia film Festival since the very first year and make no mistake about it, Fantasia has always been a highlight of every summer since. This year is no exception. With another impressive and diverse line-up, any movie crazed die hard genre fans such as myself are left with no choice but to spend hours studying both the program and schedule to fit in as many films as you possibly can. So I’ve decided to put together this list of must see films for anyone who is either new to the festival or simply doesn’t have as much time to properly browse through the program.
****
Doomsday Book
In recent years we’ve come to expect at least one horror anthology added to the incredible fantasia line-up. This year is no different as the tradition continues with Doomsday Book, a 2012 science-fiction film...
****
Doomsday Book
In recent years we’ve come to expect at least one horror anthology added to the incredible fantasia line-up. This year is no different as the tradition continues with Doomsday Book, a 2012 science-fiction film...
- 7/18/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Austin's annual 3-day Fun Fun Fun Fest has gathered a lineup that is indeed really enjoyable for music fans of all stripes. As previously announced, the remaining members of legendary hip hop group Run Dmc are reuniting for the fest, after a decade-plus split that followed the murder of DJ Jam Master Jay. However, Run Dmc isn't the only recently reunited act on the bill, which includes such previously resurrected groups as John Lydon's Post-Sex Pistols outfit Public Image Limited, Swedish punks Refused, and '90s indie acts Superchunk and Promise Ring. Other nostalgic names pepper the bill, including former Husker Du and Sugar...
- 7/12/2012
- by Dave Lewis
- Hitfix
John Lydon and Louise Mensch are among the guests confirmed for tomorrow's (July 5) Question Time. Other panellists for the show, which will be filmed in Derby and hosted by David Dimbleby, include former Home Secretary Alan Johnson, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey and journalist Dominic Lawson. The full lineup was confirmed today on the official BBC Question Time Twitter account. Other musicians who (more)...
- 7/4/2012
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Sex Pistols have announced plans to re-release their iconic single 'Pretty Vacant'. The track will be unveiled in order to mark the 35th anniversary of its original release in 1977. It will be available as a limited edition 7" picture disc from Monday (July 2). Frontman John Lydon said of the release: "This is the Pretty Vacünt press release. Thank you." Only 3,500 pressings will be made of the single, while an expanded edition of their classic album Never Mind the B*llocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (more)...
- 6/25/2012
- by By Tom Eames
- Digital Spy
John Lydon has ruled out ever recording new tracks with the Sex Pistols. The singer has reunited several times with his former Sex Pistols bandmates for tours in the last 15 years, but has insisted that the 'God Save the Queen' group will never release another album of new material. "[The tours were] to clear up some old animosities, the very reason we fell apart originally. We just wanted to learn to appreciate each other in a different light," Lydon told Rolling Stone. "Unfortunately, the tour went on too long, and it crept back in to all the old problems. It became very staid and tired for me and it felt like it was a job." He further explained: (more)...
- 6/15/2012
- by By Justin Harp
- Digital Spy
A rare Sex Pistols 7-inch vinyl single sold for just under $20,000 at auction over the weekend, reports Whatsellsbest.com.
The 35-year-old vinyl record is a 7-inch promotional record and features the band's seminal hit single, "God Save the Queen," and the Never Mind The Bollocks track, "No Feelings."
The Sex Pistols had a turbulent history with their record labels. Due to their controversial image and singles, the band was dropped several times, meaning only a small number of records were released on each imprint. According to the seller's listing, the single in question is one of only two known copies in existence.
In 2006, another Sex Pistols Lts vinyl, featuring "God Save the Queen," sold online for approximately $16,000.
The Sex Pistols only released one album together, 1977's Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. "God Save the Queen" was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977. The single...
The 35-year-old vinyl record is a 7-inch promotional record and features the band's seminal hit single, "God Save the Queen," and the Never Mind The Bollocks track, "No Feelings."
The Sex Pistols had a turbulent history with their record labels. Due to their controversial image and singles, the band was dropped several times, meaning only a small number of records were released on each imprint. According to the seller's listing, the single in question is one of only two known copies in existence.
In 2006, another Sex Pistols Lts vinyl, featuring "God Save the Queen," sold online for approximately $16,000.
The Sex Pistols only released one album together, 1977's Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. "God Save the Queen" was released during Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977. The single...
