Customer Reviews

SLC Punk

5 star:		(146)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I am not trying to insult anyone here, but I have read dozens of reviews of this excellent movie, and it seems a lot of folks miss the point.

This is a great movie, and I'll tell you why: it is a very very authentic insight, not into the punk scene in 1980s America (which there was one, but it wasn't very widespread or mainstream), but into adolescence and the transitions into maturity we all have to make. It is a very good study on what happens to the identities we assume for ourselves as teenagers when we discover, in our early twenties, that they no longer fit.

If you haven't seen it yet, you may not want to read this review any further.

Stevo was a poser! I can't say it any plainer than that. He admits it too, so anyone who wastes the energy to type "Stevo wasn't very convincing as a punk," or criticizes the punk scene as portrayed as not accurate, completely miss the point of this movie. They weren't punks! They were teenagers, trying to find an identity for themselves. They knew what their parents and city were offering wasn't for them, but they had no clue what was, so they were trying something out. And for most of them (let us not forget Mike, my favorite character) the whole punk thing didn't stick.

If you view the movie through that lense, it was fantastic. Lillards performance was outstanding. The music was great. The script was very witty and entertaining. And yes, I imagine the punk movement in SLC, if there ever was one, was pretty lame. I know it was in the midwest where I grew up. That doesn't take away from the movie - it makes it more authentic and accessible.

Being an ex-punk (my punk years were 1978-1983) I didn't expect much from this movie. what a pleasant surprise! Rather than the fashion clones most movies portray, the punks were all individuals, no two the same. Matthew Lillard was absolutely brilliant. I agree that he is probably one of the best and most under-rated actors of his generation.

The soundtrack was HOT too! They included many of the bands that were part of punk's eclectic mix, including Roxy Music (mother of pearl at that!), all the way through the Dead Kennedy's. The only reason I did not give it a 5 was that the punk scene was portrayed as much more violent than the one I experienced. Then again, I was in San Francisco at an earlier time - perhaps SLC punks were more into thrashing.

Even the commentary on the mods was appropriate! The entire film had much more depth and was much more thought-provoking than other more "serious" films I had recently watched. One other caveat - I would have liked to see more women with short hair. Try this movie - it will surprise you!

This is a coming of age story set in the 1980's punk scene. I loved the punks in it and I won't engage in the "Stevo is a poseur or not" battle, because that's not what the movie is about (and Stevo gives the answer to that question in the final scene, anyway). Where is a more hilarious place to be a punk that the straightlaced Salt Lake City?

This movie has a lot of lighthearted and very comic moments, intertwined into a deeper story about finding your place in life. The relationship between Stevo and his dad is terrific, and I loved watching the scenes where Stevo railed on him for selling out from his hippie ideals. Stevo had a lot of hilarious and intelligent monologues in the movie, on what ideals are, what anarachy means and how fighting actually opposes anarchy, why UK punk music sucks, and what he plans to do with his life.

Watch this with your parents--everyone should get a kick out of seeing a post-college son struggle with opposing or embracing his father's ideals.

**This film was absolutely not what I expected. I was prepared for a simple movie littered with side-splitting laughs. Which is what SLC Punks! started out to be. Quirky, intriguing characters. Funny incidents. But then it spins off into a deep, emotional drama. This completely floored me, and I loved SLC Punks! even more because it. **I can't say this movie told much of a story, and I don't think it was meant to. This movie focuses on character rather than plot, which is beautifully illustrated by the non-linear sequence of events. Stevo and Bob are introduced as 1985 SLC punks, but slowly become two people searching for themselves as the film progresses. **The acting here is absolutely fabulous. Matthew Lillard(Scream) gives us a spectacular performance, complete with much facial expression. The most powerful scene in the film is undoubtedly when Stevo finds Bob the morning after Brandy's party. He's lost and tortured, and those tears and facial torments are so real it's shocking. He's lost not only his best friend, but his inspiration, I think. After all, wasn't Bob the truest punk of them all? Michael A. Goorjian(Hard Rain) gives a fabulous performance as well, for an example watch the scene when he is confronted with the needle at the doctor's. He played the part of the neurotic, paranoia-stricken, hardcore punk true to the last thread. I personally thought Trish, as well, was very well played by Annabeth Gish(The X-Files). **Whether or not this film's focus is poseurs and punk depends how you look at it. Although they are undeniably important elements in the film, I drew very significant meaning from the characters themselves, not their lifestyle. Stevo's journey through various stages in his life had a huge impact on me as a person. But I suppose "poseur" is an integral part as well. Stevo and Bob spend their whole punk life trying to be as hardcore as possible, and being called a poseur is a horribly degrading insult. This had an impact on me as well, because in trying to be so "hardcore," maybe Stevo began to lose touch with his true character. And I think that is the beauty of him. **Watch this film. Have no expectations, draw no pretenses. Don't worry about whether or not the film itself is "poseur." Just let it take you where it wants to, and see if it has an impact on you. I'll bet it will.

