The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead
The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead is a 2015 American documentary film about the music group The Damned. The film was directed by Wes Orshoski and premiered at the SXSW Film Festival.
| The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Wes Orshoski |
| Produced by | Wes Orshoski |
| Written by | Wes Orshoski |
| Starring | |
| Music by | The Damned |
| Cinematography | Wes Orshoski |
| Edited by | Wes Orshoski |
Production companies | Three Count Films[1] |
Release date |
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Running time | 110 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States[2] |
| Language | English |
Summary
The film is about the British rock group The Damned and is a mix of archival, interview and contemporary footage of the group and other musicians and fans.[1] The film discusses the rivalry between members Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies with their disagreement over unpaid royalties.[3]
Production
The film was directed by Wes Orshoski, who was also the films producer, writer, cinematographer and editor.[2] It was the filmmakers follow-up to his previous documentary Lemmy.[1] The Damned provided the music for the film.[2] The film was shot over a three-year period.[2]
Release
The film premiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 19, 2015.[2] At the screening, The Damned's lead guitarist Captain Sensible shouted commentary in the auditorium whenever a moment or a former Damned member he did not like appeared in the film.[1] Damned frontman Dave Vanian did not attend the premiere.[4]
The film received its premier in the United Kingdom on June 3 at the Prince Charles Cinema.[3][5] Rat Scabies and Brian James were present for the London premiere of the film, where Scabies stated that he hopes the film will bring closure between himself and Captain Sensible.[3][5]
The film was released on Blu-ray (which also included the DVD) on May 20, 2016.
Reception
Variety gave the film a positive review, stating that even an audience unfamiliar with the group may find sufficient entertainment value in the documentary, noting "the Damned’s unpredictability only endeared them further to a diehard fan base, and it makes this documentary all the more entertaining".[1] The Hollywood Reporter opined that the director "struggles to impose dramatic shape on a sprawling subject, but at least he finds an emotional hook in the decades-old rift between Sensible and Scabies"[3]
Notes
- Harvey, Dennis (March 25, 2015). "Film Review: 'The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead'". Variety. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- "The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead". SXSW Film Festival. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- Dalton, Stephen (June 8, 2015). "'The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- Cooper, Leonie (19 March 2015). "The Damned attend world premiere of biographical documentary at SXSW". NME. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- Bonner, Michael (May 28, 2015). "The Damned documentary gets release date". Uncut. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.