It’s a gift of a subject for a documentary maker: a hedonistic rock star who converted to Mormonism after a suicide attempt. But Arthur “Killer” Kane of the New York Dolls hankered after the old days — not the sex and drugs, but the rock ’n’ roll. And with the New York Dolls’ reunion at Morrissey’s Meltdown Festival in 2004, the middle-aged library worker had his chance to live the dream again.
This is an endearing, inherently funny portrait of Kane, highlighting the contradictions of his life with frank, candid footage and contributions from both friends and band members. It’s not edited for maximum impact though, and even at 78 minutes feels a touch repetitive and over-generous with its interview time.