Sad Vacation, a documentary that explores the fateful 1978 New York trip of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, will screen at select theaters in November and come to home video on December 9. The documentary, by Danny Garcia (The Rise and Fall of The Clash/Looking for Johnny), is dedicated, according to a press releae, “to presenting the real facts; told as it happened by their friends and those who witnessed it.” The release further describes the doc as “a film about the dynamics of Sid and Nancy’s tumultuous relationship, and how it all ended in Room 100 of the Chelsea Hotel.”
Sad Vacation includes interviews with Roberta Bayley, Steve “Roadent” Conolly, Donna Destri, Kenny “Stinker” Gordon, Bob Gruen, John Holmstrom, Hellin Killer, Walter Lure, Honest John Plain, Howie Pyro, Cynthia Ross, Andy Shernoff, Gaye Black, Casino Steel, Phyllis Stein and Sylvain Sylvain, in addition to the late Leee Black Childers and three key residents of the Chelsea Hotel: Victor Colicchio, “Neon” Leon Matthews and Ned Van Zandt.
In the early morning of October 12,1978, Spungen was found stabbed to death at the Chelsea in Manhattan. Vicious (John Ritchie) was later arrested for her murder but never came to trial; he died of a drug overdose on Febriary 2, 1979. Sad Vacation draws upon recollections of those involved at the time, and “a batch of newly-released grand jury documents,” according to the press release.
Narrated by Huey Morgan (Fun Lovin’ Criminals), the 94-minute Sad Vacation contains unseen photography of Sid and Nancy and music from the Heartbreakers, the Boys, the Members, Neon Leon, Pure Hell, Sami Yaffa, Luigi and the Wiseguys, Skafish, Corazones Muertos, the PrimaDonna Reeds, Supla, Silke Berlinn and the Addictions and Sid Vicious himself.
Related: The Sex Pistols release “God Save the Queen” in 1977
Screening Dates
Los Angeles, CA, The Regent 11/9
San Jose, CA, The Ritz 11/12
San Francisco, CA, The Roxie 11/16
Philadelphia, PA, MOCA 11/18
Reel Indie Film Fest, Canadian 11/18
Dallas, TX, Texas Theater, 11/20
New Orleans, Zeitgeist 11/21-11-23 (added 2 dates)
Brooklyn, NY, Saint Vitus, 11/23 (venue may change)
Chicago, IL, Brew & View at The Vic, Nov 25 (first hold)
Austin, TX-North Door, 11/27
Boston, MA-The Regent Theater 12/9-15
…more TBA
Watch the infamous Sid Vicious video of “My Way”
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