The Punk Rock Movie Marathon

My first taste of punk music came in 1999, when I was about 10 years old and listened to a Blink 182 record. Certainly the most sugary of punk bands; nonetheless, it was incredible to hear at 10 and it did what it was supposed to do: it started me on a journey to discovering more punk music. Soon I was getting into all sorts of different punk scenes and flavors and, even when I wasn’t listening to punk music, the punk attitude was shaping my attitude and my influences.

Some of the best reflections of punk music’s influence can be found in film. From documentaries to comedies to art films, punk has been displayed onscreen in a multitude of ways, some more effectively than others. The musical stepchild spawned from a generation of lost, disillusioned and ignored children became the tastemakers for an aesthetic that was equal parts gritty, dreamy, wandering and dirty. Punk, above all things, was about expression (pure, unadulterated creation) and a number of films and filmmakers have tried to capture that same intense level of expression.

Below is a list of films that show off the punk lifestyle deliberately or inherently within their stories. Some are documentaries about these hectic times and aftermaths, while others are films that have taken the punk aesthetic as their canvas in which to create their stories about outliers and loners. This is the ultimate movie marathon for the punk fans and loyalists alike.

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)

The infamous documentary with the Los Angeles punk scene of 1979 and 1980 as its subject, this film documents bands, zine writers and fans of a subculture that were largely being ignored. The film was so controversial that at one time, the L.A.P.D. notoriously demanded that it never be shown in Los Angeles again. If that’s not a good enough reason to check this one out, then I don’t know what is.

Sid & Nancy (1986)

Alex Cox’s film is about the tumultuous, chaotic relationship between the Sex Pistols’ bassist Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen and the mystery surrounding her death. Starring Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb, the film does its best to capture the craziness and intense story of drug-abusing punk rockers in love to mostly good effect, while never trying to imply more about the story than what is already known to us.

Blank City (2010)

Blank City chronicles the “No Wave” cinema movement. Spawned out of the punk generation in New York in the late 70s, a new legion of do-it-yourselfers took what money they had and made films, art and music. Blank City gives insight into that world and what that time in New York was like.

Rock ’N’ Roll High School (1979)

For a little more fun, the musical comedy Rock ’N’ Roll High School manages to show a sillier side to the punk scene. Arguably the punk rock Footloose, RRHS tells the tale of Riff Randell, her obsession with the Ramones, and a principal desperately trying to stop this silly music from corrupting the students. The fact that the film features the Ramones makes it a worthwhile watch.

Repo Man (1984)

Speaking of Alex Cox, his 1984 film, Repo Man, is a thrilling and funny science fiction film placed in the 80s LA punk scene. With Emilio Estevez starring as Otto Maddox, a slacker with a bad attitude, the film follows his journey discovering the crazy supernatural events taking place in the city while taking part in his new life as a Repo Man.

SLC Punk (1998)

Matthew Lillard stars in this offbeat comedy about slackers and stoners in a punk band. Definitely a light comedy that pokes some fun at the scene and tries to mine laughs through “shenanigans!” Consider this a movie that you can turn your brain off to and enjoy some easy laughs watching.

A Band Called Death (2012)

This documentary captures the punk group Death, an all-black band born in the early 70s. The documentary goes into detail about the creation of the band at that time and the newfound popularity it has gained. The film also provides some insight into how the group shaped punk music overall.

Taxi Driver (1976)

While not necessarily about punk or the punk culture, it’s pretty clear that the aesthetic is all over this film. Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle is a lonely, disillusioned and overlooked young man reacting to an ugly city full of crime and filth. The grittiness, aggression and emotion are all on full display and color a world that corrupts a man until he loses it and takes his grievances out on society. You can’t get much more punk rock than that.

From the MO print archive: this story first ran in The Punk Issue of Meets Obsession Magazine.

• Words: Israel Daramola