There was us, Guns N Roses, Seahags, Jetboy, and we were all good friends. The films (released in 1981, 1988, and 1998) take a look at a range of . Whether you have a nostalgic connection to punk rock or just want to glimpse into under-examined subcultures, Penelope Spheeris The Decline of Western Civilization is worth adding to your collection. She was lookin for bands that were staples on the LA music scene, and Odin certainly was that. But between their notorious on-screen appearance in a hot tub and the films release, the band had broken up, with guitarist Jeff Duncan going on to join LA metal linchpins Armored Saint, of which hes still a member. Western civilisation is a similarly slippery concept. The director . The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: the Metal Years is a tragicomic look at the late-80s 'hair metal' scene. Government corruption and . Being on stage in Tuff was a licence to kill, as far as getting girls. They were looking for a David Lee Roth, Vince Neil type, which I was. The Decline of Western Civilization III is a 1998 documentary film, directed by Penelope Spheeris, that chronicles the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teenagers. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It was accurate. The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988). Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. [1], The film's title is possibly a reference to music critic Lester Bangs' 1970 two-part review of the Stooges' album Fun House, for Creem magazine, where Bangs quotes a friend who had said the popularity of the Stooges signaled "the decline of Western civilization". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvEa_IFt9yg. Stay up to date with in depth music reviews, exclusive interviews and widespread coverage of whats happening from your favourite music genre. I keep myself active.. It was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and the Chicago Underground Film Festival, where it received a jury award. The couple spoon and squid they had got into an argument because dude was cutting another girls hair she got jealous and stabbed squid with the scissors. 'OK, cool, let's go get some beer. Brought up in her fathers travelling carnival, Penelope Spheeris was the ideal person to turn the camera on the three-ring circus that was the 80s/90s Sunset Strip scene. 1. Every day the staff of Intellectual Takeout come to work eager to do their part to restore and improve our great nation. Additionally we host events, provide commentary for traditional media shows, and give speeches to groups of all sizes. At best, they think theyll be exactly where they are now: homeless, broke, spanging for money to buy beer, waiting to die. Screw the corps, right? It was such a passion project for Spheeris, and she was, by all accounts, so moved by the plight and situation of these kids that it would be fascinating to hear her take on the film now, as it approaches the 20-year mark. Penelope Spheeris began her career in the early '80s with The Decline of Western Civilization, an aggressively political and energetic chronicle of the late '70s L.A. punk scene featuring bands like Black Flag, X, and The Circle Jerks. You just point a camera at him and off he goes. he was a pretty cool dude hes doing the same exact shit he was doing back in the day but has a job. It came out in the late 1980s and took the country by storm. This new sleekness doesn't make "Decline, Part III" any less a gritty tour de force, however. Movie Info. People really remember the movie, especially Chris Holmes drinking the vodka in the pool, and the guy from Odin sitting in the hot tub saying that if he didnt get as big as Robert Plant he was gonna kill himself. The Decline of Western Civilization is a 1981 American documentary filmed through 1979 and 1980. The movie is about the Los Angeles punk rock scene and was d. Theres also a commentary track from Spheeris, as well as additional commentary from Foo Fighters and Nirvanas Dave Grohl. Both are illegal. Then, just as Newlydeads was starting to take off, we got offered a new record deal for Faster. So whenever I would rent the record equipment for the record companies, I'd go moonlighting out the clubs and shoot the bands that I wanted to shoot. I certainly dont wanna do it unless its the full original band, and Randy O doesnt seem interested. After her revelatory look at the punk scene of LA, and her follow-up on "the metal years," Penelope Spheeris took another decade to complete a trilogy of documentary films with The Decline of Western Civilization: Part III, a "social commentary of the true punk aesthetic." Chronicling the gutter punk lifestyle of teenagers and young people . No one will be interested, studio executives told her. And if the books themselves seem daunting, there are always great reviews of great books, which serve to give a sense of the authors point. I said, 'I am Penelope.' Now . At the insistence of her daughter, Anna Fox, who has stayed in touch with many of the subjects in her mothers films, Spheeris undertook an intensive two-year process of digging up and editing archival footage, restoring the movies and shopping for a distributor. Its like, youre stealing my identity. That was our shit. I see Troll at stuff all the time and would consider him a friend of mine. The Decline DVD box set wont stop the countless black market VHS tapes floating around online, but for Spheeris, its a form of justice against her bootleggers. But for now, the filmmaker is still reveling in the films she has made and how well they hold up now. They just want to escape it, and in "Decline, Part III" some succeed. I cant go on Google and look at myself. The first film, The Decline of Western Civilization (1981), dealt with the punk rock scene during 1980-1981. Death of the Soul: From Descartes to the Computer, by William Barrett. It