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END OF THE CENTURY: THE STORY OF THE RAMONES
(Rhino)
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Funny, sad, and inspiring, this is the story of how the Ramones came up from the streets of Queens, glue sniffers, rejects, and petty thugs who formed a band and influenced almost every aspect of popular music. The performances run from their 1974 beginnings on stage at CBGB to their final 1996 tour. There’s also early film of the New York Dolls in their drag-show heyday and Iggy Pop smearing peanut butter on his chest. But this release’s real virtue is its insights into the band members’ convoluted personal lives. It chronicles singer Joey’s obsessive-compulsive mania, guitarist Johnny’s mean streak, and original bassist Dee Dee’s blend of slackness and sensitivity. Directors Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields also recount the band’s inner struggles, including the rift that occurred between Johnny and Joey when Johnny stole, and ultimately married, Joey’s girlfriend. That went far deeper than their political divide. (Joey was a black-leather hippie, Johnny an urban redneck.) They never made peace. All three are now dead, Johnny and Joey claimed by cancer and Dee Dee by the drug habit that plagued him for most of his life. This film, and their musical legacy, is their memorial. A few short additional interviews trimmed from the theatrical version of the film appear in the DVD’s "extras" section, but they don’t add much to the story. (End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones screens next Tuesday, May 31, at 9 p.m. at the Independent Bar & Restaurant, 75 Union Square in Somerville; call 617-440-6021.)
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