SLC Punk! (1998)

Director:

James Merendino

Writer:

James Merendino (written by)

Release Date:

16 April 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music

Tagline:

God bless America...they're going to need it.

Plot:

In the early 1980's Stevo and Heroin Bob are the only two dedicated punks in conservative Salt Lake City.

Plot Keywords:

Punk | Salt | Party | Anarchy | 1980s

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Matthew Lillard	...	Stevo
Michael A. Goorjian	...	Bob
Annabeth Gish	...	Trish
Jennifer Lien	...	Sandy
Christopher McDonald	...	Stevo's Dad
Devon Sawa	...	Sean
Jason Segel	...	Mike
Adam Pascal	...	Eddie
Til Schweiger	...	Mark
James Duval	...	John the Mod (as Jimmy Duval)
Summer Phoenix	...	Brandy
Chiara Barzini	...	Jennifer
Kevin Breznahan	...	Chris
Christina Karras	...	Jamie
Russell Peacock	...	Jones (as Russ Peacock)
Christopher Ogden	...	Young Stevo
Francis Capra	...	Young Bob
McNally Sagal	...	Stevo's Mom (as McNally Sagel)
Scott Brady	...	Bouncer
Vaughn McBride	...	Liquor Store Man
Janice Knickrehm	...	Liquor Store Woman
Marcia Dangerfield	...	Liquor Store Lady
Tom Jacobson	...	Liquor Store Fellow
Stephanie Shumway	...	Jules
Eric Robertson	...	Doctor
Micaela Nelligan	...	Nurse
Mary Bishop	...	Sean's Mom
Dominic Gortat	...	Poser
Evan O'Meara	...	ECP Singer / Extreme Corporal Punishment
Elizabeth Westwood	...	Hot Babe
Glade Quinn	...	Cowboy #1
Brad Jessey	...	Cowboy #2
Don Walsh	...	Bob's Dad
Adam Lawson	...	Russ
Brandon Klock	...	Tom
Kassandra Metos	...	Little Girl
Brad Slocum	...	Teller
Joyce Cohen	...	Clothing Store Woman
Tracy Pfau	...	Fast Food Clerk (as Tracey Pfau)
Dan Epstein	...	Extreme Corporal Punishment (as Daniel Epstein)
Paige O'Meara	...	Extreme Corporal Punishment
Preston O'Meara	...	Extreme Corporal Punishment
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank L. Bare II	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
James Merendino	...	Freaky Deaky / Punk in 'Explanation of Fight' Slide (uncredited)
Bijan Zaimi	...	Keg Boy (uncredited)

Directed by
James Merendino

Writing credits
James Merendino		(written by)

Produced by
Jan de Bont	....	executive producer
Katrina Fernandez	....	associate producer
Tam Halling	....	co-producer
Andrea Kreuzhage	....	executive producer
Sam Maydew	....	producer
Michael Peyser	....	executive producer
Glenn Salloum	....	associate producer
Peter Ward	....	producer

Cinematography by
Greg Littlewood

Film Editing by
Esther P. Russell

Casting by
Risa Bramon Garcia
Randi Hiller

Production Design by
Charlotte Malmlöf

Set Decoration by
Adriana Verwey

Costume Design by
Fiora Kirschbaum		(as Fiora)

Makeup Department
Shelley Brien	....	department head hair
Tania Goddard	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Tam Halling	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matias Alvarez	....	assistant director
Joshua S. Ashdown	....	second assistant director: second unit
Win Whittaker	....	assistant director

Art Department
Scott Arneman	....	property master

Sound Department
Douglas Cameron	....	production sound mixer
Russell Farmarco	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Ferdie	....	adr editor
Michael Ferdie	....	production sound editor
Warren Kleiman	....	adr mixer
Warren Kleiman	....	foley mixer
Warren Kleiman	....	sound re-recording mixer
William S. Knight	....	assistant production sound editor
Ai-Ling Lee	....	assistant sound editor
Dennis Patterson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Walter Spencer	....	co-supervising sound editor
Derek Vandehorst	....	sound effects editor
Derek Vanderhorst	....	sound effects editor
Elmo Weber	....	sound designer
Elmo Weber	....	supervising sound editor

