Who Killed Nancy? [2008] [DVD]

On October 12th 1978, Nancy Spungen was found dead, slumped against the bathroom wall of room 100 in the Chelsea Hotel, New York City. Nancy was the girlfriend of Sex Pistols base guitarist, Sid Vicious. Barely coherent from drug abuse and other excess', and with a history of violence and unruly behaviour, Vicious was quickly charged with the killing and then promptly died of a drug overdose before it went to trial........

Case closed, police happy, but many knew that there was far more to tell.......

Director of this piece is one Alan G Parker, a self confessed punk rock fan and a man who has made something of a living out of writing about punk and Sid Vicious in particular. Alan is the same age as myself, someone who was in the first year of senior school when punk rock exploded on to the British public, and just like me, it impacted to the point that we still wear our punk ethos like a badge of belief more than honour. Does that make him biased for finally presenting facts about the events surrounding Nancy's death? Does it make me foolish or in biased league with him for trumpeting this picture? All I can personally say is that many many punks from back in the day have always been baffled as to why no in-depth investigation was forthcoming after Vicious left the mortal coil and thus closed the Nancy Spungen case. Here, finally you are presented with evidence and interviews that will at least give you the chance to make an informed decision. Rest assured, tho, that I'm fully aware that Sid may well still have done it, but presented with the facts, both medically, and incredibly by unreleased police evidence, it appears unlikely......but that's just me of course!

If many outside of the punk rock circles actually care is another thing? But if you are reading this then one would like to think you have an interest in the subject at the very least. Already the first reviews on IMDb point to the film being amateurish, hello! Do you know what the punk mantra is? No sane person who knows their onions with British punk rock could claim Vicious was a hero, we all know he was limited in ability, prone to cruelty, and by and large a cretinous {acting} persona. He however holds a place in many people's hearts as the guy who defined a look, with the iconography being hard {impossible} to ignore. Whilst the fact that with his, and Nancy's death, actually signalling the end of real punk rock as many of us knew it, any story involving him is obviously of special interest to the discerning British punk rocker.

It's just nice to see a film prepared to show what a dope he was whilst simultaneously giving credence to us punky cover up conspiracy theorists? And then some.

The film plays out more as a story of Sid and Nancy with out the gloss of a Hollywood production, in fact the subject of who actually did kill Nancy is merely a strand in an all encompassing story. Do not be fooled into thinking this is an hour and half of detective work, because it's not. We are taken thru a time line that fleshes the bones of these punk rock skeletons. Those in search of a Sex Pistols soundtrack should also be advised that it's not here, we do however get a fabulous and rich soundtrack by the likes of The Buzzcocks talented guitar man Steve Diggle, and honestly it's worth a listen.

It's no Filth and The Fury, and it's far removed from the arty veneer provided by Alex Cox's wonderful, but ill portrayed, Sid and Nancy (1986). But Who Killed Nancy? is not only an essential watch for old punkers like me, but also for those who like to have a peek at the other side of the coin once it's been tossed. 9/10

While the subject matter remains interesting after all these years, this latest look at the death's of Nancy Spungen and Sid Vicious has two glaring flaws.
While the access to those around Sid and Nancy at the time is well presented, the constant need to fill the gaps between with post punk animations and mock up video footage of Sid and Nancy lookalikes is unnecessary and very quickly becomes jarring.
The second flaw is common to all documentaries and films that tell this story, and that is the sad fact that it is very difficult to care much for the central characters. Neither come across as being very nice people and it is hard to get beyond the thought that it's just a depressing tale of two sad junkies who would have met their demise one way or another. While the 'conspiracy theory' angle is nicely played, it sits all too briefly at the very end of the film and renders the title a little misleading.
All in all, however, it is a very watchable documentary although I did find the extras a little disappointing. The only one of any real interest being Don Letts home movie footage of Sid.

The film title poses the question and the documentary is presented very clearly with interviews from the people who were around at the time. This is a good watch for anyone interested in Sid Vicious and the punk scene and there are some good special features to.