The Decline of Western Civilization III
| The Decline of Western Civilization Part III | |
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The theatrical poster
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| Directed by | Penelope Spheeris |
| Produced by |
Ross Albert Guy J. Louthan Scott Wilder |
| Cinematography | Jamie Thompson |
| Edited by |
Ross Albert Ann Trulove |
| Distributed by | Spheeris Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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86 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
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.
Spheeris would later credit the film with having a profound effect on her. She began a relationship with Eyeball, one of the homeless youth featured in the movie and afterwards signed up to be a foster parent, eventually fostering five kids.
The film involves hardcore street punks called "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, as well as an unstable mother, Los Angeles Police Department officer Gary Fredo, and a paralyzed youth living on disability.
Performances by four bands were filmed: Final Conflict, Litmus Green, Naked Aggression and The Resistance.
The film premiered at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival where it won the Freedom of Expression Award, and was also 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.Decline III was also released separately via streaming video.
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