Documentary Review: STIV: No Compromise No Regrets

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2019
Images from the Internet unless indicated

STIV: No Compromise No Regrets

Directed by Danny Garcia
Chip Baker Films / MVD Entertainment
80 minutes / 2019
www.facebook.com/stivdocumentary
www.mvdb2b.com

Stiv (photo (c) RBF)

The Dead Boys were an exciting band, to put it mildly. You never knew what to expect, and I firmly believe they were arguably the first hardcore band. Luckily, I got to see them quite a few times, mostly at CBGB, and quite often sharing a bill with the equally wild British punkers, the Damned. Dead Boy performances were exciting gigs, including the one of two nights which I saw that were benefits for their drummer, Johnny Blitz, who had been stabbed 17 times.



Stiv and Cheetah (pic (c) RBF)

The only time I came in close contact with Stiv was when I was with someone who wanted to interview Captain Sensible of the Damned, so we went backstage to where the two bands were sharing a dressing room. Their reputation preceding them, I kept my finger over the top of my beer, as the Boys were known to pee in bottles that were put down temporarily.

 

It was an exciting time, and Danny Garcia seems to be on a mission to preserve as much as it as possible, having previously directed strong films about the likes of Johnny Thunders, Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen, and the Clash.

As bios go, with the exception of a bit at the beginning, the film follows the usual chronological order of Stiv’s great march to the East, starting in Ohio (Rocket From the Tombs; Frankenstein), then New York (Dead Boys), to England (Wanderers, Lords of the New Church), and finally to his final days in Paris. These are backed up by many of his musician pals and a girlfriend who do the talking head remembrances. But here’s where this is different, and it’s an important variance: rather than the camera just sitting on the person talking for however long, once the introduction is done, the image we see is of Stiv in both still and video form, while the person continues narrating. This keeps it a lot more interesting.

What’s also in a positive is that Garcia digs pretty deep into the personality of Bators, from his good nature and humorous moods to his darker depressions and drug abuse. This pulls no punches. Stiv was known for some wild actions, such as “surfing” on the top of cars going 70 mph, fitting himself inside the bass drum during the set, or cutting himself Iggy-style on stage.

It’s also important to point out that this film is not about the Dead Boys or any of Stiv’s other bands, per se, but rather about the man, and Garcia never seems to lose track of that. Sure we get stories and anecdotes of life on the road from other band members, but this is definitely focused on the guy whose name is on the film. And that’s great.

Speaking of interviews, while Jimmy Zero (rhythm guitarist and songwriter for the Dead Boys) rightfully gets the most screen time as he tells great stories, all the people present to talk about Stiv give first hand reports, which is much better than “I heard that Stiv did this or that” or “I believe Stiv felt that…” Even the few journalists who get face time, such as John Holstrom and Nina Antonia, were there and give compelling first-person observations.

Two things stand out for me negatively, both of them minor. First, the title cards explaining who is who are shown once, and after that it’s expected the viewer would know who these people are. While I’m a fan of the musician and his bands, I did not know everyone who is interviewed (especially those in France), so repeating the people descriptors would have helped a bit. The other, and I’m sure there is no blame on Garcia, is that it would have been interesting to hear from Cheetah Chrome (lead guitarist of the Dead Boys), and he would have some great tales as well; but I’m willing to bet that his exclusion was his own choice, and I respect that.

When dealing with the life of someone who lived on the edge for as long as Bators did, I kept wanting more, such as his relationship with the Damned, the Johnny Blitz benefit and how the stabbing affected Stiv’s life, more about the contentiousness recording session of the DB’s Young Loud and Snotty (Genya Ravan’s reaction to Stiv’s Nazi fascination), etc. Of course, this would have made the film three hours long, but this is actually a complement to Garcia’s biography, because it kept my interest and I also wanted more.

Danny Garcia makes some compelling documentaries, and I always look forward to seeing them. While I don’t know what will be coming next, I’ll be there to see it. This film is a perfect indicator of why.