After a great post by @[email protected], I thought it might be a good idea to create a few resource posts to keep linked in the sidebar.

This is the first one, Punks on Film! I’ve copied over all the suggestions in the original post (so that I can make updates as new suggestions get added), and added quite a few more. Feel free to post any additions to the list in the comments below.

DOCUMENTARIES

  • 9 Leben (2011) [DE] - Movie (IMDb) - Some homeless Berliners are interviewed in a sterile, white studio about their lives.

  • A Band Called Death (2012) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A documentary on the 1970s punk trio Death, and their new-found popularity decades after they disbanded.

  • American Hardcore (2006) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - The History of American Punk Rock 1980-1986.

  • Another State of Mind (1984) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A documentary following the 1982 tour of punk bands Youth Brigade and Social Distortion.

  • Auswärtsspiel - Die Toten Hosen in Ost-Berlin (2022) [DE] - Movie (IMDb) - Shortly after their formation in Easter 1982, the Düsseldorf punk band “Die Toten Hosen” lead the Stasi around by the nose: the musicians Campino, Andi, Breiti, Kuddel and Trini give a secret concert in a church, in the middle of what was then East Germany.

  • Bad Brains: A Band in DC (2012) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Bad Brains are one of the most important and influential American bands still working today.

  • Boston Beatdown (2004) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - “From the first punch to the last chord,” Volume II delivers a non-stop, in your face, visual and auditory glimpse into the dark and violent world of underground hardcore and punk rock.

  • Brass Tacks S01E05 - Punk Rock (1977) [EN] - TV Episode (IMDb) - About the convulsions surrounding the punk rock phenomena.

  • The Clash: Westway to the World (2000) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A career retrospective of British punk band The Clash, featuring exclusive interviews with the entire band.

  • The Decline of Western Civilization: Part 1 (1981) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A look into the Los Angeles punk rock scene, that was largely ignored by the rock music press of the time.

  • The Decline of Western Civilization: Part 3 (1998) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - The Decline of Western Civilization III is a 1998 documentary film that follows the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teenagers.

  • Don’t Need You (2005) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Tells the story of the origins of Riot Grrrl in the American independent music scene of the 1990s, and how this feminist movement evolved into a revolutionary underground network of education and self-awareness through music, writing, activism, and women-friendly community.

  • End of the Century (2003) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - The story of the punk rock band The Ramones.

  • A Fat Wreck (2016) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - This feature length documentary film follows the early history of Fat Wreck Chords, from its founding by Fat Mike and his then wife Erin Burkett, through its cultural zenith in the late 1990’s.

  • Filmage: The Story of Descendents/All (2013) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Long before punk inflicted its puncture wound on the mainstream, the Descendents were in a van brewing a potent concoction of pop, angst, love and coffee.

  • The Filth & The Fury (2000) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A film about the career of the notorious punk rock band, the Sex Pistols.

  • The Future is Unwritten (2007) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - As the front man of the Clash from 1977, Joe Strummer changed people’s lives forever. Four years after his death, his influence reaches out around the world, more strongly now than ever before.

  • Gimme Danger (2016) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - An in-depth look at legendary punk band The Stooges.

  • The Godfathers of Hardcore (2017) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Follows the two of the most respected men in underground music, Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma of the band Agnostic Front.

  • The Great Rock n Roll Swindle (1980) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols “documentary”, told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make “a million pounds.”

  • Hardcore und Punk Reportage (1992) [DE] - Web (YouTube) - Swiss young people give an insight into their hardcore and punk scene. In addition to performances by national and international bands such as Fugazi and Profax, there will be discussions about vegetarianism, straight edge, the DIY idea and criticism of consumerism.

  • HR Finding Joseph I (2016) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A feature documentary chronicling the eccentric life and struggles of punk rock reggae singer, Paul “HR” Hudson, a.k.a. Joseph I, legendary lead singer from Bad Brains.

  • Ignore Heroes - The True Sounds of Liberty (2023) [EN] - Movie (IMDB) - Ignore Heroes tells the story of the original T.S.O.L. through interviews with the surviving members and those who were there with them in the madness of the early Californian punk rock scene.

  • Los Punks (2016) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Los Punks: We Are All We Have is an intimate documentary about the teens and young adults who find meaning in the thriving punk rock scene in the backyards of South Central and East Los Angeles.

  • Nightclubbing (2022) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Documentary about the legendary nightclub Max’s Kansas City and the New York Rock Scene of the 70s.

  • Noisey - Under the Influence (2015) [EN] - Web (YouTube) - We go from the streets of the Lower East Side all the way to South Korea to examine one of the most distinctive genres to sprout from the concrete of New York City: hardcore.

  • The Other F Word (2011) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - What happens when a generation’s ultimate anti-authoritarians -punk rockers- become society’s ultimate authorities - dads?

  • Punk (2019) [EN] - TV Series (IMDb) - Original interviews with America’s punk pioneers and the U.K.'s most notorious bands.

  • Punk Attitude (2005) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A documentary on the music, performers, attitude and distinctive look that made up punk rock.

