Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed.
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Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed.

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle

1980
1h 43m
Music
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Cast

Malcolm McLaren (The Embezzler)Sid Vicious (The Gimmick)Steve Jones (The Crook)Paul Cook (The Tea-Maker)John Lydon (The Collaborator)Ronald Biggs (The Exile)Liz Fraser (Woman in Cinema)Jess Conrad (Jess)Mary Millington (Mary, The Crook's girlfriend)James Aubrey (B.J)Julian Holloway (Man)Johnny Shannon (Man in Prison Cage)Helen Wellington-Lloyd (Helen)Edward Tudor-Pole (Tadpole (kiosk attendant))Faye Hart (Secretary)Alan Jones (Record Executive)Irene Handl (Cinema Usherette)Judy Croll (Soo Catwoman)

Director

Julien Temple

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Synopsis

A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make "a million pounds." Silly and hard to follow at times, but worth seeing for some excellent Pistols concert footage, some wickedly amusing animated sequences, and Sid Vicious' eerily prophetic performance of "My Way."

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