- 6/11/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
When Dick Clark died a few months ago, one of the most widely-circulated videos posted in his honor was a clip of Public Image Ltd.‘s 1980 appearance on American Bandstand. The group performed “Poptones” and “Careering” in the most sneering, audience-friendly way possible and engaged in one of the most hilariously off-kilter interviews Clark was ever a part of on his own show. As a tribute to Clark’s unflappability, it’s an ideal document; however, it also speaks volumes about why Public Image Ltd. so captured the attention of the post-punk generation. After moving on from the Sex Pistols, John Lydon...
- 6/6/2012
- Pastemagazine.com
Former The Voice UK contestant Max Milner has responded to John Lydon's claim that TV talent shows humiliate contestants, saying that he "felt [at] home" on the BBC format. Lydon has been quoted as saying that shows like The Voice and The X Factor have a "painful tone of... smirking at who gets voted off" and are "utterly corrupting". Speaking to Digital Spy, Milner rejected the punk icon's suggestion and said that, aside from some questionable editing in the Battle Rounds, he had not felt taken advantage of by The Voice. "I never felt humiliated, no," he said. "I think I came across as slightly cocky in the Battle Rounds, which I'm really not. But that's the way it was edited and it's done now. "And then we got into the live rounds, so I could only be me. (more)...
- 5/29/2012
- by By Daniel Sperling
- Digital Spy
John Lydon -- aka Johnny Rotten -- speaks in stanzas, with grand pauses. He’d finish a thought, I’d give him a few seconds, I’d start to speak but then he’d start in on another thought on the same subject, sometimes in third person. He was full of sharp declarations and axioms like they were print-ready for badges and t-shirts. Perhaps its because many were badges and t-shirts. It’s been 20 years since Lydon’s Public Image Ltd. has released new music, but the frontman contends that PiL was never really gone. Listeners can hear the band’s influence in contemporary artists today, and...
- 5/22/2012
- Hitfix
Anthony Burgess's diabolical tale of juvenile ultraviolence is 50. Five decades on, the novel holds a lofty position as one of pop culture's most influential and enduring pieces of literature
Fifty years ago today, Anthony Burgess published his ninth novel, A Clockwork Orange. Reviewing it in the Observer, Kingsley Amis called the book "the curiosity of the day". Five decades later and there is still nothing quite like it.
When discussing A Clockwork Orange, many mistakenly confuse the book with Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film and immediately focus on the violence of the story, when really it's the language of the book – a vernacular so lively and colourful it renders those much-discussed descriptions of beatings and rape almost – almost – comical – that is its most remarkable and revolutionary aspect. Kubrick's dazzling adaptation contributed greatly to the book's ascension to the lofty position it holds today as one of pop culture's most influential and enduring pieces of literature,...
Fifty years ago today, Anthony Burgess published his ninth novel, A Clockwork Orange. Reviewing it in the Observer, Kingsley Amis called the book "the curiosity of the day". Five decades later and there is still nothing quite like it.
When discussing A Clockwork Orange, many mistakenly confuse the book with Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film and immediately focus on the violence of the story, when really it's the language of the book – a vernacular so lively and colourful it renders those much-discussed descriptions of beatings and rape almost – almost – comical – that is its most remarkable and revolutionary aspect. Kubrick's dazzling adaptation contributed greatly to the book's ascension to the lofty position it holds today as one of pop culture's most influential and enduring pieces of literature,...
- 5/14/2012
- by Ben Myers
- The Guardian - Film News
The British are coming on next week’s American Idol — at least in song. The top 5, Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez, will choose tunes for the British-themed show. Carrie Underwood and Coldplay are also set to perform. What would you like to hear the Idols sing?
Colton Dixon returned to The Ellen Degeneres Show on Thursday after being eliminated last week. Some of you may remember when he visited Ellen last year after he was cut from Idol just shy of the Top 24. Sister Schyler and his mom were in the audience to cheer...
Colton Dixon returned to The Ellen Degeneres Show on Thursday after being eliminated last week. Some of you may remember when he visited Ellen last year after he was cut from Idol just shy of the Top 24. Sister Schyler and his mom were in the audience to cheer...
- 4/27/2012
- by MJ Santilli
- EW - Inside TV
John Lydon has slammed the London Olympics organisers for trying to ''involve'' the Sex Pistols in the Games ''without any respect''. The group's frontman is refusing to support the sporting event - which is due to take place from July 27-August 12 this year - because he claims organisers asked about the possibility of ''reconstituting'' the band's ''ideas, artwork and lifestyle''. He told NME magazine: ''I can't back the Olympics. They tried to involve us [the Sex Pistols] but without any respect - they just wanted to use my ideas, our artwork, our lifestyle, but take it away from us...
