The Decline of Western Civilization III
Encyclopedia
The Decline of Western Civilization III is a 1998 documentary film
directed by Penelope Spheeris
that chronicles the gutter punk
lifestyle of homeless teenagers. It is the third film of a trilogy by Spheeris depicting life in Los Angeles
at various points in time. The first film The Decline of Western Civilization
dealt with the punk rock
scene during 1980-1981. The second film The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years covers the Los Angeles heavy metal
movement of 1986-1988.
s" who take the anti-establishment message with extreme seriousness, and tune out society completely. Spheeris talks to homeless teenagers living on the street or squatting in abandoned buildings in Los Angeles
, as well as an unstable mother, Los Angeles Police Department
officer Gary Fredo, and a paralyzed youth living on a disability.
Performances by four bands were filmed: Final Conflict
, Litmus Green
, Naked Aggression
and The Resistance.
and was also screened at the Cannes Film Festival
and the Chicago Underground Film Festival
. However, it never went into general release and is not available on VHS
or DVD
.
It won the Freedom of Expression award at Sundance and a jury award at the Chicago festival and was warmly received by film critics.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
that chronicles the gutter punk
Gutter punk
A gutter punk is a homeless or transient individual who displays a variety of specific physical traits and characteristics that often, but not always, are associated with the punk subculture...
lifestyle of homeless teenagers. It is the third film of a trilogy by Spheeris depicting life in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at various points in time. The first film The Decline of Western Civilization
The Decline of Western Civilization
The soundtrack was released in December 1980 by Slash Records on LP. In the late 1990s it was released on CD as well. It is currently out of print. Germs singer Darby Crash appears on the soundtrack album cover. He died shortly before the film was released, though the promotional images for the...
dealt with the punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
scene during 1980-1981. The second film The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years covers the Los Angeles heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
movement of 1986-1988.
Synopsis
The film involves hardcore street punks called "gutter punkGutter punk
A gutter punk is a homeless or transient individual who displays a variety of specific physical traits and characteristics that often, but not always, are associated with the punk subculture...
s" who take the anti-establishment message with extreme seriousness, and tune out society completely. Spheeris talks to homeless teenagers living on the street or squatting in abandoned buildings in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, as well as an unstable mother, Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
officer Gary Fredo, and a paralyzed youth living on a disability.
Performances by four bands were filmed: Final Conflict
Final Conflict
Final Conflict is a hardcore punk band from Long Beach, California formed in 1983. They have gone through various lineup changes since then with the only constant member being their original guitar player, Jeff Harp. Currently the band's lineup includes Shane McLachlan and Calum Mackenzie of the...
, Litmus Green
Litmus Green
Litmus Green are a Crust Punk hardcore punk band from Southern California, USA, who played from 1991-2002 . They play short, fast political themed songs. They were featured in the award winning documentary The Decline of Western Civilization III...
, Naked Aggression
Naked Aggression
Naked Aggression is a punk rock band which was formed in Madison, Wisconsin in late 1990. Naked Aggression appeared in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization III. Their lyrics often cover sociopolitical issues from a libertarian socialist perspective, and the band has held benefit...
and The Resistance.
Reception and distribution
The film premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
and was also screened at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
and the Chicago Underground Film Festival
Chicago Underground Film Festival
Chicago Underground Film Festival, founded in 1994, occurs each spring at various venues in Chicago, Illinois in the USA.Over the last 18 years it has become one of the most respected festivals in the USA and is today well attended by critics and programers. The festival's stated goal is "to focus...
. However, it never went into general release and is not available on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
or DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
It won the Freedom of Expression award at Sundance and a jury award at the Chicago festival and was warmly received by film critics.