Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Sid & Nancy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 8, 2016

Alex Cox's "Sid & Nancy" (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new video interviews with director Alex Cox, cinematography Roger Deakins, and DJ and musician Don Letts. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Junk love

It is hard to believe that their relationship actually lasted for as long as it did. Sid Vicious in Nancy Spungen truly cared for each other, but they challenged fate in the worst possible ways. When it all ended, it wasn’t much of a surprise. The people that knew them could see very clearly that for some time they were heading down the lonely path of self-destruction.

The film is directed by British helmer Alex Cox, who also did the cult action comedy Repo Man. It is fast, chaotic and unfiltered, which is probably exactly what a credible film about the punk era should be.

Cox begins the story of Sid and Nancy with the end. In a cold and poorly lit room, the iconic rocker is seen struggling to come to terms with the fact that the love of his life has died. Some cops ask him random questions but he does not even see them.

The film then jumps back in time where producer Malcolm McLaren (David Hayman, Rob Roy) has hit the jackpot with the Sex Pistols. There is some pretty obvious static between Sid (Gary Oldman, Prick Up Your Ears) and Johnny Rotten (Drew Schofield), but when they are on stage performing together they seem invincible. Their music is loud, distorted, oozing pure energy, and the crowds love them. The media also can’t get enough of their endless antics. It is clear that it is all coming together and faster than McLaren had imagined possible.

The drugs enter the picture soon after Sid starts hanging out with Nancy (Chloe Webb, The Belly of an Architect). Initially it is hard to tell what is it that he sees in her -- she is a needy and frequently unbearably annoying American junkie who seems lost in a country that does not care that she exists. But Sid embraces her eccentricity and quickly gets hooked on the same dangerous drugs that she has been poisoning her body with. It is all downhill from here. There are a few scattered episodes in which Sid chooses music over the drugs, but his addiction is already a lot stronger than him.

The saddest and perhaps ugliest sequence in the entire film is in the second act where Sid and Nancy visit her family. They gather around the table and have dinner together. At the end, Nancy’s parents basically force the couple to go to some lousy hotel on the opposite end of town. The whole thing is truly painful to watch.

Oldman and Webb look good together -- the clothing and hairstyles are quite wonderful -- but occasionally some of the outbursts feel seriously exaggerated. Then again, one can probably easily argue that this is exactly the type of erratic behavior that Sid and some of the other Sex Pistols members were known for. (Johnny Rotten has been quite critical of this film because apparently Cox never consulted him. He believes that a lot of the material in the film does not reflect accurately the evolution of Sid and Nancy’s relationship. He has also described his portrayal in the film as absurd).

The film has a cracking soundtrack that is loaded with classic punk hits. Oldman sung his songs, while Glen Matlock rerecorded a lot of the original tracks.

Sid & Nancy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Alex Cox's Sid & Nancy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The release is sourced from a beautiful new 4K master -- it is not the same master that was used for the U.S. release of the film back in 2011 -- that offers massive improvements in all major areas that we address in our reviews. Clarity and especially depth are now simply terrific and effectively bring back the intended vibrancy that was largely lost on the previous release. The darker footage from the hotels and clubs, in particular, looks vastly superior. Fluidity is also dramatically improved, and the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to appreciate the new and very pleasing density of the current master. Furthermore, there is an entirely new range of fresh and very healthy primary colors and nuances that match the film's bold and energetic style. Grain is well exposed and resolved. There is some room for minor optimizations, mostly during a few darker segments, but your viewing experience will not be affected by compression anomalies. Finally, there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, or other age-related imperfections to report in our review. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Sid & Nancy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I think that balance and clarity are outstanding. There is excellent depth as well. The MGM disc has a 5.1 track, but I did some direct comparisons and think that the live performances as well as the basic dialog are actually served better by the 2.0 track. Balance in particular appears to be better managed on the 2.0 track. There are no pops, audio dropouts, or digital distortions to report.

Sid & Nancy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Roger Deakins - in this brand new interview, acclaimed cinematography Roger Deakins recalls how he became involved with Sid & Nancy and discusses the visual style of the film. The interview was conducted exclusively for StudioCanal. In English, not subtitles. (10 min).

• Interview with Alex Cox - in this brand new interview, director Alex Cox discusses his career, and the shooting and critical reception of Sid & Nancy in the U.S. and UK. The interview was conducted exclusively for StudioCanal. In English, not subtitles. (23 min).

• Interview with Don Letts - in this brand new interview, British director, DJ and musician Don Letts discusses the socio-cultural environment in which punk rock emerged, Sex Pistols and their music, and how the internet changed the music scene in his country. The interview was conducted exclusively for StudioCanal. In English, not subtitles. (10 min).

Sid & Nancy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I am not convinced that Sid & Nancy is the serious classic film that it is made out to be. It gets stuck somewhere between being an authentic documentary and a punk romantic drama and the closer one examines it, the clearer it becomes that it has some very serious credibility issues. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the very reason why Johnny Rotten has openly dismissed it. On the other hand, it is hard not to agree that it is a very colorful film with a cracking soundtrack that does leave an impression. StudioCanal's Blu-ray release is sourced from a brand new master that is vastly superior to the one MGM used a few years ago. It also comes with three exclusive new video interviews. RECOMMENDED.