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Sundance hosts Strummer film premiere

By Patrick Sawer, Evening Standard 19.01.07

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Culture Clash: Strummer's influence is explored in a new movie

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A film celebrating the life of London punk musician Joe Strummer will receive its world premiere at Robert Redford's Sundance cinema festival in Utah tomorrow.

The Future Is Unwritten, made by his friend, film director Julien Temple, promises to be the definitive documentary about the lead singer of The Clash, who died of a congenital heart defect in December 2002, aged 50.

It features contributions from Bono, Martin Scorsese, Johnny Depp and John Cusack.

Strummer's radical Leftwing lyrics established the Clash as campaigners against fascism, racism and US expansionism.

The Clash's albums, which embraced everything from reggae to hiphop, rockabilly and calypso, paved the way for today's interest in World Music, while the influence of punk graphics and clothes on high street fashion can still be felt.

Temple - who also made the Sex Pistols documentary The Filth And The Fury and whose 2006 film Glastonbury has become the definitive account of the festival - interviewed friends from Strummer's days squatting in London.

The film features footage of his early life as well as rare clips of the band. Temple said: "In many ways, Joe is a comparative figure to Winston Churchill."

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Here's a sample of the latest views published.

So true Dave... The Clash are the most overrated band in all existence. Punk for Eton boys. And what about "The Clash's albums... paved the way for today's interest in World Music, while the influence of punk graphics and clothes on high street fashion can still be felt."?

Was that written by a PR robot who has never even heard of punk let alone the clash?

The Clash were bad and everyone who gravitated around their orbit was equally so. Jilted John is more real (or '4 real') than the Clash. Why the hell would anyone listen to the clash when they could listen to the Fall, Public Image or Suicide? For the same reason they chose the equally bad Beatles over the Velvets, Kinks or the Silver Apples...

- Sam, London, UK

Middle class posh kids pretending to be the voice of a generation does not in any definition mean they are punk.
The Clash are to punk what Sham 69 are to skinhead,.. fake.

- Dave Edmonds, london,uk