Unless you're a hardcore Joe Strummer fan, you probably know very little about him, which is what I found out last night watching The Future Is Unwritten, the 2007 documentary on the legendary music man. The Julien Temple directed film premeried at Sundance in 2007 and hit theaters in limited release only in November 2007.

"Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead singer of the English punk rock band The Clash. He was also a member of the The 101'ers, The Mescaleros and (temporarily) The Pogues."

You get the insider info on the formation of The Clash, the utter turmoil within the band, and its ultimate demise due to huge personality differences. It's also interesting to think about music in the time before the Internet.

This is one of my favorite quotes from the film:

Interviewer: What happened to your teeth?
Strummer: I never brushed them. That's what was good about punk rock. If you were ugly, you were in.

Watch the trailer here, checkout the official site, and read this review on NYTimes.com.

There's so much in the film that I can't recount here. You have to see it. Joe Strummer was so much more than the lead singer of The Clash. So much more than rock legend. There's so much about him that I never knew.

Future Is Unwritten Mural (Corner of 7th and A in the East Village)