- 4/26/2012
- Virgin Media - Celebrity
John Lydon has slammed the London Olympics organizers for trying to 'involve' the Sex Pistols in the Games 'without any respect'. The group's frontman is refusing to support the sporting event - which is due to take place from July 27-August 12 this year - because he claims organizers asked about the possibility of 'reconstituting' the band's 'ideas, artwork and lifestyle'. He told NME magazine: 'I can't back the Olympics. They tried to involve us [the Sex Pistols] but without any respect - they just wanted to use my ideas, our artwork, our lifestyle, but take it away from us and reconstitute it in this happy-go-lucky world of Olympic nonsense.' The British-born singer also believes the spectacle will...
- 4/26/2012
- Monsters and Critics
John Lydon has distanced himself from the reissue of The Sex Pistols' anti-monarchist song 'God Save the Queen'. The group's frontman believes rereleasing the track in time for Britain's Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee 'undermines' what they initially stood for when they first released the track in 1977 to coincide with the monarch's Silver Jubilee. John said in a statement: 'I would like to very strongly distance myself from the recent stories and campaign to push 'God Save the Queen' for the number one spot. 'It is certainly not my personal plan or aim. I am proud of what The Sex Pistols achieved and always will be but this campaign totally undermines what The Sex Pistols stood for. 'This is not...
- 4/18/2012
- Monsters and Critics
John Lydon has come out in opposition against the re-release of Sex Pistols classic 'God Save The Queen'. Better known by punk fans as Johnny Rotten, the band's frontman believes the May re-issue - to tie in with the monarch's Diamond Jubilee - "undermines" the band's original radicalism. "I would like to very strongly distance myself from the recent stories and campaign to push 'God Save The Queen' for the number one spot," the singer told BBC News in a statement. "I am proud of what The Sex Pistols achieved and always will be but this campaign totally undermines what The Sex Pistols stood for. "This is not my (more)...
- 4/17/2012
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Sex Pistols have announced plans to re-release one of their most controversial hits. The band will re-issue 1977's 'God Save The Queen' on May 28, a week before the monarch celebrates her Diamond Jubilee. However, the track is being re-released to celebrate its own 35th anniversary when it was written and released in co-ordination with The Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977. The hit technically outsold Rod Stewart's 'I Don't Want To Talk About It'/'The First Cut Is The Deepest', but ended up peaking at number two on the UK singles chart. Frontman John Lydon recently told NME that he doesn't believe rumours that The Queen personally prevented the song from reaching the top spot. "That's a lie, isn't it?" he said. "Those poor (more)...
- 4/16/2012
- by By Lewis Corner
- Digital Spy
Black Sabbath, Kiss and the Sex Pistols have also blasted the institution.
By Gil Kaufman
Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose
Photo: Getty Images
Suffice it to say that in his lengthy, lawyerly letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week refusing his induction as part of the classic line-up of Guns N' Roses, singer Axl Rose had a bone (or two, or six or 20) to pick with the process.
It's hard to say who the enigmatic hard-rock icon was most mad at, but his steadfast refusal to attend the induction, or even acknowledge the honor, put him in a long tradition of rock legends who've either bashed the Rrhof for not including them (only to change their tune once their number came up) or refused to show up, not to mention the fans who've raised holy hell when their favorite bands couldn't make the cut.
"We Want You on That Wall,...
By Gil Kaufman
Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose
Photo: Getty Images
Suffice it to say that in his lengthy, lawyerly letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week refusing his induction as part of the classic line-up of Guns N' Roses, singer Axl Rose had a bone (or two, or six or 20) to pick with the process.
It's hard to say who the enigmatic hard-rock icon was most mad at, but his steadfast refusal to attend the induction, or even acknowledge the honor, put him in a long tradition of rock legends who've either bashed the Rrhof for not including them (only to change their tune once their number came up) or refused to show up, not to mention the fans who've raised holy hell when their favorite bands couldn't make the cut.
"We Want You on That Wall,...
