Billy Idol Should Be Dead [DVD]

Billy Idol - Billy Idol Should Be Dead [DVD]

Billy Idol Should Be Dead is an intimate, unflinching and wildly entertaining portrait of Billy Idol, the punk provocateur who became one of rock & roll's most recognizable and enduring stars. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker and music-video visionary Jonas Åkerlund, the documentary looks beyond Idol's trademark sneer, peroxide hair and leather-clad image to examine the ambition, excess, danger and resilience behind a career spanning nearly five decades.

Beginning with Idol's emergence from the British punk movement as a member of Generation X, the film follows his transformation into an international solo star whose fusion of punk attitude, hard rock, and the visual possibilities of the MTV era produced such defining songs as "White Wedding," "Rebel Yell," "Dancing with Myself," "Eyes Without a Face," and "Mony Mony." Rather than simply revisiting the hits, Åkerlund traces the experiences behind them and the contradictions of an artist who repeatedly pushed himself to extremes while continuing to evolve and perform.

The story encompasses extraordinary success as well as the darker consequences of rock & roll excess, including Idol's near-death experiences and the personal and professional upheavals that could easily have ended his career. Idol is joined by an exceptional group of friends, collaborators, and fellow musicians who provide perspective on his music, personality, and influence, including longtime guitarist Steve Stevens, Miley Cyrus, Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones, The Who's Pete Townshend, Nile Rodgers, Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump, and Perri Lister.

An Official Selection of the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival, the film features Idol's original song with Academy Award-nominated songwriter J. Ralph, "Dying To Live," shortlisted for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards.