The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) was funded by some folks usually in the business of producing porn, but director Penelope Spheeris instead created this imperfect but classic documentary of the Los Angeles hardcore/punk world of 1979/80.
Interviews and performances from the Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X all provide a fascinating look at that period in musical history.

The full movie has been removed from Youtube,
but here are a few bits...

Attention!


Penelope Spheeris, John Doe + Lee Ving interview


Circle Jerks

Suburbia (1984)

Released by Roger Corman's New World Pictures, Penelope Spheeris wrote and directed Suburbia (1984) after making The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) and prior to filming The Boys Next Door (1985). Using a cast of almost all LA punks and non-trained actors while shooting in an area of tract housing set aside to be demolished to make way for a highway into LAX, Spheeris's film is sometimes referred to as punxploitation in reviews and I dig that handle. It's downbeat, but very watchable. Thanks to NOTANANUS4k for posting the movie on Youtube.




The trailer




The feature

1 of 10


2 of 10


3 of 10


4 of 10


5 of 10


6 of 10


7 of 10


8 of 10


9 of 10


10 of 10