END OF THE CENTURY: THE STORY OF THE RAMONES

I was lucky enough to see these guys in 1995, a year before their final concert. True, Dee Dee was long gone and the venue was less than ideal (an all-day outdoor festival hosted by a corporate modern rock radio station), but it was still awesome--they enthusiastically churned out 25 songs in 35 minutes, with barely a breath in between.

This is a must-see for Ramones fans and recommended to anyone who loves punk or even popular music (after all, the band essentially made classic pop dressed up in loud, fast, punk clothing). A definitive documentary about four guys who really did change the world without ever cracking the Top 40, this touches on every significant chapter in their history: those humble Queens roots... wowing/confusing audiences at CBGB's in the Bowery... their infamous recording sessions with Phil Spector... my only gripe is barely fifteen seconds on ROCK AND ROLL HIGH SCHOOL--I wanted to know, did any Ramone ever hit on P.J. Soles (or Mary Woronov)?

Even better, this film amusingly, honestly documents all the rampant dysfunction between the bruthers--not a "happy family" by any means. Lead singer Joey was a hopeless romantic and an obsessive compulsive, guitarist Johnny a shrewd businessman and a thorny Republican, bassist Dee Dee a drug-addled screw-up but also a lovable underdog.

Like the best music documentaries, this one celebrates the band without sugar-coating them, and the performance footage suggests that for all their influence on other acts like The Sex Pistols, The Clash and endless copycats indulging in the punk lifestyle, they still sounded (and acted) like no one else. 1, 2, 3, 4! stars from me.