took shape in medieval Europe, with its Christian religion, feudal society . Bands included are Black Flag, Germs, X, Alice Bag Band, the Circle Jerks, Catholic Discipline, and Fear. Ive never rode a motorcycle or done one single line of cocaine. Nikki Sixxs email address was in there. "Making this was totally psychologically unnerving because I had to watch my whole life flash in front of me," she says. We participated in all of that stuff that was going on. One of the smaller ancient civilizations, Greece has exerted an influence out of proportion to its size on the development of Western civilization, largely due to the intellectual accomplishments of Greek philosophers, who laid the foundation for much of modern science and . You want hard core? Theres also a 30-plus page booklet that features stills from all three movies, as well as an extended essay from Riot on the Sunset Strip author Domenic Priore. That was our first show together. After years of what she describes as paralyzing anxiety surrounding the films she considers her lifes most important work, Spheeris finally did something about that queasy feeling in her gut. But what people remember is that our singer [Randy O] said hed kill himself if he didnt get as big as Led Zeppelin, but that was the mind-set of the time: Im gonna do this no matter what. And we were very young. She laughs. But eventually, as the Sunset Strip's version of metal ascended, she realized she had the makings of a sequel 1988's The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years. Now we tour at least three months out of every year. Her experiences on The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II would bear fruit when she went on to direct blockbuster comedy Waynes World. That was difficult, because Nadir was hungry to have one of those heavy metal record deals, but chasing deals by trying to prove how metal you are wasnt where I wanted to be at. Spheeris later credited the 1998 film with having a profound effect on her. Director Penelope Spheeris began filming The Decline of Western Civilization, a documentary about LA's raucous punk community, in 1979. We found all the complete original interviews, additional live performances, re-edited them, cleaned up the film, added commentaries And thats whats coming out.. The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, "Penelope Spheeris: 'I sold out and took the money', "Talking to Penelope Spheeris about time, rock 'n' roll, and The Decline of Western Civilization", "The Punk Director: Penelope Spheeris Revisits Her Decline of Western Civilization Trilogy", The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Decline_of_Western_Civilization_III&oldid=1139990643, Documentary films about punk music and musicians, Documentary films about homelessness in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 17 February 2023, at 22:10. Getty / The Atlantic. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Many acts in it were huge; others became so. The Decline of Western Civilization's third installment features the LA hardcore punk scene of the 1990s. I do wish where was a little more about Part III. Grunge absolutely ended it for London. A lot of these guys were my buddies from growing up in Seattle, so I was pleased to see them getting success. Share this: Best of Chicago voting is live now. Its not the taste that turns me off, its what it does to you. You poured over the footage of the Germs, Black Flag, Circle Jerks, and more, noting how they lived, how they dressed, the fuck you attitude they flaunted by their very existence. Gone, too, is the unintentional hilarity of 1988's "Decline of Western Civilization, Part II: The Metal Years," in which Spheeris simply pointed her camera at the city's gaggle of ambitious big-hair bands and let them make fools of themselves. It was the first, though, that is the most successful, and has the widest impact. I found the clip! According to an article by Laura Snapes, "there was little demand to see such a depressing movie, and the few distribution offers that Spheeris got required her to hand over the rights to the first two movies, which she refused to do". I said, I gotta make a movie about this punk scene. At first glance, it seems that remarkably little has changed over the course of a generation. There is no future in mind for anyone here. The movie is about the Los Angeles punk rock scene and was directed by Penelope Spheeris.In 1981, the LAPD Chief of Police Daryl Gates wrote a letter demanding the film not be shown again in the city.. Each disc has its own collection of bonus features. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. I love you, Chris.. All three are now available in on Blu-ray in a fantastic new package from Shout! China lost the conflict, and the West imposed sanctions that permanently weakened Qing rule. [2] In We Got the Neutron Bomb, an oral history of the L.A. punk rock scene collected by Marc Spitz, Claude Bessy aka: Kickboy, claims that he came up with the title.[3]. The Decline of Western Civilization Part III, coming after Spheeris foray into mainstream filmmaking, directing the likes of Waynes World, Black Sheep, and The Little Rascals, is easily the heaviest of the trio. Told her Takeout come to work eager to do their Part to restore and improve our great.... Part III '' any less a gritty tour de force, however and took the country by storm of! About this punk scene of the 1990s is no future in mind for anyone here exclusive interviews and widespread of! In conversations spheeris later credited the 1998 Film with having a profound effect her! Medieval Europe, with its Christian religion, feudal society more about Part.! Make `` Decline, Part III now we tour at least three out. Religion, feudal society told her unless its the full original band, and Fear the conflict, give! 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