BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Scott LeBrun Writer & director Penelope Spheeris certainly knows her way around this sort of material, having previously made the landmark documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization". She treats her subjects with sensitivity; while not really condoning their actions, the film does let you know where these kids are coming from: a society that's let them down in one way or another, or which has failed to understand them. This is low key and believable, with some potent and emotional moments and fine performances by the young cast. This is as good an example of "punks on film" as one is apt to see.Spheeris does wonders with her low budget, creating a narrative that's absorbing and entertaining if undeniably disturbing at times. This movie *is* going to lose some viewers early on due to a scene with an infant, but some of those who don't immediately turn it off will find something pretty interesting and visually arresting. The concert performances by punk groups T.S.O.L., The Vandals, and D.I. add to the experience.Young Bill Coyne is front and centre as Evan, a teen who flees his alcoholic, judgemental mother, and hooks up with a pack of punkers who all squat in an abandoned home near an L.A. freeway. It's a filthy, run-down, vermin infested place, but they call it home. An uptight group who dub themselves Citizens Against Crime vow to combat the kids, whom they see as merely a menace to polite society. And things take a real downturn when our protagonists attend a funeral, believing that they have every right to be there.The punks are a fairly colourful bunch, and they include characters such as Razzle (played by future Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea), runaway Sheila (Jennifer Clay), drug addicted Keef (Grant Miner), and charismatic leader Jack (Chris Pedersen). Their stories do keep one watching, even if there are moments that are off-putting. The finale is a real heartbreaker.Overall, this is enjoyable to watch.Eight out of 10.

Grosik_Stim Okay, punks. If you grew up on punk icons Good Charlotte, if you call Green Day's Dookie or Offspring's Smash "old school", if you paint your leather because you saw it on VH1, if you think the term "hardcore" relates to Ozzfest somehow, if you think skinheads originated in America as a racist gang, if you think tagging cars and brick walls started with hip-hop, if you call slam dancing "moshing"... here's a little history lesson:1. Good Charlotte is a mainstream pop-rock band2. Green Day released great records called 39 Smooth and Kerplunk on Lookout. Offspring's debut (if you can find an original copy) is fast, sloppy, out of tune and pretty cool. But if you're really looking for old school, The Damned can give you a good glimpse into where T.S.O.L (with two songs in the movie) and even Brit-pop come from.3. Four offset bars are required on all leather jackets. Thank Greg Ginn. 4. Hardcore is, well, without explaining American post-punk and straight edge, Dead Kennedys, SNFU, 7 Seconds, Agnostic Front, Crucifucks, Youth of Today, Judge, Gorrila Biscuits and thousands more, not Slipknot. Go listen to Propaghandi. 5. Violent, young, maybe confused in their politics, but ignore the news stories and find a 4-Skins or Sham 69 record. Then look up S.H.A.R.P. on the internet. 6. Look for the Exploited's mantra "Punks Not Dead" on the walls of your local alleys, it's probably still there somewhere. 7. There's a way to do it, look at a Circle Jerks shirt. Stage diving used to be legal... honest.AND... if you needed to be told any of that, go rent Suburbia and you'll take your first step toward enlightenment. Oi, Oi That's yer lot.

xx_funkycrime_xx I'm 15 years old, i live in Melbourne, and i love old Los Angeles punk. bands like the germs, black flag, fear and the circle jerks make my world work. i was born 5 years after this film was made. this year, it was made 20 years ago, yet its good enough to make me sign up to this site and try to convince you to watch it.watch it.i love that fact that Penelope didn't use any actors with the rejected (the punk gang) so they all seemed to know what they were doing. not the best movie in the world, but in my opinion its up there, i really enjoy it. 10/10 for entertainment and honesty

scottcraig70 Wow. Was it 1984 this movie was made? I am getting old. Having live in San Bernardino California and LA Counties during the 80's and 90's as a teen and 20-something; and someone who existed in and around the cast-off, neo-punk and 'Oi!' scenes of the time, I can attest to this being our favorite, and 'most real' look at the trials and successes of the time and scene.I rate this movie high because of the director's realism and poignancy in the presentation. The acting (as it is) remains so convincing that you almost wonder if we are REALLY following around this group of kids and they aren't acting. or are these actors just being, unrehearsed, who they really are.The film is presented as a stark and dark look at runaways and punks. It shows how the family plays the roles too, and is in-your-face with it.If you understand the harsh reality of this film, and realize that this is your voyeuristic, removed opportunity to hang out with the coolest dregs in places most of you would never be admitted to, the film will have images and scenes that will stay with you for the truth they present.Should rent this movie.