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The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
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Overview
User Rating:
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Director:
Writer:
Penelope Spheeris (writer)
Genre:
Plot:
The Los Angeles punk music scene circa 1980 is the focus of this film. With Alice Bag Band, Black Flag...
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NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
Penelope Spheeris, Henry Selick: 2010 Student Academy Award Presenters
(From Alt Film Guide. 7 June 2010, 4:42 PM, PDT)
Blank Generation (1980) | Review
(From SmellsLikeScreenSpirit. 17 May 2010, 9:29 AM, PDT)
DVD: Review: Suburbia
(From The AV Club. 4 May 2010, 10:01 PM, PDT)
(From Alt Film Guide. 7 June 2010, 4:42 PM, PDT)
Blank Generation (1980) | Review
(From SmellsLikeScreenSpirit. 17 May 2010, 9:29 AM, PDT)
DVD: Review: Suburbia
(From The AV Club. 4 May 2010, 10:01 PM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Could somebody please put this one out on Video?
See more (28 total) »
Cast
(Credited cast)| Alice Bag Band | ... | Themselves | |
| Alice Bag | ... | Lead Singer, The Alice Bag Band | |
| Claude Bessey | ... | Catholic Discipline / Vocalist | |
| Black Flag | ... | Themselves | |
| Don Bolles | ... | Drummer, The Germs | |
| Dinah Cancer | ... | Herself | |
| Exene Cervenka | ... | 'X' - vocals | |
| Circle Jerks | ... | Themselves | |
| Philo Cramer | ... | Fear Guitar | |
| Darby Crash | ... | Lead Singer, The Germs | |
| John Doe | ... | 'X' - vocals, bassist | |
| Lorna Doom | ... | Bassist, The Germs | |
| Fear | ... | Themselves | |
| Frank Gargani | ... | Appears as Himself | |
| Bill Gazzarri | ... | Himself | |
| The Germs | ... | Themselves | |
| Michelle Baer Ghaffari | ... | Herself | |
| Greg Ginn | ... | Black Flag / Guitarist | |
| Greg Hetson | ... | Himself / Circle Jerks Guitarist | |
| Craig Lee | ... | Guitarist, The Alice Bag Band | |
| Lucky Lehrer | ... | Himself | |
| Jenny Lens | |||
| Keith Morris | ... | The Circle Jerks member | |
| Nicole Panter | ... | Nicole - Germs Manager | |
| Phranc | ... | Catholic Discipline / Guitarist | |
| Ron Reyes | ... | Black Flag / Vocalist | |
| Roger Rogerson | ... | Himself | |
| Rick Schmidlin | ... | Appears as himself | |
| Derf Scratch | ... | Bass player for Fear | |
| Pat Smear | ... | Guitarist, The Germs | |
| Lee Ving | ... | 'Fear' vocals / guitar | |
| X. | ... | Themselves | |
| Billy Zoom | ... | Himself |
Additional Details
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Runtime:
100 min
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Fun Stuff
Trivia:
According to director Penelope Spheeris this film was financed by two businessmen who originally wanted to finance a porn film.See more »
Movie Connections:
Featured in Prey for Rock & Roll (2003)See more »
Soundtrack:
ManimalSee more »
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.See more (28 total) »
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Spheeris debut must be one of the best music documentaries of all time. And as far as I know it's also the only one that focuses on the L.A. Punk Explosion of the early eighties. It's all there: not just great, great bands like Black Flag, Fear, X, the Germs, whose names may not mean much to you today, but whose influence on today's alternative rock music can not be over-estimated, but also the promoters, the media and first of all the audiences - the punks - all portrayed in a manner that makes you laugh, shudder and gasp with astonishment about the energy, the anger and the fury these youths put into their music. Where is that today? The eighties may have sucked big time when it cames to mainstream music, but the underground was rocking. If you need a proof for that, watch Fear's performance in Decline. Unmatched. Great film! How come this is not available on vid, LD or DVD? P.S. The follow-up Decline Pt. II is hilarious, too