Visual Effects by
Wendy Rogers	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Frank L. Bare II	....	stunts
Jeff Chumas	....	stunts
Peter Epstein	....	stunts
Kathy Jarvis	....	stunt double
Jeff Johnson	....	stunts
Jeff Johnson	....	utility stunts
Tom Proctor	....	stunts
Fenton Quinn	....	stunt coordinator
Glade Quinn	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Kowal	....	key grip
Robert Lowe	....	electrician
Keith Ogier	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Janet Farris	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Giovanna Zompa	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Shimit Amin	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Melanie Miller	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Suzanne Bingham	....	script supervisor
Kathy Hall	....	assistant accountant
Simon Miya	....	craft service
Massimo Nouhra	....	production financing
Laura Pratt	....	production assistant
Audra Rodgers	....	pre-production coordinator (as Audra Cervantes)
Peter Tolle	....	production accountant
Rorie D. van Klaveren	....	assistant production coordinator
Joshua Ligairi	....	production intern (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Beyond Films
• Blue Tulip Productions
• Straight Edge

Distributors

• Mundos de Cine (2000) (Argentina) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• Highlight Film (Germany)

Other Companies

• Redman Movies and Stories  camera cranes provided by
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Imperial Entertainment Group  production financing

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, violent anti-social behavior and some sexuality

Runtime:

97 min | Argentina:98 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Iceland:16 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Evanston, Wyoming, USA

Company:

Beyond Films

Trivia:

Matthew Lillard's character, Stevo was originally to have bleached blond hair. However, when getting the bleach job, the peroxide burned Lillard's scalp, leaving a hideous mess. Dying his hair blue was a way of hiding it.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Stevo and the punks jump the neo-nazis at night, Heroin Bob's bat is obviously made of rubber as it bends on one the nazi's backs.

Quotes:

Stevo:Do you love her?
Bob:I don't know. I'd have to think about that.
Stevo:It's not really a thinking question.

Movie Connections:

References Taxi Driver (1976)

Soundtrack:

Bluegrass Blues

Pretty good snapshot of some parts of the 80's post-punk scene

OK first the disclaimer:

Punk rock died the day it was blessed with its moniker, I think somewhere around 1979/1980. I think part of the reason it died was because everyone was trying to strictly define what Punk meant, kinda defeating the purpose. The idea of anyone claiming to be "punk" now or at any point during the 90s or even the 80s is patently ridiculous. It's death, however, did serve to allow many people in different places to cadge together their own ideas about what "punk" was and reshape their own local counter-culture scene into something somewhat resembling that. Let's face it, the entire idea behind Anarchy is that of Iconoclasm; the destruction of images and false constructs, for example pop culture trends such as PUNK.

End disclaimer.

I came in as part of the punk revival (2nd wave) in the mid-80s, growing up in a mid-sized Midwestern city. The punk scene was very alive there and I immediately identified with it, but stuck with the non-conformist nature of it rather than filing off into a splinter group and wearing a uniform. This movie recalled a lot of my own experiences, ideas and feelings from that time. Uncomfortably so. Of course there was a lot of BS too, but the BS was part and parcel of the scene since everyone was co-opting "punk" into their own little social circles.

I didn't learn anything from this movie, which to my mind illustrates its accuracy as a decent, digestible snapshot of what was going on within that world where each of us knew a Heroin Bob, a crazy Belgian Mark, an intense nerdy Mike who just might go off the deep end and start a fight with the cops, a slutty Sandie, and armchair philosophers galore. And of course drugs, booze, filth and bad music.

A previous reviewer scolded this film for not following the "true punk" philosophy and went on to talk about how the Midwest "doesn't have a punk scene." Wrong. Buddy, reading books or watching videos about the history of that movement won't tell you anything. It was not deep, profound, or incredibly thoughtful. Don't read too much into it.