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34 out of 38 people found the following review useful: The most accurate depiction of the punk scene ever in amovie, 28 October 1999 Author: Brendan3 from New York City
I grew up in the early 80's hardcore punk scene in NYC and like most punks at the time had seen Penelope Spheeris' DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION (the best punk documentary ever made) and was impressed when SUBURBIA(later renamed The Wild Side) came out in a few theatres. It was, and still is, the most accurate depiction of what being a hardcore punk was like. Okay, as a film, the production was shoddy, the acting was sub par, and the story was weak. But most of the actors were local punks. . The depiction of the punks was right on the mark....the clothes, the attitude, the music, the just hanging out, etc. Unfortunately, all the new kids who just got into punk in the last decade think this movie is all wrong. Even one of the commenters on this site mistakenly complained that this movie has it all wrong and punks aren't like that. Well guess what kids? The punks in this movie not only acted like real punks, most of them were real punks. (before you were) The scene has changed over the years. This movie is accurately representative of what it was like back in the original (real) scene days during the Reagan administration.
19 out of 22 people found the following review useful: Punks as actors, not actors as punks - excellent., 4 December 2000 Author: (frankbell@aurorasentinel.com) from Aurora, Colorado
During my career as an "angry youth," this film, along with "Made in Britain," (Tim Roth) "Clockwork Orange," and "River's Edge," were required viewing. Penelope Spheeris did a class-A job of depicting what it was like to be young and different in a time in America when outward weirdness invited violence by jocks or other assorted meatheads. Kids who dye their hair blue and get their eyelids pierced at the mall in 2000 should watch this film and see what the consequences for "expressing one's self" were for old schoolers who think Marylin Manson is nothing more than a cheap Vaudeville rip-off artist. Think the type of stuff depicted in this film doesn't still happen? Think again - the killing of punker Brian Deneke in Texas a few years ago will shatter that notion. This film is kind of hard to find on video. You generally won't find it at Blockbuster. Try the mom & pop places.
16 out of 21 people found the following review useful: what are you all dressed up for? where's the war?, 27 January 2004 Author: jonah hex from london
This movie sucks. It is, however, the suckiest movie that I have ever wanted to watch about 50 times in my lifetime. This is the definitive punk-fiction film. No other movie more accurately portrayed what it was like to grow up in the punk scene in the eighties, and it's one of the only films to show what it was like to squat in the punk scene in Los Angeles. It's true, if you get a bunch of real punks and attempt to make them actors and get Roger"Carnosaur"Corman to produce it, you should probably expect something to this effect, but the hammy dialogue and acting are part of the charm. I wholly related to this movie as a teenager, and will always look back fondly upon it. Cheers to Penelope Spheeris, for creating a PR classic.
10 out of 11 people found the following review useful: Welcome to the suburbs...the slums of the future. (spoilers), 31 December 2004 Author: Pepper Anne from Orlando, Florida
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Penelope Spheeris, loyal punk film director, presents a starkly depressing tale about a handful of ostracized teenagers known as The Rejected Kids. They're a group of punks who left home, neglected in one way or another (except for the main character, Jack) and take up living in condemned housing in Los Angeles. Trouble seems to follow them wherever they go because they make easy targets.This is a treat in several respects, despite being such a horribly depressing and, sadly, honest film. First, you get to see performances by old punk favorites, T.S.O.L., DI, and The Vandals. Second, Wade Watson (bass player for the US Bombs) and Flea (in his film debut) are casted as two of the delinquent teens. The instrumental soundtrack, too, is very good. And third, is the sheer honesty with the disappointment of the suburbs, which were once proclaimed as the future Utopia. What it turned out to be was a disaster of crass consumerism that denied too much human affection, replacing it instead with the satisfaction of consumption, so much so that in the end, the suburbs had their problems just like everyone else, only they did a better job of hiding it behind the imagery of white picket fences and perfect lawns. This film is one of many to make that point.
