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| Penelope Spheeris, Keith Morris, Eyeball, and Anna Fox |
Spheeris' groundbreaking film Suburbia was screened
first. Still highly regarded as a breakthrough of its kind, the tale of runaway
punk kids in early 1980’s Los Angeles
still remains as thrilling as it was upon its initial release, both shocking
and riveting. As Spheeris explained when asked about her inspiration for the
film, “they told me I couldn’t get documentaries into theaters; which you
couldn’t really do until Michael Moore.” Spheeris continued that the characters
she created in Suburbia are a perfect example of life imitating art, or art
imitating life, depending on how you look at it.
Adding to Penelope’s thoughts was Keith Morris, lead
singer for punk bands Black Flag, and Circle Jerks. Growing up in Los Angeles, Morris
added that he always enjoyed Spheeris' vision in Suburbia because he “grew up
with those kids”. In response to a
question about the difficulty in booking punk bands at venues, Keith explained
that “there will always be that underground element to punk.”
Giving more insight into the creative production of
Suburbia, an audience member asked “how many of the kids from the film were
actually real-life punk squatters?” In response, Spheeris explained that
actually none of the kids were really squatters at the time. She continued that
most of that concept came from visiting the boarded up and abandoned homes in
Downey, CA (which she explains, was formally known as “Downer”, given its grim
landscape.) Adding to the explanation on why the movie is highly violent and
graphic, Spheeris clarified “that was the Corman formula (referring well-known
producer Roger Corman): sex or violence every ten minutes.”
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| Penelope Spheeris and fan |
A majority of the discussion, however, surrounded the
release and legacy of Spheeris' The Decline of Western Civilization trilogy and
its long-awaited box-set distribution. Audience members ardently discussed
their views on the trilogy, given its highly controversial content. Offering
insight into the inspiration of the second screening of the night, Spheeris'
daughter Anna explained that “she waited until she could do it right." Anna
continued that she initially refused to offer to assist her mother in filming,
given that the rights to the first two Decline films had been sold by Spheeris.
In reflecting on the importance of Decline: Part III, Spheeris
said that “[Decline III] changed my life.” She explained, “after all of the
90’s big budget studio comedies that I had done [referring to her highly
successful films Wayne’s World and The Little Rascals] I felt that I had
forgotten who I was, so I decided to make a documentary again.” She remembers
in the late nineties driving down Melrose Avenue and seeing "gutter punk" homeless teenagers.
She recalls pulling over and after speaking to them, noting that she had found
her inspiration for Decline III. Further, she revels in the memory that in
creating Decline III, “I got to know there are really kind people in the world
- so much more important to me than money. My films in the 90’s up until
Decline III were rewarding financially, not creatively.”
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| Eyeball |
Adding to the discussion was Eyeball, an original cast
member of Decline III. “I find it so appropriate that we are screening this
film in this theater tonight.” Chuckling, he continues, “we squatted here after
the 1994 Northridge earthquake, watching Home Alone 2 while drinking forties." Eyeball’s girlfriend at the time and another
friend figured out how to thread the projector so they could watch the film
they found in the projection booth. But they couldn’t figure out how to turn on
the sound and they threaded it upside down, so they watched it silent and
upside down. Eyeball further explained how he was “floored” when Spheeris
approached him to do work in Decline III. “We were living that Suburbia
lifestyle at the time”, he recalls.
Both films generated a theater full of fans, especially
the seldom-screened Decline III.
Applause filled the theater as Spheeris and her crew exited, signaling
the "rock on" hand gesture to their audience; a crowd decorated in mohawks,
black punk band tee-shirts, and plenty of studded belts.
- Jared Thompson, with photos by Margot-Robin