The Decline of Western Civilization
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The Decline of Western Civilization is a rockumentary film directed by Penelope Spheeris about the Los Angeles punk rock scene in 1979 and 1980. Featuring concert footage of legendary LA punk bands, and interviews both with band members and with the punks who made up their audience, the film offers a look into a subculture that was largely ignored by the rock music press of the time. In later interviews, some of the musicians featured in the film complained that Spheeris took liberties in the editing room that gave a false impression of the Los Angeles punk scene; indeed, in at least one instance, audience shots from one show were interspersed with stage shots from another show featuring a different band. The Germs and Black Flag concert segments were filmed at a soundstage, Cherrywood Studios, rented specially for the occasion by the film's production company. Eerily, the promotional poster for The Decline (and the record cover of the soundtrack album) featured a close-up frame of Germs singer Darby Crash supine on stage with his eyes closed. Crash died of a heroin overdose shortly before the film was released (the poster was designed before his death).
Bands included are Black Flag, The Germs, X, Alice Bag Band, Circle Jerks, Catholic Discipline, and Fear.
References
- Interview with X singer John Doe (http://markprindle.com/doe-i.htm)
- Interview with Germs drummer Don Bolles (http://markprindle.com/bolles-i.htm)
- Interview with Fear bassist Derf Scratch (http://markprindle.com/scratch-i.htm)