- 4/12/2012
- MTV Music News
Public Image Ltd played a two-and-a-half hour set at London's Heaven nightclub yesterday (April 2). John Lydon led the current PiL lineup through 17 tracks, backed by Bruce Smith, Lu Edmunds and Scott Firth. As on Sunday evening's show at the same venue, Public Image Ltd opened with new song 'Deeper Water' before launching into 1983 hit 'This Is Not A Love Song'. After a ten-minute version of Metal Box opener 'Albatross', Lydon laughed off a heckle from the crowd, saying: "Hello you silly sausage. You trying to get my rag up with nonsense like that?" He dedicated a new song to Reginald, "a Finsbury Park boy", before the band played 9 singles 'Disappointed' and 'Warrior', originally released in 1989. "I didn't mean to talk too much in that (more)...
- 4/3/2012
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Public Image Ltd have added a new London date to their upcoming summer tour. The recently-reformed post-punk band fronted by Sex Pistols star John Lydon play the HMV Forum in Kentish Town on August 11. The band confirmed on Twitter that pre-sale tickets for the show would be available from this Thursday, April 5. Public Image Ltd last night played London's Heaven nightclub and return to the venue for a second, sold-out show tonight. The group recently performed at the tenth anniversary celebrations for specialist radio station BBC 6 Music. Public Image Ltd release their comeback studio album This Is PiL in early spring. The full Public Image Ltd UK tour dates are as (more)...
- 4/2/2012
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Roger Ebert called Alex Cox’s unexpectedly romantic dissection of the destructive relationship between Sid Vicious and Cloe Webb “Punk Rock’s Romeo and Juliet”. Johnny Rotten (aka John Lydon) was no fan of the film, claiming he’d been intentionally bypassed and that the movie was “the lowest form of life”. The soundtrack contains no songs by Sid Vicious or the Sex Pistols. Instead the music is contributed by Pray for Rain, Joe Strummer and The Pogues.
- 3/30/2012
- by Danny
- Trailers from Hell
The Sex Pistols have signed a new recording contract. The punk band have inked a deal with Universal Music Catalogue UK to release a 35th anniversary repackage of their 1977 album Never Mind The B**locks. Talking about the deal, Johnny Rotten (aka John Lydon) said: "Music can be great, when done by the great. The Sex Pistols are the greatest. "Universal now has a trophy room, music is the imitation of nature, the Sex Pistols are nature, so please give generously. Thank you." Karen Simmonds from Universal added: "To (more)...
- 2/27/2012
- by By Lewis Corner
- Digital Spy
Public Image Ltd have announced details of two London shows. The recently-reformed post-punk band will play the Heaven nightclub on April 1 and April 2. Tickets are available on pre-sale now and are priced at £20 plus fees. Tickets go on general sale this Friday, February 24 at 9am. Frontman John Lydon said: "Because you deserve better, there is a PiL in Heaven. Get proper emotions." The band will play new material at the show, including tracks from their upcoming One Drop Ep, which is released for Record Store Day on April 21. The group's first album since 1992's That What Is Not is titled This Is PiL and (more)...
- 2/23/2012
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
Public Image Ltd have confirmed details of their first new material for 20 years. The John Lydon-fronted band release the four-track One Drop Ep on April 21 to mark this year's Record Store Day. Comeback album This Is PiL follows on May 28. It was recorded last year at Steve Winwood's Cotswolds studio and will be released via the band's own PiL Official label. Lydon said: "'One Drop' is a reflection of where I grew up in Finsbury Park, London. The area that shaped me, and influenced me culturally and musically, a place I will forever feel connected to. "But within this I am also saying it doesn't matter where you come from, we all go through the same emotions especially the disenchanted youth of today, yesterday and the future." He added: "Bearing in mind the Olympics are in London this year (more)...
- 2/21/2012
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
John Lydon has completed the new Public Image Limited (PiL) album. The group, fronted by the punk legend have recorded their first record since 1992's 'That What Is Not' - partly funded by John's fee for appearing in a commercial promoting butter - which they are planning to release later this year, preceded by an Ep this spring. Describing the recording of the album he said: 'We record live, some songs are made up on the spot.' He added it is 'not moody and terrible,' but 'completely experimental.' John also described how one of the tracks on the new Ep, 'Lollipop Opera', is about his growing up in a council flat in the poor area of Finsbury Park in...
- 2/15/2012
- Monsters and Critics
"I am no vulture, this is my culture," John Lydon warns -- or is it a declaration? Whatever he's portraying, it's in Public Image Ltd.'s first new song in 20 years, off their first studio effort since 1992's "That What Is Not." Defiant "One Drop" utilizes reggae rhythms and layers upon layers of guitars and processed noise, all with the former Sex Pistol's penchant vibrato and prrroper brrrah-brrrahing consonant rolls. The chorus reminds me a little of LCD Soundsystem's "One Touch" -- one drop, after all, is rarely ever enough."We are the ageless, we are teenagers," he sing-says, the vocals mixed...