If you're going to appreciate "SLC Punk," the 1999 film by writer/director James Merendino, you need to have grown up during the 1980s. The film, taking place in Salt Lake City in 1984, hits all the right notes when documenting rebellion and music of the period. The lifestyles, attitudes and different cliques which spun off from American punk rock have been accurately detailed. Most importantly, the story transcends the era, revealing the frustrations of youthful rebellion and the angst of American suburban living.

There's a thread connecting "SLC Punk," "Quadrophenia," "Easy Rider" and "Rebel Without a Cause." The protagonists are cut from the same cloth - different eras, same story. "SLC Punk" has also been compared to other films detailing punk rock, most notably "Suburbia" and "The Decline of Western Civilization." "SLC Punk" comes far closer to the emotional truth of this 1980s American subculture. I related to almost every scene, though found the ending to be melodramatic. Why can't characters evolve due to changes within rather than the tragedies of others?

To see the beginnings of punk rock, all one has to do is view the extraordinary Sex Pistols' documentary "The Filth and the Fury." The anger and the music eventually spread to America, reaching such humble burgs as, according to this film, Salt Lake City. Fights with rednecks or frats were commonplace, and this is properly detailed. The chaos of concerts in small venues highlighted by thrash dancing and stage diving is expertly portrayed. The all-night parties, where wildly diverse styles including Nerds and Mods mixed with Punks, are recreated to great perfection.

"SLC Punk" documents all of this with a feverish style. The film is narrated entirely by our main protagonist Stevo, brilliantly portrayed by Matthew Lillard. This was the Reagan era, in which a movement to return to old values and traditions alienated the seeds of Woodstock. The styles of punk however, were eventually as rigid as a Southern frat house, and this is noted in "SLC Punk."

In "SLC Punk," we are much closer to our parents than we care to admit. This is emphasized during Stevo's hilarious conversations with his father, a former hippie turned lawyer who has "bought in" to the system. Played by Chris McDonald, he accepts his son's rebellion and tries to understand. Dad's a bit lost, but his love for his son is never in doubt. It's a multi-dimensional portrayal which is a highlight.

The final conflict of "SLC Punk" comes at a rapid pace, the spiral begun by an impromptu acid trip in a park leading to yet another all-night party and a drug overdose. Stevo doesn't leave the punk scene more than he evolves, as most of us do in life. There's a tendency by hardcore faithful to downgrade this film because Stevo transforms rather than giving the world the finger. He reaches his breaking point, splintering off into his own individualism. It's an oddly touching moment, spiced by an incredible flashback as Stevo takes Rush off the turntable and plays Generation X for the first time. Suddenly, the road becomes clear.

Who among us cannot recall instances from youth in which everything made sense - the translucent flash when the path cleared and we witnessed our definition? Moments like this are painful to watch because they are so truthful. Youth is pain, and "SLC Punk" is a uniquely executed slice of it.

If one asked me to tell them all that I knew about Salt Lake City I believe the only bits of information that I could give them is that it is the capital of Utah, the Great Salt Lake is there, there are quite a number of Mormons, and that it is considered to be the whitest city in America. If asked to go beyond that however it would be quite a hard stretch to do so. If told there had been a punk movement there during the 1980s, It would be quite hard for me to imagine so, but being from a conservative, Southern small town and having seen high school kids try to establish themselves as metal heads, goths, punks, or hippies in a sea of rednecks and bible thumpers I can see how the punk alternative is attractive to the norm. So a punk movement in Salt Lake City, why the heck not?

SLC Punk follows the life of Stevo and his lifelong friend Heroin Bob, nicknamed this not because of his love for the drug but because he abhors needles and all drugs. Constantly breaking the fourth wall to address the audience, Stevo introduces the viewer to several of his friends, including Mike who dresses like a prep, but is totally hardcore, Trish, an older woman who delves into New Age, mumbo-jumbo, Eddie, whose drug is the ladies, Mark, an insane foreigner who has a tendency to go into murderous rages, and so on. Along with these introductions, Stevo details the classes of subculture in Salt Lake City and the pecking order of which group beats up whom, etc. This quality of the film gives it a quite an episodic nature, but it makes for a quite enjoyable blend of humor and enlightening info and the first half of this film is quite enjoyable. However, I wish I could say the same for the second half.

As with many films of this nature, the protagonist begins to question to road taken in his life and begins to look at those around him in a different light. True, it seems that many of his friends are getting nowhere in the haze of parties and drugs, but the important thing is to hold onto one's ideology and mold it to ways in which it can affect society the most, not to let a thirty second conversation change one's world view. However, I do agree with the point made at the end of the film: that one has to enmesh oneself in society in order to change it from the core. An enjoyable film overall, but one that becomes quite heavy-handed at the end, SLC Punk is a decent glimpse into the punk subculture yet one that must be taken with a large grain of salt.

