
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle
The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, also known as The Great Rock and Roll Swindle, is a 1980 British mockumentary film directed by Julien Temple and produced by Don Boyd and Jeremy Thomas. It centres on the British punk rock band Sex Pistols and, most prominently, their manager Malcolm McLaren.
Plot
Guitarist Steve Jones plays a shady Private detective who through a series of set piece acts uncovers the truth about the band. Drummer Paul Cook and bass guitarist Sid Vicious play smaller roles, and the band's manager, Malcolm McLaren, is featured as "The Embezzler", the man who manipulates the Sex Pistols. Fugitive train robber Ronnie Biggs, performer Edward Tudor-Pole, sex film star Mary Millington, and actresses Irene Handl and Liz Fraser also make appearances. Singer and frontman Johnny Rotten refused to have anything to do with the film, stating that it was "a pile of rubbish" and "Malcolm's vision of what he believed; not true in any form".
More details
author | Julien Temple Malcolm McLaren |
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director | Julien Temple |
genre | action animation |
keywords | a&m a&m records bass guitarist edward tudor-pole emi film star irene handl johnny rotten liz fraser mary millington music business private detective record label virgin virgin records warner bros. records |
musicBy | Sex Pistols |
producer | Don Boyd Jeremy Thomas |
publisher | Virgin Films |
theme | anthology compilation exploitation mockumentary |