- 2/14/2012
- Hitfix
Public Image Ltd will perform a one-off gig in March to celebrate the tenth anniversary of BBC Radio 6 Music. John Lydon's band will be joined by Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys, Anna Calvi and Beth Jeans Houghton & The Hooves Of Destiny for the event, to be held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre on March 16. Laura Marling will also perform at the Southbank Centre's Purcell Room alongside Lianne La Havas (more)...
- 2/13/2012
- by By Tom Eames
- Digital Spy
Nicky Wire is a huge fan of John Lydon's lyrics. The Manic Street Preachers bass player counts the lyrics of the Sex Pistols 'God Save the Queen' as his favourite, and loves the venom and message the young singer - then called Johnny Rotten - put into the 1977 anti-monarchist song. He said: ''When there's no future how can there be sin? / We're the flowers in the dustbin / We're the poison in your human machine / We're the future, your future,' it's still so powerful, so situationist and so real. For that to come from a 20-year-old John Lydon is quite staggering, really.' Nicky also counts the lyrics of The Smiths frontman Morrissey and the poems...
- 2/11/2012
- Monsters and Critics
John Lydon has blasted TV talent shows for clogging the music industry with "karaoke" singers. The former Sex Pistols frontman blasted the likes of American Idol and The X Factor for failing to produce acts that would "break barriers" and "do good things". Lydon told NME: "[Talent shows are] unimportant. And it's a shame that the music industry has been taken over and dominated by them. Particularly American Idol... you know, the way they love to awards themselves every year, those institutions. "Unfortunately there's some fantastic singers that come out of that, but they're karaoke. (more)...
- 1/5/2012
- by By Daniel Sperling
- Digital Spy
John Lydon has said that the upcoming Public Image Ltd album will probably be called This Is PiL. The Sex Pistols frontman's second band reformed in 2009 for a series of live shows to fund the follow-up to 1992's That What Is Not. "It is probably going to be called This is PiL basically because it is, it is all the work, effort and energy we put into this record," Lydon told BBC 6 Music. The projected release date for the 12-track album is early spring 2012, and a subsequent UK and European tour is also being planned. Lydon continued: "I was always full of ideas, but I had to wait until I had enough money to release an album. "Everybody thinks I made such a fortune with the Sex Pistols. Well, unfortunately that is not true, to make this record we had to tour extensively for two years." Lydon initially hoped to...
- 11/30/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
John Lydon (better known as Johnny Rotten), former lead singer of punk legends the Sex Pistols, must be having a good chuckle right about now, as archaeologists are comparing graffiti the band scrawled on walls of a London flat in the mid-'70s to prehistoric cave art made by early humans, like the famous Lascaux caves in southern France. According to Dr. John Schofield of the University of York's Department of Archaeology, the eight graffiti cartoons (most of them done by Rotten) are worthy of preservation as heritage pieces, despite their offensive nature. (These are the Sex Pistols after all.) The drawings, discovered behind some cupboards in an apartment the band had rented on central London's Denmark Street, depict members of the Pistols, their manager Malcolm McLaren, and other associates. Dr. Schofield, apparently not joking, said: "The tabloid press once claimed that early Beatles recordings discovered [...]...
- 11/22/2011
- Nerve
Top Gear USA | Terry Gilliam's Faust | Wild Britain With Ray Mears | Spy | Have I Got News For You | Comic Strip Presents – The Hunt For Tony Blair
Top Gear USA
7pm, BBC3
It's not as necessary as it used to be to adopt the brace position upon approaching an American adaptation of a British programme. However, it's hard to imagine Top Gear travelling quite as well. This first series of its American cousin is presented by comedian Adam Ferrara, racing driver Tanner Foust and racing reporter Rutledge Wood. Guests will include Kid Rock, Tony Hawk and, intriguingly, Buzz Aldrin. Andrew Mueller
Terry Gilliam's Faust
7.30pm, BBC4
The Python-turned-film-director's first foray into opera is this staging of Berlioz's The Damnation Of Faust, performed by the English National Opera at the London Coliseum. It's prefaced by a few words from a chuckling Gilliam himself, who views himself as a "tuning fork...
