Bob Gruen

Known for Acting

Known For (14 credits)

Jealous Guy: The Assassination of John Lennon

2020

An exploration of the life and career of the Beatles superstar, with a look at the strange parallels between him and his killer Mark David Chapman.

John Lennon: His Life, His Legacy, His Last Days

7.0

Movie

John Lennon: His Life, His Legacy, His Last Days

2020

On 8 Dec 1980, the world stood still as it learned about the death of John Lennon, a music icon and former member of The Beatles.

Creem: America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine

6.7

Movie

Creem: America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine

2019

Explores the seminal music magazine from its 1969 launch in Detroit to the untimely death of its publisher Barry Kramer in 1981.

7.8

Punk

2019

Featuring original interviews with America’s punk pioneers and the U.K.’s most notorious bands, alongside a seamless blend of rare and unseen photos, gritty archival film and video, a crackling soundtrack of punk hits and misses, this documentary series explores the music, the fashion, the art and the DIY attitude of a subculture of self-described misfits and outcasts.

8.0

Movie

My View: Clem Burke

2019

An access all areas documentary with Clem Burke, a look back at 40 years on the road and performing with one of the worlds most iconic bands. Clem Burke is the drummer behind multi-platinum selling band BLONDIE. His signature beats have brought millions to the dance floor and his unique approach to playing has seen him accompany an endless list of artists from Bob Dylan to The Eurythmics. We follow Clem on the road, playing as hard as ever in this access all areas documentary. Feel the energy behind the kit as Clem plays with Blondie at Hyde park to 80,000 people and witness his tireless work ethic at The Cavern Club for Beatles week, where he plays 5 gigs in 24 hrs. Exclusive interviews from Dave Stewart, Chris Stein, Hugh Cornwall, Glen Matlock, Bob Gruen and many more put the spotlight on one of rock 'n' rolls most enigmatic unsung heroes - Clem Burke the Doctor of Rock.

Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy

6.7

Movie

Sad Vacation: The Last Days of Sid and Nancy

2016

The final days of Nancy Spungen and Sid Vicious are explored.

6.6

Movie

Looking for Johnny

2014

Johnny Thunders was the legendary hard-living rock'n'roll guitarist who inspired glam-metal, punk and the music scene in general. 'Looking For Johnny' is a 90-minute film that documents Thunders' career from his beginnings to his tragic death in 1991. The film examines Johnny Thunders' career from the early 70's as a founding member of the influential New York Dolls; the birth of the punk scene with The Heartbreakers in New York City and London; Gang War and The Oddballs. It also explores Johnny's unique musical style, his personal battle with drugs and theories on his death in a New Orleans hotel in 1991 at age 38. The film includes forty songs with historic film of Johnny, including unseen New York Dolls and Heartbreakers footage and photos. Cult filmmakers Bob Gruen, Don Letts, Patrick Grandperret, Rachael Amadeo and others contribute classic archive footage.

7.3

Movie

LennoNYC

2010

This documentary takes an intimate look at the time Lennon, Yoko Ono and their son, Sean, spent living in New York City during the 1970s. It features never-before heard studio recordings from the Double Fantasy sessions and never-before-seen outtakes from Lennon in concert and home movies that have only recently been transferred to video. It also features exclusive interviews with Ms. Ono, who cooperated extensively with the production and offers an unprecedented level of access, as well as with artists who worked closely with Lennon during this period, including Elton John and photographer Bob Gruen (who took the iconic photograph of Lennon in front of the skyline wearing a “New York City” T-shirt).

6.5

Movie

I Need That Record!

2008

Guerilla filmmaker Brendan Toller unleashes I NEED THAT RECORD! THE DEATH (OR POSSIBLE SURVIVAL) OF THE INDEPENDENT RECORD STORE, "an elegy for a vanishing subculture...a lively, bittersweet film that examines - with caustic humor, brutal candor, and, ultimately, great affection - why roughly 3,000 indie record stores have closed across the nation over the past decade," (Johnathan Perry, Boston Globe). A tour-de-force tale of greed, media consolidation, homogenized radio, big box stores, downloading, and technological shifts in the music industry told through candid interviews, crestfallen record store owners, startling statistics, and eye-popping animation. Fat cats or our favorite record stores? You decide. Featuring- IAN MACKAYE, NOAM CHOMSKY, MIKE WATT, THURSTON MOORE, LENNY KAYE (Patti Smith), CHRIS FRANTZ (Talking Heads), GLENN BRANCA, PATTERSON HOOD (Drive By Truckers), PAT CARNEY (Black Keys) , LEGS MCNEIL, BOB GRUEN, BP HELIUM, and many indie record stores across the U.S.

9.0

Seven Ages of Rock

2007

A definitive landmark series charting the emergence and re-emergence of rock music as a global force, told through the musicians who have shaped this most enduring of genres.

6.6

Movie

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

2006

A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

8.5

Movie

New York Dolls: All Dolled Up

2005

In the early 70’s, Rock photographer Bob Gruen and his wife Nadya purchased a portable Video Recorder. In a period of three years they shot over 40 hours of New York Dolls footage. Now for the first time ever this footage is unveiled. This feature length documentary captures the band during early performances in New York at Kenny’s Castaways and Max’s Kansas City, then follows the Dolls on their tour of the West Coast, including footage from the Whisky A Go Go, the Real Don Steele Show, Rodney Bingenheimer’s E Club and much more. Intercut with revealing interviews, backstage banter and late night debauchery, this is THE definitive document of the New York Dolls.