Arthur 'Killer' Kane was bass guitarist with the meteorically-careered New York Dolls in the early seventies. Although The Dolls were hugely influential, spurring countless acts to pick up their guitars, you may never have heard of them. A shame, but that shouldn't stop you seeing this hugely enjoyable and moving documentary as it's not really about The Dolls, even though it's a good resume of what they were about: it's actually about Arthur, a damaged but good-natured and enormously likable man.Superficially his story follows the stereotypical arc of the late twentieth century rock and roll flame-out: celebrity at a young age followed by drink and drug fuelled oblivion. Where it departs from cliché, and its where the movie's heart lies, is that Arthur redeems himself in a way that nobody that knew him could possibly have imagined and finally manages to give balance and shape to his life. As such it has what I can only describe as a uniquely satisfying unhappy ending. See it.

This film is a thinly disguised propaganda piece about the evils of rock 'n roll from the wide perspective of the Mormon church.Featuring Arthur "Killer" Kane (30 years after the fact), the movie starts with Mormon director Greg Whitely interviewing a couple of white-haired colleagues from Kane's servile gig at the church, one of whom comments on a near-senile Kane and his amazing ability to keep the copier filled with paper.Can you guess where this is gonna go? Laughable commentary from Kane's Mormon fellows interspersed with suspiciously edited "interviews" with a few of his peers is supposed to give the film a raw, gritty feel but simply exposes the juvenile attempts at proselytizing by Whitely, who is clearly out of his depth as regards the NY scene in the '70s and doesn't really care anyway.The film ends with a lost looking Kane on stage in England attempting a pathetic reunion with the remaining New York Dolls, his bass playing hugely non-existent while session men fill in the gaps. Whitely clearly relishes his role in exposing a 'lost soul', but instead of a lovingly compassionate look at the man and his work, he uses the footage to mock Kane and the Dolls. Talk about Christian compassion!And this is the point of the movie. God forbid should one ever stray from the straight and narrow. And should you perhaps be so stupid as Arthur Kane to break new musical ground and dabble in the forbidden, your life isn't worth more than a cheap Christian documentary.Johnny Thunders is probably looking down and laughing at poor Arthur rotting in hell for allowing himself to be used like a whore by the Mormon church. -- Charlie Parisek Tokyo, Japan 2007

First, I confess that I never "got" The New York Dolls.Second, this is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen.The film is a bittersweet, understated but fascinating portrayal of Arthur Kane, the one-time degenerate New York Doll bass player turned Mormon, as he prepares for a reunion concert with his former band mates, and, as it turns out, a far more important gig. The filmmaker treats all of the subjects(including Morrissey, David Johanssen, numerous LDS members, the LDS Church itself, and most of all, Kane) with dignity and respect, and without judgment. The film's unstated message of tolerance and understanding makes this worth watching by all.

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.