With 2009 marking the 30th anniversary of Sid Vicious's death, a new documentary is set to shed light on one of rock'n'roll's greatest mysteries.
Titled Who Killed Nancy?, the soon-to-be-released film by British director Alan G. Parker is based on his book Sid Vicious: No One Is Innocent and revisits the decades-old case involving the legendary Sex Pistols bassist and his American girlfriend, Nancy Spungen.
Vicious was found dead at the age of 21 in a New York apartment on February 2, 1979, only months after Spungen - an ex-prostitute, sometimes stripper and heroin addict - was found murdered in a bathroom at the famed Chelsea Hotel. Vicious was soon accused of Spungen's murder but following his death, the police closed the case.
Through interviewing 182 people and reexamining NYPD evidence, Parker's film investigates what really happened on the night of Spungen's death, in hopes of strengthening claims that Vicious was innocent.
"Realistically, the worst title in the world for this film is Who Killed Nancy?" Parker recently told the BBC in an interview. "What it should have been called is 'who didn't kill Nancy' and here's 500 reasons why."
In the documentary, several theories are given to support Vicious's supposed innocence, with Parker saying that one involving a man simply known as Michael tops the list.
"He [Michael] was flashing a lot of money, he was bragging about having robbed the room and Sid was there and Nancy was dead and everything," Parker explained. "People saw him on the night as well - we've got witness statements.
"He was seen in the room, outside the room, on another floor in the Chelsea, bragging about getting all this money together, which he showed to someone wrapped up in Nancy's hair tie."
However, Parker admitted that he does have a certain bias and told the BBC his original motivation to make the film followed a plea from Vicious's mother, Anne Beverley, to clear her son's name.
"To be honest with you, I can understand anyone thinking it but I don't want to go down that road for the simple reason that there's no real point in making it if I'm that biased," Parker said, adding he is a "big Pistols fan" but not a big enough one "to want to change history."
While there is no North American release date yet for Who Killed Nancy?, the film will hit theatres in the UK on Friday (February 6).
Here is the trailer:
Titled Who Killed Nancy?, the soon-to-be-released film by British director Alan G. Parker is based on his book Sid Vicious: No One Is Innocent and revisits the decades-old case involving the legendary Sex Pistols bassist and his American girlfriend, Nancy Spungen.
Vicious was found dead at the age of 21 in a New York apartment on February 2, 1979, only months after Spungen - an ex-prostitute, sometimes stripper and heroin addict - was found murdered in a bathroom at the famed Chelsea Hotel. Vicious was soon accused of Spungen's murder but following his death, the police closed the case.
Through interviewing 182 people and reexamining NYPD evidence, Parker's film investigates what really happened on the night of Spungen's death, in hopes of strengthening claims that Vicious was innocent.
"Realistically, the worst title in the world for this film is Who Killed Nancy?" Parker recently told the BBC in an interview. "What it should have been called is 'who didn't kill Nancy' and here's 500 reasons why."
In the documentary, several theories are given to support Vicious's supposed innocence, with Parker saying that one involving a man simply known as Michael tops the list.
"He [Michael] was flashing a lot of money, he was bragging about having robbed the room and Sid was there and Nancy was dead and everything," Parker explained. "People saw him on the night as well - we've got witness statements.
"He was seen in the room, outside the room, on another floor in the Chelsea, bragging about getting all this money together, which he showed to someone wrapped up in Nancy's hair tie."
However, Parker admitted that he does have a certain bias and told the BBC his original motivation to make the film followed a plea from Vicious's mother, Anne Beverley, to clear her son's name.
"To be honest with you, I can understand anyone thinking it but I don't want to go down that road for the simple reason that there's no real point in making it if I'm that biased," Parker said, adding he is a "big Pistols fan" but not a big enough one "to want to change history."
While there is no North American release date yet for Who Killed Nancy?, the film will hit theatres in the UK on Friday (February 6).
Here is the trailer:
