End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones

They invented punk, hated each other, and toured like factory workers clocking in.

I found this doc thanks to Fernand Pajot’s list of the best documentaries ever here.

This was also Daily Doc founder Rob’s first concert!

Trailer for “End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones”

You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up

• Joey Ramone had crippling OCD that sometimes forced the band’s tour bus to stop for him to walk back multiple blocks just to touch every fence post he’d missed.
• Johnny Ramone, a conservative control freak, stole Joey’s girlfriend Linda and eventually married her. The band kept touring together without speaking for years.
• Dee Dee Ramone was a full-blown heroin addict during much of the band’s run. Somehow, he still kept pace with their 100+ shows a year.
• The Ramones played over 2,200 shows, but never had a real commercial hit in the U.S.
• Joey and Johnny didn’t make peace until Joey died in 2001. Johnny died three years later, still carrying guilt for the feud.

Watch “End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones”

You can watch it on Roku.

Ratings:

• My Rating: 95/100
• IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
• Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 94/100 (Users); 95/100 (Critics)

Director’s Note: Directed by Jim Fields and Michael Gramaglia, this doc balances raw storytelling with incredible archive footage. The filmmakers clearly earned the trust of the band and its inner circle, letting them open up in ways they rarely had elsewhere. The film took years to finish, but it’s worth the wait.

Release Date: 2003

My Review of “End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones”

The Setup

This is the definitive story of how four weirdos from Forest Hills, Queens—Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy—became punk’s godfathers. It traces their rise from CBGB nobodies to global cult heroes, with plenty of fights, addictions, and silent standoffs along the way.

More Highlights from the Doc

• The film breaks down how The Ramones’ minimalist three-chord sound—born out of necessity—sparked the punk rock revolution, influencing everyone from The Clash to Nirvana.
• We see rare backstage footage and early performances from CBGB, including grainy reels of Dee Dee screaming “1-2-3-4!” like a punk metronome.
• Producers like Phil Spector tried to reshape their sound, but clashed with the band’s raw approach—Spector once allegedly pulled a gun on them in the studio.
• The doc captures the growing resentment between bandmates—especially Johnny’s iron grip on business and politics vs. Joey’s laid-back, left-leaning weirdness.
• It closes with their 2002 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame—decades after their prime but finally recognized as the blueprint for punk.

Cameos – Lesser-Known Details from the Doc

• Rick Rubin appears, describing how no one else could do what The Ramones did—even as they stayed broke and underappreciated.
• Joey’s mother reveals the level of his compulsions and isolation as a teen—he was tall, sickly, and never fit in, even before the band.
• Tommy Ramone, the band’s original drummer and first producer, explains how no one in the group actually knew how to play when they started.
• One segment covers how their leather-jacket-and-jeans look was less a fashion statement than a lack of money—and it ended up shaping punk’s entire visual language.

Wrap Up

If you love punk, band dynamics, or New York music history, this is a must-watch. The Ramones were dysfunctional geniuses. And this film doesn’t flinch in showing all sides.

Thanks for reading!

Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc