Glasgow Film Festival 2015: I Need a Dodge! Joe Strummer on the Run
Back in 1985, The Clash frontman Joe Strummer didn't have the luxury of being dead and revered. In fact he was regarded by many as an embarrassing anachronism thanks to the over-produced punk posturing of Cut the Crap, the final LP issued under the name of his legendary group. What documentary I Need a Dodge! makes abundantly clear is that this fallow spell in his creativity coincided with something of an identity crisis for the star.
After drug addiction and personal grievances necessitated significant changes to the band’s personnel, resulting in the worst reviews of his career, Strummer hid out in Spain in an attempt to restore his vigour and reassert control over his life. What we get here are fond memories from the musicians he met during this time, while an attempt to track down the icon’s beloved lost car is used as a slight framing device. It offers few revelations, but the movie is nevertheless an entertaining curiosity.