SLC Punk (1999)

Stevo's Journey

This movie neatly follows the "journey" archetype. Meaning that, the main character is thrown into the midst of a conflict, and through the story changes and grows. That doesn't detract from it being an enjoyable journey, especially if you can relate to it, and with the subcultural roots and arguments, it makes it more enjoyable then standard mainstream fare. Memorable lines and interesting characters mixed with a great soundtrack as well as fun use of cinematic splicing (particularly during the many angry rants) make for a visual and audio treat.

It isn't "authentic" punk, instead it is a somewhat voyeuristic witnessing of a few really confused young adults, trapped in ultra conservative and oppressive Salt Lake City who are trying to establish their own identity and their own rules.

They get in fights, experiment with drugs and casual sex and make constant attempts to separate themselves from the posers. But bit by bit Stevo picks apart his own contradictions and influences. Making the film more about loss then anything. Loss of friends, loss of identity, loss of purpose.

The movie feels very real, but the "final irony" is very Orwellian, and it leaves you with a debatable argument as to how Stevo's journey would continue. May 12, 2008

Fun, but really conservative in punk drag...

"SLC Punk" is a shallow good time disguised as a sociological study. While seeming to laude the tenets of both anarchy and punk rock, the film is profoundly conservative and insulting once you dig a little deeper beneath the surface. Lillard is great, even during the obnoxious "speaking-directly-to-the-camera" portions, but what stands out is an underlying contempt for both punk specifically, and rebellion generally. "I didn't sell out, I bought in." That perhaps best sums up the sensibility behind "SLC Punk." Turn off your brain and it's all cool -- otherwise, you will want to hunt down and kill James Merendino. April 27, 2008

Poignant and Full of Contradictions

SLC Punk is about a couple of punk/anarchists stuck in the middle of conservative, Mormon-dominated Salt Lake City. This is a pretty good film, as long as one bears in mind that the kids in it represent more of a "lifestyle anarchism" than a political philosophy, and as Stevo (the main character and narrator) self-consciously admits at several points, their actions and attitudes often stand as a flagrant contradiction of the punk ethos they espouse. While the movie does not accurately portray the "authentic" punk or anarchist philosophy, it does accurately and poignantly portray a widespread, popular bastardization of it, so it still creates relevant social commentary. As a coming-of-age story, it is poignant and affecting, particularly as tragedy descends upon Heroin Bob, ironically named for his aversion to needles and drugs.

Throughout the movie is an undercurrent of dissonance between an anti-oppression philosophy and the characters' aimless,testosterone-fueled adventures. While Stevo and his friends rail against "fascism," they glorify violence and act in ways that perpetuate the "macho" dominant culture. Fights are a way of life, and in one scene, Stevo (who claims earlier that "nobody owns anybody") catches the woman he likes with someone else and proceeds to beat the daylights out of the rival, who he accuses of "invading his territory." A less obvious irony is Stevo's...well...patriotism! He goes to great lengths to extol the superiority of America's punk scene, in one instance harassing a singer from the UK who's been roughed up by Stevo and other patriotic punks.

An excellent soundtrack adds another layer to the realism of the film. October 22, 2007

descent movie

This movie is ok, not gonna win any awards. There is a lot of talk about punk posers in this movie. This is not about real punk rock. Which is fitting, because it's about posers. It's entertaining nonetheless. August 23, 2007

Much more than I expected.

This movie is proof that you should never judge an item by its appearance. When I first saw the cover of this DVD, I groaned, thinking it would be cliché, boring, and annoyingly stupid. But oh, how wrong I was. I started watching this movie not expecting anything appealing or intriguing, but I was instantly sucked in. It's so much more than a documentary/film of Salt Lake City "punks", it actually has a message, one that you will never forget.So I proudly purchased the film, and watched it over and over until it sank into me like a rock in a creek. Definitely recommend it to everyone, even if you aren't into punk music or the punk scene. August 2, 2007

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