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When household tensions and a sense of worthlessness overcome Evan (Bill Coyne), he finds escape when he clings with the orphans of a throw-away society. The runaways hold on to each other like a family until a tragedy tears them apart. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Jan 11, 2023 - 4 comments

In this documentary, filmmaker Penelope Spheeris captures the life of Los Angeles "gutter punks": homeless teenagers who prefer anarchy and chaos to organized society. Many of the film's subjects come from abusive households and have developed alcohol and drug problems. While living on the streets, they must panhandle, squat in abandoned apartment buildings, and fight off skinheads to survive. The film also includes performances by several notable Los Angeles punk bands. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Jul 18, 2022 - 3 comments

In this follow-up to the 1981 punk rock documentary The Decline of Western Civilization, filmmaker Penelope Spheeris dissects the world of heavy metal. Through live performance footage and interviews that feature popular glam metal musicians, Spheeris examines the metal genre and the decadent Los Angeles music scene of the late 1980s; highlights include Ozzy Osbourne discussing the tedium of sobriety over breakfast and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler claiming to have spent a small fortune on drugs. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Jul 15, 2022 - 7 comments

The acclaimed Penelope Spheeris documentary takes a frank, often funny look at the punk culture of the late '70s and early '80s. With Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X. [more inside]
posted by DirtyOldTown on Jul 13, 2022 - 9 comments