11 out of 13 people found the following review useful: Punk Side Story, 31 October 1998 Author: XjwalkX from NYC
"Suburbia" is the definitive punxploitation film of the 80's, one of Hollywood's few explorations of that counter-culture. Director Spheeris, who also did "Dudes" and "Decline of Western Civilization" before going mainstream, knows enough to make a perfectly romantic (if not realistic) version of punks and skins living in the 80's: complete with shows (on a rickety sound stage, but there's a better circle pit than you're likely to find today), fights with rednecks, squatting, and dealing with a decade where every jock didn't have an eyebrow ring and green hair. You know what? Chickenbutt.
8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: One of my favorite movies!, 4 June 1999 Author: Jennifer Savage from Ontario, Canada
I love this film. What can I say? Yes, the acting is bad, but this would be because for the most part, these kids are actual street kids and not "actors". So, get past the low budget and the bad acting for a second and look at the story. Kids (punks) who live in an abandoned house and are rejected by society. How much more realistic can you get? This movie is a cult classic, and for those into punk, a must-see! Why? Because it has performances by D.I., The Vandals and others. Also, you can catch Flea in what's probably his first film, credited as something like Mike B. The Flea. Check it out!!
8 out of 10 people found the following review useful: A very good film, 10 August 2004 Author: orlanthrex from United Kingdom
Suburbia is one of my favourite films. Its cheap in places with tacky sounds, however that only adds to its charm. The characters have appeal and the situations seem real. There is nothing pretentious about it, the protagonists are not made out to be either good or evil, just drifting teenagers who don't think through what they do. The director draws us along with some sympathy for the TR even when they are up to no good, as its clear that deep down they don't actually mean any harm to anyone. A lot of people have rated this film with 10's, I can't see that (and gave it a 7) as it is still basically a cheap B movie. But definitely a good one.
12 out of 18 people found the following review useful: I love this movie, 3 July 2003 Author: hecklerdanny from United States
Let's set the record straight here...If you're into your average hollywood blockbuster...skip this one. (although I guess that if you're into that kind of movie, you've probably never even heard of this)if you're like me, and grew up with punk rock, than you should check this movie out. It's a punk movie. that's all I can say. It's a good punk movie...about a bunch of punks who live in some place, and deal with things like death, parents, society, all that jazz. Just check it out, if you can find it.Oh yeah, the acting in this movie is HORRIBLE...the bands and the shows that they go to are good....watch it now.
7 out of 10 people found the following review useful: An ambitious first effort, 4 June 1999 Author: Baroque
While arguably not Spheeris' best work, it was her first, and in my opinion, most ambitious. The film was shot on a threadbare budget with non-professional actors, with most of the action taking place in an abandoned tract house in a suburb slated for demolition (the area is now a highway). The punk rockers are outcasts from society who attempt for form a "family" of their own, that they call "The Rejected" (The irony of it all, outcasts being anti-social together). The film bogs down at times, and often relies on reversed clichés, but was a very good effort for a documentary film-maker who was making her first dramatic feature (Some of the themes of being an outsider were used, with greater success, in Spheeris' feature DUDES). Yes, it could be called "punxploitation", but I was one of those scruffy kids with a ragged haircut and ripped jeans when this film was released, and I identified with it. (Not to be confused with Richard Linklater's "subUrbia").
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Wheres the war?..........up your ass!, 17 July 2006 Author: sirkevin1967 from United Kingdom
Bad acting and grainy celluloid,this film was my fashion guide in the mid 80's. I stumbled across it in a video rental shop in Florida and invited all my friends round to watch with me as I replayed it over and over. We all liked D.I and T.S.O.L anyway and seeing them live (well at least in the film) was something that we relished as Punk was not very popular in Florida. Within a week we had all bleached our hair and were donning ripped jeans and home made t-shirts. We would happily recite lines such as "you can't sleep in the grass the snails will crawl in your face". We even took over a derelict house and called it.....you guessed it, T.R house. Recently I was in a DVD shop in West London and I saw Suburbia on DVD for £10. Watching it again I was taken back to my teenage years realising that the film is still as low budget as ever but oh what an impact it made.
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