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New York Doll by Greg Whiteley
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DVD detailsActor: Arthur Kane, Bishop Bragg, David Johansen, Nina Antonia, Sylvain Sylvain Director: Greg Whiteley Brand: UNIVERSAL MUSIC VIDEO DIST. Cinematographer: Roderick A. Santiano Editor: Greg Whiteley Editor: Seth Gordon Producer: Seth Gordon Producer: Ed Cunningham DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1 Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen Picture Format: 1.78:1 Running Time: 78 minutes DVD Release Date: 2006-04-04 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Studio: First Independent Product features: - Punk glam rock band, the New York Dolls made a splash in the 70 s, but infighting and drug use broke up the band. Lead singer David Johansen had a successful solo career but others, like bass guitarist Arthur "Killer " Kane, weren t so lucky. Arthur was plagued by drinking problems and depression, and a failed suicide attempt ultimately led him to become a Mormon. He was leading a quiet, contented
DVD Reviews of New York DollDVD Review: I'm disappointed Summary: 2 StarsThe director states that he had well over 100 hours of footage to work with. For such an exhausting recording project, this is a paltry product.
What we end up with in this documentary is a very sad and pathetic Arthur Kane, broke, alone and working at the Mormon library (having been SAVED by them, he is so lost and zombie-like at the end, that he really has no other place to go). He is shown retrieving his guitar from a pawn shop (where they bilked him into keeping it on loan) so that he could play the Dolls' final gig together in 2004.
We see Barbara Kane only once, maybe twice, hardly anything from Sylvain and David Jo, little from other musicians around at the time, and only snippets of commentary by people like Iggy Pop. Morrissey is given the most time, with a 15 minute extra interview.
I'm sure there is much more to Arthur Kane's life than is presented here. To include so little from the wife was just ignorant.
DVD Review: An amazing story! Summary: 5 StarsAn amazing story about a guy who finally gets a break. You do not have to be a fan of the New York Dolls to watch this and say WOW!New York Doll
DVD Review: A Real Living Doll Summary: 4 StarsThe New York Dolls were one of the greatest bands in punk history; but, like a lot of influential bands and greatness, we didn't quite get it until it was all over. Enjoyment of these things comes from not just living their dreams but knowing about the people behind the scenes. How much did we really know about these people? As it turns out, not much. So was the case for the bass player, Arthur "Killer" Kane.
Fame came first for the Dolls, but not fortune. Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan would die in the mid 1990s, but Arthur floundered while David Johansen went on to further fame and fortune as Buster Poindexter and an acting career. Who would have thought that he would have found Jesus - in the Church of Ladder Day Saints no less, and become a Mormon working in one of the church's libraries. The Mormon faith helped him overcome his troubles (bad home life, alcohol, etc.) but he still clung to the past, hoping against hope that somehow he could reunite with the Dolls. Morissey plays a strange role in this, helping him reunite with the surviving Dolls and in fact, getting them back together.
This is a story about hope, about overcoming hardships, finding your passions, and resolution of the past. Arthur had his claim to fame, but he also had a new one in his work in the Mormon church. Eccentric characters make the world go round.
DVD Review: OK but not great Summary: 3 StarsI felt I had to write a review to counter all the 5 star reviews. This movie is fine but slow paced. If your considering it because you are a New York Dolls fan, there are some early clips but most have voice overs. The sound from the reunion concert is not that good. There are other NYD DVD's out there.
If you are considering this as a human interest story, Kine comes across as someone sleepwalking through life, stuck in the past, wishing the glory days would return and resenting David J. for his success. Not a hero or even a flawed one. "The Cruise" is a much better portrait of a "beautiful loser".
Die hard NYD fans will want this for their collection, but an average fan will watch it once or twice.
DVD Review: Excellent movie, thought-provoking human story Summary: 5 StarsAfter reading the reviews on Amazon, I couldn't resist getting a copy of this DVD. When my wife and I watched it, it brought tears to our eyes. We were totally suprised at how engaging the movie is, and how sensitively the story is presented. My wife has zero interest in the roots of punk music, but she was sincerely interested in the movie. Really a neat work.
Description of New York DollArthur Kane of the legendary band the New York Dolls rockets to the top of the glam rock scene. Then with the death of a band member, the group bottoms out and eventually splits up. Arthur disappears from the music scene and in a surprising twist of fate, becomes a Mormon librarian. Years later, Morrissey (of the Smiths) offers Arthur the opportunity to go back into the spotlight and revisit a life he thought was lost forever. New York Doll is a heartfelt story about second chances and an incredible music journey. For a look at a "Killer," New York Doll is a surprisingly tender portrait. But then Arthur "Killer" Kane, bass player for the New York Dolls, was a gentle soul at heart. In his feature film debut, director Greg Whiteley ably explores the dichotomy between the stone-faced rocker with the "killer" bass lines and the mild-mannered librarian at LA's Mormon Family History Center. Kane never had much of a home life, but he loved rock and roll, and found a second family with the Dolls. It was, to say the least, a dysfunctional one. Fame came fast, but money didn't follow, and the band imploded "because of our bad behavior." Kane struggled with alcohol and other problems before finding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1980s. He turned his life around, but refused to let go of the past. He wanted to get the band back together. Jerry Nolan and Johnny Thunders died in the 1990s, but Kane's dream didn't. "For 30 years I was ignored and told that I was a loser," he states. Whiteley doesn't preach or condescend, but allows Kane to tell his own story, bolstered by comments from friends and associates. As Morrissey, who kick-started the group's 2004 London reunion, explains, "For everybody there's an artist that captures you at just the right time... The Dolls were that for me." Featuring David Johansen, Sylvain Sylvain, Iggy Pop, Chrissie Hynde, and Mick Jones, New York Doll was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
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