Top Gear USA
7pm, BBC3
It's not as necessary as it used to be to adopt the brace position upon approaching an American adaptation of a British programme. However, it's hard to imagine Top Gear travelling quite as well. This first series of its American cousin is presented by comedian Adam Ferrara, racing driver Tanner Foust and racing reporter Rutledge Wood. Guests will include Kid Rock, Tony Hawk and, intriguingly, Buzz Aldrin. Andrew Mueller
Terry Gilliam's Faust
7.30pm, BBC4
The Python-turned-film-director's first foray into opera is this staging of Berlioz's The Damnation Of Faust, performed by the English National Opera at the London Coliseum. It's prefaced by a few words from a chuckling Gilliam himself, who views himself as a "tuning fork...
- 10/13/2011
- by Andrew Mueller, David Stubbs, John Robinson, Ben Arnold, Julia Raeside
- The Guardian - Film News
John Lydon is in a bad mood.
He’s hungover from partying after the premiere of the Norwegian coming-of-age drama, Sons Of Norway, here at the Toronto International Film Festival. My photographer Linda and I arrive at a stuffy, claustrophobic mezzanine at the posh Hazelton Hotel. The busy publicist warns us that Mr. Lydon is an “unpredictable” mood.
Great, though I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, John Lydon is Johnny Rotten, the surly singer of The Sex Pistols and the 56-year-old godfather of punk. That’s how he’s credited in this film in a cameo appearance near the end though he’s credited as executive producer under his birth name.
Journalists who stagger out of their interviews assure me that Lydon is in unusually fine spirits, pleasant and polite, even signing autographs. As I wait, I go over my questions about this film. Sons of Norway is based...
He’s hungover from partying after the premiere of the Norwegian coming-of-age drama, Sons Of Norway, here at the Toronto International Film Festival. My photographer Linda and I arrive at a stuffy, claustrophobic mezzanine at the posh Hazelton Hotel. The busy publicist warns us that Mr. Lydon is an “unpredictable” mood.
Great, though I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, John Lydon is Johnny Rotten, the surly singer of The Sex Pistols and the 56-year-old godfather of punk. That’s how he’s credited in this film in a cameo appearance near the end though he’s credited as executive producer under his birth name.
Journalists who stagger out of their interviews assure me that Lydon is in unusually fine spirits, pleasant and polite, even signing autographs. As I wait, I go over my questions about this film. Sons of Norway is based...
- 9/12/2011
- by Allan Tong
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Filed under: Toronto Film Festival, Festivals
The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival runs from Sept. 8-18, featuring the premieres of such surefire Oscar contenders as George Clooney's 'The Ides of March,' David Cronenberg's Sigmund Freud drama 'A Dangerous Method' and 'Anonymous,' which questions whether Shakespeare actually wrote all those plays.
The Toronto Star has a full list of this year's attendees, both performers and filmmakers, and trust us -- it is exhaustive. Here's a look at the stars whose names start with J:
Jamel Debbouze, James Gandolfini, Jane Fonda, Jason Reitman, Jason Statham, Jay Baruchel, Jean Dujardin, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Schuetze, Jessica Chastain, Joe Taslim, Joely Richardson, John Lydon, Jon Hamm, Jonah Hill, Jonathan Schteinman, Jordon Gelber, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julia Maxwell, Juliette Binoche, Juliette Lewis, Jung Jae-Young, Juno Temple
There are many more, but...
The 2011 Toronto International Film Festival runs from Sept. 8-18, featuring the premieres of such surefire Oscar contenders as George Clooney's 'The Ides of March,' David Cronenberg's Sigmund Freud drama 'A Dangerous Method' and 'Anonymous,' which questions whether Shakespeare actually wrote all those plays.
The Toronto Star has a full list of this year's attendees, both performers and filmmakers, and trust us -- it is exhaustive. Here's a look at the stars whose names start with J:
Jamel Debbouze, James Gandolfini, Jane Fonda, Jason Reitman, Jason Statham, Jay Baruchel, Jean Dujardin, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jeffrey Wright, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Schuetze, Jessica Chastain, Joe Taslim, Joely Richardson, John Lydon, Jon Hamm, Jonah Hill, Jonathan Schteinman, Jordon Gelber, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julia Maxwell, Juliette Binoche, Juliette Lewis, Jung Jae-Young, Juno Temple
There are many more, but...
- 8/24/2011
- by Chris Chaberski
- Moviefone
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Brad Pitt, Keira Knightley, George Clooney, Carey Mulligan, Rachel Weisz, Gerard Butler and Ryan Gosling are heading to Toronto for the 36tht international film festival, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 8.
