Last Fast Ride: The Life, Love, and Death of a Punk Goddess

Henry Rollins narrates this look at the turbulent life of punk singer Marian Anderson. Fleshing out the story are friends, associates, and family members, such as Anderson's sister, Lolly, who recalls the fun they had as kids in Monterey in the 1970s. Unfortunately, Anderson became a suicidal runaway in her teens, possibly due to the abusive father their mother would eventually divorce. A diagnosis of depression and bipolar disorder led to stints in psych wards and group homes before she ended up on the streets, but she did find some stability with her grandparents in Modesto, where she became involved with the punk scene, citing Nina Hagen and Wendy O. Williams as influences. Director Lilly Scourtis Ayers presents archival clips of Anderson performing with Five Fingers and the Insaints, while telling the story of Anderson, whose problems continued with drugs, alcohol, and an unplanned pregnancy (her grandparents adopted her daughter Hannah). In 1990, she moved to San Francisco, where she played on a number of bills at her boyfriend Tim Yohannon's club with Rancid, leading to a friendship with that band's singer/guitarist Tim Armstrong, who remembers her as both tough-minded and kindhearted. On the side, Anderson worked as a dominatrix, a vocation that found its way into her stage act, leading to problems with the law. All the while, she was constantly changing her image, borrowing ideas from Williams, Siouxsie Sioux, and Bettie Page. In later years, she moved to L.A. and formed a new band, but her demons eventually caught up with her. Although it may be downbeat, Last Fast Ride is also a compelling documentary. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)