Penelope Spheeris’ seminal punk documentary, The Decline of Western Civilisation, gets a re-release this month. Billed as “the ultimate record of LA’s 80s punk subculture”, The Decline captured the essence of the scene, providing unparalleled access to some of the most influential musicians and groups of all time, including X, Circle Jerks, Black Flag, Fear, and Germs.
The new release arrives in a deluxe box set, featuring the original Decline film, plus the two followups (under the same name), each with new digital restoration, a 40 page book, and of course, plenty of bonus features. “See in in a theater, where you can’t get hurt”.
VICE has an interesting article on the documentary, and the teenage-dropkick film phenomenon of the ’80s, which is worth reading over here.