The fest today confirmed the hundreds of celebrities that will be attending the can’t-miss event, promoting films and making the rounds as the annual awards season starts to take shape.
Davis Guggenheim, Francis Ford Coppola, Alexander Payne, Luc Besson, Oren Moverman, Malgoska Szumowska, Bennett Miller, Sarah Polley, Jessica Yu, Michael Winterbottom and Werner Herzog are just a few of the filmmakers who have confirmed their attendance.
Celebrities making the trek include Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, Clive Owen, Jon Hamm, Shahid Kapoor, Michael Fassbender, Michelle Yeoh, Freida Pinto, Glenn Close, Matthew Goode, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Salma Hayek, Viggo Mortensen and Woody Harrelson. Musicians U2, Pearl Jam and Neil Young also are expected to...
Hollywoodnews.com: Brad Pitt, Keira Knightley, George Clooney, Carey Mulligan, Rachel Weisz, Gerard Butler and Ryan Gosling are heading to Toronto for the 36tht international film festival, which kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 8.
The fest today confirmed the hundreds of celebrities that will be attending the can’t-miss event, promoting films and making the rounds as the annual awards season starts to take shape.
Davis Guggenheim, Francis Ford Coppola, Alexander Payne, Luc Besson, Oren Moverman, Malgoska Szumowska, Bennett Miller, Sarah Polley, Jessica Yu, Michael Winterbottom and Werner Herzog are just a few of the filmmakers who have confirmed their attendance.
Celebrities making the trek include Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, Clive Owen, Jon Hamm, Shahid Kapoor, Michael Fassbender, Michelle Yeoh, Freida Pinto, Glenn Close, Matthew Goode, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Salma Hayek, Viggo Mortensen and Woody Harrelson. Musicians U2, Pearl Jam and Neil Young also are expected to...
- 8/23/2011
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
Toronto - The 36th Toronto International Film Festival® welcomes hundreds of guests this year. Filmmakers expected to present their world premieres in Toronto include: Davis Guggenheim, Francis Ford Coppola, Alexander Payne, Agnieszka Holland, Guy Maddin, Luc Besson, Bill Duke, Oren Moverman, Malgoska Szumowska, Bennett Miller, Darrell Roodt, Sarah Polley, Jessica Yu, Michael Winterbottom and Werner Herzog.
Actors expected to attend include Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Clive Owen, Gerard Butler, Jeon Do-Yeon, Jon Hamm, Shahid Kapoor, Michael Fassbender, Michelle Yeoh, Freida Pinto, Glenn Close, Matthew Goode, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Ryan Gosling, Salma Hayek, Viggo Mortensen and Woody Harrelson. Musicians include: U2, Pearl Jam and Neil Young.
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Adam Shaheen, Adam Wingard, Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr., Agnieszka Holland, Akin Omotoso,...
Actors expected to attend include Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Rampling, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Clive Owen, Gerard Butler, Jeon Do-Yeon, Jon Hamm, Shahid Kapoor, Michael Fassbender, Michelle Yeoh, Freida Pinto, Glenn Close, Matthew Goode, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Ryan Gosling, Salma Hayek, Viggo Mortensen and Woody Harrelson. Musicians include: U2, Pearl Jam and Neil Young.
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Adam Shaheen, Adam Wingard, Adolfo Borinaga Alix Jr., Agnieszka Holland, Akin Omotoso,...
- 8/23/2011
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
London — Punk rockers once wanted to smash the state. Now they're helping preserve stately homes.
The National Trust charity, which oversees Britain's castles and historic houses, has released a fundraising album of punk classics.
"Never Mind the Dovecotes" – a play on the title of the Sex Pistols album "Never Mind the Bollocks" – includes tracks by the Pistols and other vintage noise merchants, including GBH, Siouxsie and the Banshees and X-Ray Spex.
It means Mod band The Jam – which has two tracks on the album – will sit alongside jars of jam in gift shops at the Trust's 300 properties, which range from Roman-era structures like Hadrian's Wall to ruined abbeys, medieval castles, grand country mansions and Victorian pubs.
The album is a collaboration between the trust and Decca Records, and a change from previous joint efforts such as "Celtic Collection," "Classic Voices" and "Land of Hope and Glory – Great Songs from the British Isles.
The National Trust charity, which oversees Britain's castles and historic houses, has released a fundraising album of punk classics.
