Whether you enjoy the various types of music in this series
of documentaries from director Penelope Spheeris or not, you have to admit that
she did a tremendous job creating all three of these films. Where most new
documentary film makers feel the need to slant things one direction or to add
to their films overly scripted moments, Spheeris took on the topic of the world
of changing music head on filming interviews and concert sequences that showed
what it was all about without adding things to it. Why she never received an
Oscar for this while others less qualified did is beyond me.
This package collects all three of the movies that Spheeris
did, all focusing on the music scene in LA and how much it changes through the
years. That wasn’t the original goal but it’s turned out that way. The first
film focuses on punk rock, the second heavy metal and the final film on a new
form of punk music. All three are completely different films as well with the
first mostly raw, the second a tad polished and the third a sad look at how
things have become. Here are my takes on each part of this set.
PART 1: THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
In this opening film Spheeris takes a look at the rising
punk rock scene that was in the midst of changing at that time. Having begun
much earlier in the mid-seventies this movie was made in 1981 as things were
beginning to slow down for the punk rockers. This is not to say the form died
off completely but it did ease out of its original popularity.
Punk rock was a more back to the roots style of music coming
after a decade or overly produced music that ranged from studio created legends
like Steely Dan and Pink Floyd to the entire genre of disco. In response to that
kids began going back to basics, playing instruments in their garages and
churning out fast tempoed, gut wrenching music with lyrics that harkened back
to early rock which cried out about social injustice and my generation.
Spheeris chose the LA scene because it was still going
fairly strong then. The movie intercuts interviews with some of the big names
at the time (X, The Circle Jerks, Fear, Black Flag, etc.), concert footage of
these bands and interviews with fans of the genre. All are interesting to watch
as the bands seem more inclined to care about the message they are trying to
get out than they are about fame and fortune. Sure, most of their lyrics are
undecipherable but they are dedicated to that above all. Some come off as truly
inspired, others as delinquents with no discernable talent riding the wave of
popularity of the style.
The interviews with the followers seem funny to watch now.
These counter culture warriors wear their piercings, tattoos and oddly shave
hair styles as a way of showing they are different while looking all alike at
the same time, much like the hippies of the 60s who claimed individuality while
looking alike. The kids here all have that look of molly coddled suburbanites
who want to revolt against mom and dad who later went on to become corporate
CEOs and lawyers. It would be interesting to find out just what happened to
many of them.
What makes the movie interesting is its unbiased look at the
whole scene. Some things are worth keeping, others not, but in the end the music
lasted while the majority of followers petered out. I have no doubt some still
listen to the music as they did before but instead of scratched records they’re
downloading mp3s of the old stuff. It’s a great documentary that focuses on the
reality rather than the manufactured.
PART 2: THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION – THE METAL
YEARS
This film doesn’t feel near as raw as the first one but then
again Spheeris now had several movies under her belt and I have little doubt
learned along the way. Released in 1988 the LA scene had changed in the 7 years
since the first film. Instead of punk music, metal was making its way into the
scene. And unlike most punk music there were various forms of metal from the
hard core stuff to the hair bands that seemed to run rampant about this time.
All are given time to be represented here.
The first thing you notice in this film is the set pieces
that become part and parcel of the film. Interviews are no longer relegated to
the dirty, tiny apartments where the performers live but in concert venues and
studios where things are more controlled. Portions with Gene Simmons and Paul
Stanley of KISS are definitely less raw and more staged. Other bands interviewed
like Faster Pussycat and Poison are here as well as individuals like Lemmy,
Ozzy and Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. All have something to say
about their musical genre which started nearly 20 years prior to the time this
film was made.
It was the hair bands that brought things to the attention
of most though. Not surprisingly most have disappeared or are touring together
in retro concert packages now. The music was fun but not involved with social
issues so much as what most rockers sang about decades earlier, girls and how
to get them. The bands are more in tune with decadence, overindulging in drink
and drugs and bedding any and every female they meet instead of what will
become of the world. It was throw away music meant for fun times and less
social conscience. Times had definitely changed.
Fans were different too in some ways. Sure these seem like
the same suburban kids out to rock mom and dad’s world but they’re more up
front about it. Where most of the punk kids seemed to be infatuated with the
violent nature of the musical style the metal kids were more into the make-up,
hairstyles and clothes being worn. And the bands were more concerned with
making it big, making it to the top, even if their antics did everything to
bring them right back down.
In the extras Spheeris talks about how she moved from these
films to more mainstream major studio fare in part due to this film. Having
worked with metal musicians she was picked to helm WAYNE’S WORLD and from there
went on to do movies like THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, THE LITTLE RASCALS and BLACK
SHEEP. She later had a revelation and thought why am I making things I have no
interest in which made her go forward with the third film in the series.
PART 3: THE DECLINE AND FALL OF CIVILIZATION PART III
This film is completely different from the previous two in
that it focuses less on the bands and more on the fans. These fans are a sad
lot and that makes this chapter in the series the most depressing of the lot.
It was difficult to watch and see the hopelessness on display here. The new
punk is known as gutter punk, named so because that’s where most of the fans
live.
Yes, there are interviews and performance footage on display
here. But these bands all seem like caricatures of the original punk rock
movement rather than the actual thing. It feels like art school dropouts who
felt that this could become their performance art and they could bring
awareness of social issues out once more all while having actual talent or
sitting in crappy rooms not because they have to but because they choose to.
All felt like they had a backup plan in case things didn’t work out, something
the original punk rockers didn’t have. These groups felt more like they were
taking issues that someone directed them towards rather than experiencing. The
reality of their music felt less real.
The fans though had become much more hardcore and much
different than before. These fans were living in the streets, leftovers from
broken homes or abusive homes with nowhere to go. Instead they lived in gutters
and abandoned houses or raised enough money each month for rent on terrible
digs and beer. They have no hope. For them changing the future isn’t an option
as it was with the original punk rockers. Instead these fans all see themselves
dead within 10 years of appearing in this film. They make a living panhandling
or stealing things to be sold. Month to month, day to day is how they live. But
once again each one makes the decision to wear their freak flag high as the old
saying went. Spiked hair, colored hair, piercings and tattoos are the norm.
Where they find the money for hair spray or body alterations is beyond me since
most couldn’t afford to live in decent housing. Before the film was released at
least one of these kids dies in an accidental fire and the expectancies of the
rest don’t seem any higher.
At the end of the film addresses and web sites to help the
abused and homeless kids of LA are placed on the screen and it is suggested
that people do what they can to help. The sadness of their situations, the
stories that they tell will tear at your heart. At the same time you wonder if
donating money to their cause will help them or do little more than prolong
their misery. One can only hope that it provides them the opportunities to
leave behind the lives they’re leading now and move forward.
For fans of any and all films this is a must have collection
to own. Not only are you provided with all three feature films you get tons of
extras in each movie. On top of that is another disc with all sorts of extras
as well. AND you get a booklet that talks about each movie. It is an amazing
collection and one that should receive all sorts of accolades and awards that
the industry hands out for such things. Shout Factory has done an amazing job
with this set from the packaging to the transfers of the films to the items
included on the discs. It is a set of films that music fans should make a point
of not only watching but holding on to, a historical look at the music that
made up the lives of those in each time period from 1981 through 1998. One can
only hope that Spheeris is set up to do another film in the series just to find
out what’s happened in the 17 years since the last one was made.
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