The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

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 (1981), dealt with the punk rock scene during 1980–1981. The second film, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988), covers the Los Angeles heavy metal movement of 1986–1988.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III
The theatrical poster
Directed byPenelope Spheeris
Produced byRoss Albert
Guy J. Louthan
Scott Wilder
CinematographyJamie Thompson
Edited byRoss Albert
Ann Trulove
Music byPhil Suchomel
Distributed bySpheeris Films
Release date
Running time
86 min.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Spheeris later credited the 1998 film with having a profound effect on her. She began a relationship with a man she met while filming the movie, signed up to be a foster parent, and eventually fostered five children.[1][2]

Synopsis

As mentioned in the opening credits, the film shot between July 1996 and August 1997 in Los Angeles. It is dedicated to "Squid, Stephen Chambers, and all the gutterpunks that survive."

The film involves gutter punks 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 that go by the names of "Why-Me?", "Hamburger", "Troll", "Eyeball", "Squid", and others. Los Angeles Police Department officer Gary Fredo and a paralyzed youth living on disability benefits are also interviewed. Near the end, the film shows a memorial squat location near where a local squatter in Stephen Chambers had died in a fire.[3]

Musicians interviewed include Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks), Rick Wilder (The Mau-Mau's), and Flea (Fear, Red Hot Chili Peppers); Morris had previously appeared in the first The Decline of Western Civilization. Performances by four bands were filmed: Final Conflict, Litmus Green, Naked Aggression, and The Resistance.

The film ends by listing the fate of two of the interviewees in "Squid", who having died on July 19, 1997, from multiple stab wounds along with "Spoon" being in L.A. County Jail awaiting trial for his murder.

Reception and distribution

The film premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Freedom of Expression Award. It was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and the Chicago Underground Film Festival, where it received a jury award. However, it never went into general release and was not available on VHS or DVD until the release in 2015 of a box set containing all three films on DVD and Blu-ray. This was partly due to Spheeris refusing to relinquish the rights to the first two parts of the trilogy in order to enable the third to be released. According to an article by Laura Snapes, "there was little demand to see such a depressing movie, and the few distribution offers that Spheeris got required her to hand over the rights to the first two movies, which she refused to do".[4] Decline III was also released separately via streaming video.

References
  1. Friedman, Ann. "Penelope Spheeris: 'I sold out and took the money'". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  2. Eric, Ducker (26 June 2015). "Talking to Penelope Spheeris about time, rock 'n' roll, and The Decline of Western Civilization". The Rage. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  3. "Penelope Spheeris' the Decline of Western Civilization, Part III - Filmmaker Magazine - Winter 1998".
  4. Snapes, Laura. "The Punk Director: Penelope Spheeris Revisits Her Decline of Western Civilization Trilogy". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
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