When I first saw this film, I thought it would be some weird comdedy about punks in general. But I was wrong, very wrong. Its much more. Yes, it does make you laugh, ecspecially when Stevo, Bob and Eddie go to Wyoming to get some "real" beer. But it also makes you think. And perhaps it will make you cry at the end as well. Whether or not this film portrays the punk way of life back in 1985 doesnt matter. This film is not just about punks and the punk way of life. Im sure its not even supposed to be. It is about growing up and teenage rebellion. Its about fear, death, life and love. Its about realizing who you really are and realizing things cant stay the same forever, no matter how much you'd like them to. One thing I liked was how well Matthew Lillard portrayed Stevo. Throughout the movie, you felt all his emotions and when it was done, you felt like he was an old friend. Despite the large amount of swearing, drug use and sexual scenes, I think this is a film most people will enjoy, maybe even relate to. It receives my highest reccomendation. Pick it up today. You wont be disapointed.

It seems that most people who see this movie either love it because they see it as a perfect description of punk rock life or hate it because it is not "punk enough" or hardcore enough or just does not accurately describe punk rock enough. For those who say either, I say go get a documentary on punk rock and watch it. This movie is not intended to be a documentary on punk rock. It is about a young man at a crossroads in his life and must choose the events that will lead to the rest of his life. Oh yeah, this young man happens to be a punk. To say the character Steveo or the scene he is in does or does not sum up punk rock is absurd. Punks are as diverse as any other group of people. It would be like watching a movie that's lead character is a 40 year old white man and assuming that he represents EVERY SINGLE 40 year old white man alive. Anyways, our lead character Steveo has hit a point in his life where his beliefs, mainly his belief in anarchy, are not adding up as well as they once did. He sees his friends going in different directions(one is a bum, one is going off to study Botany, etc.) and he now has to choose his path. That is the bottom line in the movie. Along the way you meet Steveo's friends, hear him go off on hilarious speeches about anarchy and punk rock, heartbreak, drugs, drinking, and oh yeah, beating the hell out of rednecks. Does this movie wrap up punk rock in a neat little package and present it to you? No. Is that even possible to do? No. What the movie does is tells a great story, throws in a lot of great music, and features a lot of great performances. I recommend it highly. Very funny, very entertaining. Oh yeah, for all of you wondering what punk rock really is, it is in the heart and the soul and the mind, NOT in the clothes, the hair, or the lifestyle. Remember that as you watch....for all my movie reviews check out my website at fromtheblackchair.blogspot

Discovered this flick a while ago and when watching it again now I remember why I bought it (on Amazon no less) for an old punker girlfriend immediately after seeing it! I grew up in the 80's listening to all this music, and I will state loudly that SLC PUNK ROCKS! If this was your scene then (or now - for all you posers) you need to own SLC PUNK! Opposingly, if you think Black Flag is just for pest control, then don't bother - you just won't get it!

Matthew Lillard (more famous for roles in Scream and 13 Ghosts etc., etc.) is outstanding in this early role in his career and a final dramatic scene with Lillard shows just how talented this fine actor really is. The film is a well-developed character study of Lillard and friends, and the performances and dialogue are exceptional.

It transported me, as the viewer, straight back to the mid 80's, of days and nights spent in the Channel and The Rat in Boston. With a goofy smile plastered on my face, I watched these guys move around from: the package store, to the clubs, to the all-night house parties; and in the midst, scoop up all the punker honeys to boot! You can't turn back the clock, but SLC PUNK does its' best to put you right back there in the middle of it all. Oh, and did I mention that I LOVE THIS FLICK?!

I live in SLC and this movie provides us in SLC that are not affiliated with the religous, now minority, RIGHT, some justice and validation. Too many on this planet place Utah and the people of Utah in a 'mormon box'. I grew up in the Bay area and moved out to SLC from Eugene Oregon and was petrified by the idea of living in SLC. I couldn't have been further from the truth, this place (as long as you stay close to downtown)is open-minded and hip. We have a gay mayor, Rocky Anderson, a democrat majority city council, one of the largest Gay-Pride celebrations in the country and the real percentage of practicing LDS people in the city is around 30%. I have lived in 3 'Blue States' and have found a 'Blue City' here in Utah, plus, it's freaking beautiful here.
SLC Punk helps show the world that they are 'individuals' here and we aren't all clones. The acting is superb, the cinematography is brilliant, the roles devine, the story is unique and fresh. Cheers to SLC Punk for giving us a twist on the 'same-old same-old' Hollywood format and story-line. Cheers to the writers and cast for accurately portraying the frustration of being a rebel back when SLC was in control of the mormon majority. Buy this flick, visit SLC, stay away from Provo though.