Final 24 (TV Series) Sid Vicious (2006) User Reviews

The one that gave life took it away

[jaibo · 7/10 · 26 November 2008]

This is a surprisingly intriguing and troubling piece of pulp television. It deals, in interviews, old documentary footage and re-enactments, with the final 24 hours in the life of Sex Pistol Sid Vicious. It carefully if briefly tells the story of his life, his involvement with the Pistols and Nancy Spungeon, her death and then Sid's own demise. The film then makes the shocking claim that Sid's Mum, Anne Ritchie, killed her son with a deliberate fatal overdose, to prevent him having to spend the rest of his life in prison over Nancy's death (he was out on bail). This claim is backed up by interviews with the first cop on the scene at Sid's death (who claims that it was incontrovertible that Anne did it, but there were no witnesses so it could never have stood up in court) and a man who was present when Anne made a death-bed confession of her deed.

There's something deeply sad and tragic about this story of the junkie Mum who both gave and took life from her child - the sadness comes over despite the lurid tabloid feel of much of the film.

That's the surprise revelation. The other surprise is that the re-enactments are completely compelling, and offer a far more realistic and harrowing look at Sid near the end than Alex Cox's Sid and Nancy managed. The actor who plays Sid is miles better than Gary Oldman - it would be interesting to know who he is. The rest of the cast feel like authentic rock hangers-on and junkies; oddly, the actress playing Anne Ritchie looks a little like Blanche, Deirdre's Mum out of Coronation Street.

I think the documentary is available on YouTube. Well worth tracking down for fans of punk, anyone interested in junkie biography and Sid fanatics.

Sid Vicious!

[octbeb · 7/10 · 8 February 2020]

I love my Sid. He was a very talented person and a sweetheart. The name that he had was a total contradiction of who he really was. He was not Vicious at all. It's an act, it's not who he really was. He was also INNOCENT and he would have been fully acquitted.

Now let's get to the main part of this review, the show itself. I always give anything and everything about Sid and people like him a 10 star rating. However, I do not rate this show as such because It has easily avoidable flaws. Flaws in this show include:

1. Sid was NOT raped, beaten, and abused in Riker's Island. His cellmate was a big butch guy like that John Coffey guy from The Green Mile. The other inmates were afraid of him. The guy loved Sid like he was his own son. He protected him and he warned the other inmates that if they gave Sid a hard time they would have to deal with him. Therefore they left Sid alone.

2. After the suicide attempt Sid stayed at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital for several weeks. He also was not allowed to discharge himself.

3. Eileen Polk was not only a friend of his mother but also his friend too.

4. Sergeant Richard Houseman was not only the one who investigated Sid's death but also Nancy's death. He knew Sid was innocent and he was going to help him get off.

5. Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood bullied and manipulated him into attacking the rock critic with the bike chain.

Although, this is a great show the inaccuracies cannot be ignored. They also never listed the names of the cast members. I would have liked to have found out who plays Sid.

Although, I like it, in the end I would tell the director and writer to do their research and get the facts straight. Overall though, great show.