The 10 Best Punk Rock Movies of All Time Nov 08 '09    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in Movies Under the Tuscan Sun From $9 Casablanca From $3 The Bottom Line "SLC Punk" was good and all, and I'mma let you finish... but "The Filth and the Fury" is the greatest punk movie of all time! Of all time! Why is it so difficult to come up with the ten best Punk Rock movies of all time? For as far reaching an influence Punk Rock has had on popular culture in the 21st century, there have been few quality films that have documented Punk as a genre of music, a youth counterculture, or a movement for social change. The problem is that when Punk Rock was really a force to be reckoned with, Hollywood had very little interest in documenting it. It was viewed by the establishment as a flavor-of-the-moth fad, hardly worth spending millions of Hollywood dollars on. This was before the advent of DV and afforable amateur film-making. The D.I.Y. (do it yourself) spirit inherent in the Punk Rock record-releasing and show-promoting couldn't realistically be applied to film documentation. Too often, punks in film were simply stereotypical thugs. In the 80's whenever Hollywood needed to characterize a neanderthal bonehead, the casting call went out to all the L.A. hardcore kids. The most glaring examples of this sort of punxploitation were the CHIPS and QUINCY "punk rock episodes" that portrayed Punk Rockers as blindly nihilistic buffoons. There aren't many quality Punk Rock movies because it was far easier for Hollywood to cheaply one-dimensionally exploit something that was viewed as too "out there" to have any long-lasting cultural affect, than to actually investigate and document the most interesting subculture since the Summer of Love. Here are ten Punk Rock films worth checking out: 10. OVER THE EDGE - Some would disagree with the inclusion on this film on a proper list of Punk Rock movies. The only tie this film has to Punk Rock specifically is the inclusion of a RAMONES track on the soundtrack. I list OVER THE EDGE here because it deals with the issues that caused the Punk explosion in America. The film deals with late-1970's teenage angst/anger. Michael Kramer and Matt Dillon play teens in a dying suburb. The bored suburban youth have no outlet or escape, turning to music, drugs, and ultimately violence. It's the explosion of rage at the film's climax that so precisely echoes the aggro of the Punk scene which was emerging at that very same time. Punk may have had more sociopolitical roots in England, but as for the American context, this film gives a very clear insight into the reasons why Punk happened when it did. 9. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS - This 1980 film, which I believe never obtained a theatrical release, chronicles the adventures of a young girl who manages to get her sub-par all-girl punk band onto a tour with a rising British punk group (convincingly played by members of the CLASH and SEX PISTOLS). The group attracts national media attention, eclipsing the success of their mentors. This film basically predicted the entire RIOT GRRL phenomenon ten years ahead of its time, with its scenes of THE FABULOUS STAINS playing in a shopping mall to hundreds of teenage girls that all dressed exactly alike. The film has made a few cable TV appearances and can be found from time to time as a bootleg videotape on EBAY. 8. REPO MAN - This cult film stars Emilio Estevez as a street punk who through circumstance lands a job as a repo man. This highly quirky and enjoyable film has some degree of merit as a Punk Rock movie because it captures the fashions and language of the time, as well as having a totally kickass soundtrack. THE CIRCLE JERKS appear in the film as a lounge-act. 7. HATED - This documentary on the late GG ALLIN is a harrowing glimpse into the world of the most extreme rock musician that ever lived. Defecation, nudity, and bloodshed are only the beginning. GG ALLIN is the man that made shock value in Punk Rock a moot point. 6. SID AND NANCY - Though not the most historically accurate of films, SID AND NANCY is a brilliantly directed and acted portrayal of one of rock's most depressingly disagreeable love affairs. Some degree of knowledge of the history of THE SEX PISTOLS helps out in understanding certain references in this film. SID AND NANCY takes the most pathetic of characters and somehow wrangles sympathy out of the audience. Punk Rock is kind of like that. 5. SUBURBIA - Directed by Penelope Spheeris right after DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION (see below), this film chronicles the lives of a group of L.A. punks squatting in an abandoned suburb. The direction, writing, and acting are beyond atrocious (The RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Flea... then known as "Mike B." makes a cameo, proving he should never quit his day job as a whiteboy funk bass player), yet this film holds a certain charm... especially for young punk kids who seem to memorize every line of insipid dialogue. This out-of-print film is worth finding, if for no other reason, than to check out the excellent live footage of D.I., T.S.O.L., and THE VANDALS. 4. D.O.A., A RITE OF PASSAGE - A must-see document of the early U.K. and U.S. punk scenes. Features priceless live footage of X RAY SPEX, SHAM 69, DEAD BOYS, GENERATION X, as well as many of the SEX PISTOLS shows from their ill-fated American tour. The highlight of the film is the infamous Sid and Nancy bed interview which was originally supposed to be a drug-money generating porn movie starring Sid and Nancy, but due to severe intoxication was a hilariously pathetic jumble of stream of consiousness mumblings. 3. ANOTHER STATE OF MIND - This documentary follows YOUTH BRIGADE and SOCIAL DISTORTION around the country on a doomed D.I.Y. tour. Airings of this film on the U.S.A. network's NIGHT FLIGHT program undoubtedly turned tens of thousands of kids onto the Punk scene. This film beautifully captures the indominable spirit of kids trying to make their own scene. MINOR THREAT makes a priceless appearance playing in a D.C. club with no P.A.... the kids are singing along so loudly that no P.A. is needed! This scene alone sums up what Punk Rock is all about. 2. DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION - Penelope Spheeris talked some investors out of making a porno movie, and into making a movie about the exploding L.A. Hardcore scene. Though her direction is sometimes clunky and heavy handed, this film features some of the most important live footage ever captured. FEAR, BLACK FLAG, CIRCLE JERKS and THE GERMS all shred through their songs for throngs of spazzing-out fans. The interviews with BLACK FLAG and Darby Crash put the vibe of the early 80's Punk scene into perspective. The interviews with bands, zine writers, club owners, and fans all come together to make sense out of the phenomenon. 1. THE FILTH AND THE FURY - Julien Temple's SEX PISTOLS documentary not only tells the compelling tale of the band's rise and fall through interviews and unbelievable live perfomances, it details the specific reasons why Punk Rock itself had to happen in Britain. TV clips of the time period juxtaposed with angry punks artfully and explicitly explain why Punk developed as something much more than a fad/fashion. This film is the perfect antidote for anyone that thinks Punk Rock was simply a reaction to Disco. HONORABLE MENTIONS: URBAN STRUGGLE - Only about 30 minutes in length, this was probably some kid's college film project. It's a documentary about an infamous California Punk club, THE CUCKOO'S NEST. It details the club's problems with a nearby cowboy bar and the local authorities who inevitably shut the club down. This black and white film also features some wonderful (though lacking in sound quality) footage of BLACK FLAG, T.S.O.L., and THE CIRCLE JERKS. If anyone out there has a good copy of this film, EMAIL ME!!! MY PICTURE IN THE MOVIES, BABY - Another short film that was probably some kid's college project. This is a document of the BAD BRAINS playing an insanely intense set at CBGB's in 1979/80 (?). The live shots are juxtaposed with bored inner-city children, giving a glimpse into the reasons why the BAD BRAINS might be inclined to play such aggressive music. The performances in this film are some of the best live Punk performances ever captured. This film will probably never see the light of rerelease, but bootleg copies surface from time to time on Ebay. URGH! A MUSIC WAR - More of a document of New Wave, this film is notable for it's live performances of THE CRAMPS, DEAD KENNEDYS, and 999. The footage of THE CRAMPS is probably the single greatest rock performance ever burned to celluloid. Essential viewing.

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