The Decline of Western Civilization (1 & 2)
THE DECLINE OF WESTERN
CIVILIZATIONÂ (18)
D: Penelope Spheeris
Nu-Image (Penelope Spheeris)
USA 🇺🇸 1981
100 mins
Documentary
DP: Steve Conant, Bill Muerer & Penelope
Spheeris
Ed: Charles Mullin, Peter Wiehl & David
Colburn
A
decade before Wayne's World hit cinemas, director Penelope Spheeris presented this documentary studying the punk rock movement towards the end of the 1970's.Â
There's a few quirky moments and some interesting interviews
with frontmen of some underground bands, but general entertainment value is wholly dependent on whether or not you care for the genre of music.
6/10
THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART II: THE METAL
YEARSÂ (18)
D: Penelope Spheeris
New Line (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris)
USA 🇺🇸 1988
90 mins
Documentary
DP: Jeff Zimmerman & Julio Macat
Ed: Earl Ghaffari
Penelope Spheeris' follow-up to her 1981 documentary is
probably a far more accessible film, as it focuses on a genre of music which was far more popular than the punk rock movement which had all but died out at the beginning of the
1980's.
The film includes some frank interviews with some of the
bigger stars of the genre, including Lemmy (lead singer of Mötorhead), Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne & Steven Tyler and Joe Perry (of Aerosmith).
The questions and answers are mostly relative to the price of
fame, as well as the excess which comes with it, undercut with some humour and plenty of industrial-strength language.
A
must-watch for anyone who was a fan of the music, or anyone who lived through the period.
7/10