Personality Crisis: One Night Only

This film only confirmed feelings about Johansen I've had for decades. He's a cultural phenomenon and vocalist-not a singer-couldn't carry a tune in a Dolls handbag. Don't get me wrong. I like Dylan. I like Beefheart. I like plenty of vocalists. Might even prefer them to singers. But Johansen was smart to go Poindexter and get into films where his over the top persona could play to his strengths as a vaudevillian. The movie itself should've given more (any?) screen time to Iggy, surviving regulars at Max's KC, John Cale, the Dolls-influenced such as Debbie Harry (shown in the Carlyle crowd), John Lydon, Mike Ness, Billie Joe Armstrong anyone but the insufferable Morrissey (ancient footage, at that). Having Johansen's daughter handle the offscreen interviews is a tad soft. Scorcese seemingly phoned this one in or Covid put it on a ventilator. Unless your a fan of Johansen's "singing." Lot's soft easy listening performances from a guy lionized as a punk rock pioneer. Check out the doc/bio of Arthur Kane for some engrossing viewing.

OK, I really enjoyed this film. It was definitely different than what I had expected it to be; rather than just being a straightforward, linear biography, the format here has David Johansen performing on his birthday before a crowd of friends in a small, swanky New York lounge with a great backup band, all while recounting stories from his varied musical career in between numbers. I've been a fan of The New York Dolls since the 70s. I admit that I did not follow David Johansen's solo career, as I was way too deeply immersed in punk rock at the time to appreciate him as Buster Poindexter and his hit song, "Hot, Hot, Hot." But one thing for sure, David has always been the epitome of New York cool. This movie may not be for everyone, but then again, the New York Dolls were never for the general public, either.

OK, I really enjoyed this film. It was definitely different than what I had expected it to be; rather than just being a straightforward, linear biography, the format here has David Johansen performing on his birthday before a crowd of friends in a small, swanky New York lounge with a great backup band, all while recounting stories from his varied musical career in between numbers. I've been a fan of The New York Dolls since the 70s. I admit that I did not follow David Johansen's solo career, as I was way too deeply immersed in punk rock at the time to appreciate him as Buster Poindexter and his hit song, "Hot, Hot, Hot." But one thing for sure, David has always been the epitome of New York cool. This movie may not be for everyone, but then again, the New York Dolls were never for the general public, either.