"Never Mind the Dovecotes" – a play on the title of the Sex Pistols album "Never Mind the Bollocks" – includes tracks by the Pistols and other vintage noise merchants, including GBH, Siouxsie and the Banshees and X-Ray Spex.
It means Mod band The Jam – which has two tracks on the album – will sit alongside jars of jam in gift shops at the Trust's 300 properties, which range from Roman-era structures like Hadrian's Wall to ruined abbeys, medieval castles, grand country mansions and Victorian pubs.
The album is a collaboration between the trust and Decca Records, and a change from previous joint efforts such as "Celtic Collection," "Classic Voices" and "Land of Hope and Glory – Great Songs from the British Isles.
- 8/4/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
John Lydon has complained that the National Trust did not seek his permission to use two Sex Pistols songs on an upcoming compilation. The CD, titled Never Mind the Dovecotes, features the tracks 'Anarchy in the UK' and 'Pretty Vacant' from the Pistols' sole studio album Never Mind The B*llocks. In response, Sex Pistols frontman Lydon said: "I would like to be able to trust the National Trust but from this point forward I can't. I was very proud to collaborate with The National Trust back in 2003 and voice a radio advert for them. "No-one however has even spoken to myself or my management or had a conversation with myself or my management about this album. Never Mind The.... Permission." He (more)...
- 8/4/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
John Lydon has revealed that his lyrics got burnt when a house fire caused major damage to his London home earlier this year. The Sex Pistols star told BBC 6 Music that he has been forced to come up with lyrics as he goes along in new recording sessions for Public Image Ltd. Lydon said: "Ever since we had that silly little house fire, all my lyrics got burnt down so I had to start again from scratch trying to remember ideas but it's much more enjoyable this way. "I like the panic and the fear of going in there live and having to come up with something. It's a really, really exciting environment we've put ourselves in." Lydon added of working in the studio provided by musician Steve Winwood: "It's a barn - there's nothing too flash but then we don't need flash, over-the-top (more)...
- 8/3/2011
- by By Mayer Nissim
- Digital Spy
John Lydon has spoken of the fire that caused major damage to his £700,000 West London house. The former Sex Pistols star was in Russia when a blaze broke out in the kitchen of the Fulham home that he shares with wife Nora Forster, completely gutting the room and causing smoke damage throughout. The fire, believed to have been caused by a faulty tumble dryer, has left the couple without water or electricity for weeks. "We were gutted and so was the kitchen," Lydon told the Daily Mail. "Nora was rushing around back in London while I was rushing around in Russia. "Learning Nora was not harmed (more)...
- 7/23/2011
- by By Daniel Sperling
- Digital Spy
John Lydon was reportedly devastated last month, after a house fire caused £700,000 worth of damage to his home.
The former Sex Pistols frontman and I’m A Celebrity contestant has spoken out admitting that he didn’t have home or contents insurance and will now have to find the money to pay for repairs himself, after the blaze swept through and destroyed his kitchen and caused smoke damage to the rest of the house.
The fire in his West London property is believed to have been caused by a faulty tumble drier and ever since John and his wife – German publishing heiress Nora Forster – have been living with no electricity or water. Lydon was in Russia with his friend PiL at the time of the fire and told The Daily Mail:
‘We were gutted and so was the kitchen. Nora was rushing around back in London while I was rushing...
The former Sex Pistols frontman and I’m A Celebrity contestant has spoken out admitting that he didn’t have home or contents insurance and will now have to find the money to pay for repairs himself, after the blaze swept through and destroyed his kitchen and caused smoke damage to the rest of the house.
The fire in his West London property is believed to have been caused by a faulty tumble drier and ever since John and his wife – German publishing heiress Nora Forster – have been living with no electricity or water. Lydon was in Russia with his friend PiL at the time of the fire and told The Daily Mail:
‘We were gutted and so was the kitchen. Nora was rushing around back in London while I was rushing...
- 7/23/2011
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
John Lydon's house has burned down. The PiL rocker - who was known as Johnny Rotten when he was frontman of seminal punk band The Sex Pistols - lost all of his new material when he had a domestic disaster at the London home he shares with wife Nora Forster recently. He said: 'Of all things it was a spin dryer, can you imagine Johnny Rotten's trousers being cleaned and dried? Well guess what - first time I try to get clean the house goes up in flames. 'All the songs I had for this current album, up in flames, but that...
- 7/22/2011
- Virgin Media - Celebrity
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.