Watch New York Doll For Free

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The New York Dolls. They make the success of The Ramones look massive. Truth is both bands didn't get nearly enough of their deserved airplay or record sales while they existed, The Dolls almost none in comparison. Many years of repeatedly new generations discovering these great bands rights the wrongs somewhat even if the artists pockets are still receiving only a pittance of what this music must be, in truth, generating. But, there's something beyond the old story of the starving hard working artist here. Unlike The Ramones The Dolls were but a blip on the radar as they shortly imploded among-st death, drugs, and an ever changing musical landscape. One of them left the music business entirely.As for history, it's fickle of course. In The Dolls case it had a coda that was positive. Morissey of The Smiths, an influential artist of the 90's, had the vision to get the surviving Dolls together again for at least one reunion show. It proved providentially wonderful as shown here, particularly for Arthur "Killer" Kane bassist for the band. Though he had been out of the business for approximately thirty years he had a wish that he could somehow reunite with his old mates. His story is a compelling one. A man who had found his Spiritual center he was very content living as an employee of The Mormon Church in a very modest way. Still it seems he had a need for a musical resolution, maybe more so with his old chum David Johansen. It really seems like a blessing for Arthur as this film simply tells. If the concert was for the fans it was more for Arthur and then for David and Sylvain in short order. It was a triumphant return to England where their famous TV appearance was called "mock rock" by host Bob Harris on November 26th 1973 and is where drummer Billy Murcia had died just a year earlier.Arthur as the film shows definitely had an inner peace about him. He was a very humble and kind soul it is clear. He may have needed some closure that never was as for his New York Dolls existence; it seems he was truly blessed and received it. In less than six months after the show he was becoming ill and received a serious diagnosis. Perhaps this final chapter was meant to be. It's truly uplifting how his church family supported this momentary return to his other life. They didn't down it or cast a shadow on it, instead fully supporting his wish to reunite his old band when given the chance. I think it made a good man more at peace and fulfilled. Filmmaker Greg Whiteley did a wonderful job of showing the special man and musician Arthur Kane was.

I watched this movie a week ago and I can honestly say I have found myself thinking about it every day since viewed this "Gem". Arthur "Killer" Kane is as memorable a figure as I have ever seen or or more appropriately "experienced". He is quirky, he is lost, he is sweet and he is naive it just so happens at one time he was the bassist for The New York Dolls a pre-punk band that had mild commercial success in the mid 70's. Who are th New York Dolls you say? They turn out to be the inspiration for artists like Morrissey, Chryssie Hynde, Mick Jones and The Clash as well as Bob Geldof amongst others. The New York Dolls were credited in the movie for creating what became the punk rock wave that hit England in the late 70's. What intrigued me was that they are credited for the movement a few times in the movie and according to Mick Jones of the Clash, this all came from a SINGLE television appearance the Dolls made while in England. Watching this movie was like seeing a biography of Dr. Jekyll. Kane (Jekyll) is older, wiser and filled with faith and regret of "what could have been" beating himself up for the destruction he has caused to himself, his former wife and questioning himself about what he could have done to stop the tidal wave of failure that followed in the wake of the break up of the Dolls . Kane clings onto the hope of reuniting with his 2 surviving former band mates, like Linus does his blanket. I was moved to see a man who once was a "rock god", now humbled as he is filmed riding the bus to his job as a glorified "gopher" at the Latter Day Saints family history library in Los Angeles. Kane the once proud and defiant bass player is shown to be so broke now that his LDS church loans him the money to get his bass out of a pawn shop. Kane is shown to be deeply religious but even that does not help in dealing with his anger and jealousy over the career that David Johansen aka "Buster Poindexter" has carved out over the years while Kane faded into alcoholism, poverty and obscurity. Arthur Kane reflects the pain and confusion that everyone has experienced at one time in their life, wondering how something wonderful and so precious was lost, praying that the opportunity avails itself one last time and to embrace and clutch onto the moment. I will not spoil the ending to this beautifully crafted movie, a film that is at times funny ,emotionally devastating and inspirational. I will say that it was the first time I shed tears during the credits of movie in more than 20 years. Do yourself a favor see this movie even if you are not a fan of the New York Dolls, I am sure after you see the movie you will be...

I watched "New York Doll" with intense fascination and moment by moment trepidation, wondering at what point the staunch beliefs of the Mormon church would clash with the life of former rock star Arthur "Killer" Kane. To my utter surprise, as reflected by the "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" performance by David Johansen (which is one of the most brilliant juxtapositions ever in music), the empathetic sensitivities of Kane's rocker friends to his conversion to the church and the church's non-judgmental support of his life and dream of reuniting with "his friends" revealed a natural symbiosis I never thought I would see. It has literally renewed my faith in people!

I could go on and on about why I liked this movie but there's one thing that is most important to impress upon people: you don't have to be a New York Dolls fan - or even a rock music fan - to enjoy this movie. I was only peripherally aware of the New York Dolls music and I was captivated by this fine piece of work.This is not a concert movie though a performance is integral to the story. It's also not a series of rock videos. It is a simple man's extraordinary journey through life, a life that at times is ordinary and at others is far from it.I can only encourage you to not base your willingness to view this on how you feel about its music. If you pass by because of that, you will deprive yourself of a very special movie.