The Los Angeles punk music scene circa 1980 is the focus of this film. With Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X.
Director:
Penelope Spheeris
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Judith Light reveals the challenges of her restrained role in "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story."
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Title: The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
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Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
 |
Alice Bag Band | ... | Themselves |
| Black Flag | ... | Themselves | |
|
|
Catholic Discipline | ... | Themselves |
|
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Circle Jerks | ... | Themselves |
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Fear | ... | Themselves |
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The Germs | ... | Themselves (as Germs) |
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X | ... | Themselves |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
|
|
Alice Bag | ... | Herself - Alice Bag Band (Vocals) |
|
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Claude Bessy | ... | Himself - Catholic Discipline (Vocals) |
|
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Bob Biggs | ... | Himself - Publisher - Slash Magazine (as Robert Biggs) |
| Don Bolles | ... | Himself - Germs (Drums) | |
|
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D.J. Bonebrake | ... | Himself - X (Drums) |
|
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Rick Brodey | ... | Himself - Catholic Discipline (Bass) (as Rick Jaffe) |
| Dinah Cancer | ... | Herself - Light Bulb Kid (as Mary) | |
| Exene Cervenka | ... | Herself - X (Vocals) (as Exene) | |
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Storyline
The Los Angeles punk music scene circa 1980 is the focus of this film. With Alice Bag Band, Black Flag, Catholic Discipline, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and X. Written by Rich Swenson <swenson@haas.berkeley.edu>
Plot Keywords:
national film registry | band | punk | f rated | title directed by female |Taglines:
See it in a theater.... where you can't get hurt.Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
19 March 2016 (Japan) See more »Also Known As:
Падение западной цивилизации See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$100,000 (estimated)Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
After the film was screened in Los Angeles, punk music fans got into so many fights and caused so much trouble that then-L.A. Police Chief Daryl Gates wrote the filmmakers a letter asking them not to screen the film again. See more »Quotes
The Circle Jerks member: And at the bottom it says "Thank you." And you can tell 'em to fuck off.See more »
Connections
Followed by The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Before she made Wayne's World, Ms Spheeris documented the LA Punk scene with the kind of dead pan perspective that makes this the all time classic commercial punk rock documentary. Of course Target Video's concert footage of the Dead Kennedys or the Mutants live at a home for the insane are much better, but unless you live near Leather Tongue Video in San Francisco, you probably won't find those, so this one will have to do.
Best Irony: Members of a famous X-Punk band tattooing each other on a dirty couch while apparently under the influence of some processed opiate are talking about how pot makes hippies so pathetically passive that someone would come in and kick the shit out of them and all they'd say is "Bummer maaan." And then going on to a completely deadpan unemotional account of finding a dead guy in the back yard.
Definitely the best insight into the whole era. Sure The Great Rock and Roll Swindle is fun, but this one shows the whole scene unflinchingly from a neutral angle. The camera is on and everyone becomes an actor on their own stage.