  • Punk In London (1977) [DE] - Movie (IMDb) - A contemporary documentary covering the Great British punk rock explosion of 1977.

  • Punk’s Not Dead (2007) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - On the edge of the 30th anniversary of punk rock, Punk’s Not Dead takes you into the sweaty underground clubs, backyard parties, recording studios, and yes, shopping malls and stadium shows where punk rock music and culture continue to thrive.

  • The Punk Rock Movie (1978) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Documentary on the London punk-rock scene, circa '78.

  • Punk Rock Vegan Movie (2023) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - The ongoing relationship between the worlds of punk rock and animal rights and how the music became a breeding ground for vegan activism. Written and directed by Moby.

  • The Punk Singer (2013) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A look at the life of activist, musician, and cultural icon Kathleen Hanna, who formed the punk band Bikini Kill and pioneered the “riot grrrl” movement of the 1990s.

  • Punk The Capital - Building A Sound Movement (2019) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Explore why the sounds and ideas from this influential music continue to inspire around the world. Featuring bands such as Bad Brains, it creates a movement that redefined a genre and became a model for social and political engagement.

  • Sad Vacation (2016) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A new documentary about the painful and poignant final days of the tragic couple Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen.

  • Salad Days (2014) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - “Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)” examines the early DIY punk scene in the Nation’s Capital.

  • Skinhead (2017) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A close look at a very particular and very provocative British subculture - Skinhead. Explores how Skinheads became associated with street fighting, hooliganism and violent racism.

  • Skinhead Attitude (2003) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A fascinating road movie tracing history and origin of a subculture of youth that is known as one of the most radical and contradictory of our time.

  • Stiv (2019) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - The life and times of Stiv Bators, legendary frontman of the Dead Boys and The Lords of The New Church.

  • Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk (2017) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A documentary spanning over 30 years of the California Bay Area’s punk music history with a central focus on the emergence of Berkeley’s inspiring 924 Gilman Street music collective.

  • Two Sevens Clash: Dread Meets Punk Rockers (2017) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A riveting analysis of the unlikely yet ultimately productive fusion of the reggae culture and the mid 70s punk explosion as seen through the eyes and lens of the much underrated Don Letts.

  • UK/DK (1983) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Featuring interviews, live concert footage, and a feature on how punk was transformed from a trend to a way of life, UK/DK is a comprehensive look at the skinhead/punk movement. Some of the most notorious bands on the scene are featured, including The Exploited, The Vice Squad, The Adicts and many more.

  • Urgh! A Music War (1981) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Live performances from dozens of leading early-1980s musical acts - rock, punk, ska, reggae - it’s all here.

  • We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen (2005) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A feature-length documentary chronicling early 80’s punk rock band the Minutemen, from their beginnings in San Pedro, California, to their demise after the death of singer D. Boon in 1985.

  • X: The Unheard Music (1986) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - This film is a documentary about the personalities in, and the music of, the early 1980’s Los Angeles punk band X.

  • You Weren’t There (2007) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - You Weren’t There: a History of Chicago Punk 1977-1984 is a documentary that looks back on the impact that the Punk movement had on the Windy City.

FICTION / “BASED ON REAL EVENTS”

  • Bomb City (2017) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Bomb City is a crime-thriller, about the cultural aversion of a group of punk rockers in a conservative Texas town. Their ongoing battle with a rival, more-affluent clique leads to a controversial hate crime that questions the morality of American justice. Based on the true-life story of Brian Deneke.

  • Breaking Glass (1980) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A rock singer is determined to rise to the top of the profession, letting nothing stand in the way of that goal.

  • CBGB (2013) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A look at the New York City punk-rock scene and the venerable nightclub, CBGB.

  • Dudes (1987) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Three punk-loving New York City dudes need a change and drive a VW Beetle to California. After rednecks kill one of them in Arizona, they want justice.

  • Edge of Quarrel (2000) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A movie about the hardcore and straight edge movement in the late 90s.

  • Fat Kid Rules The World (2012) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A dropout comes to the aid of a chubby and suicidal high-school kid by recruiting him as the drummer for his upstart punk-rock band.

  • Good Vibrations (2012) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A chronicle of Terri Hooley’s life, a record-store owner instrumental in developing Belfast’s punk-rock scene.

  • Green Room (2015) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.

  • Hard Core Logo (1996) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A group of washed-up Canadian punk rockers get back together for a road trip in memory of a dear friend who was supposedly shot, or so rumors imply.

  • How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2017) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets two young inhabitants of the most dangerous place in the universe: the London borough of Croydon.

  • Intrépidos punks (1988) [ES] - Movie (IMDb) - A gang of punks, led by a masquerader named Tarzan; terrorizing a small Mexican city, robbing banks, raping women, and killing people with cruelties.

  • Jubilee (1978) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Queen Elizabeth I travels 400 years into the future to witness the appalling revelation of a dystopian London overrun by corruption and a vicious gang of punk guerrilla girls led by the new Monarch of Punk.

  • Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1982) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - The media and disaffected teens mistake the acerbic rants of an obnoxious teenage punk rocker as a rallying cry for the women of America, launching her and her talentless group to national stardom.

  • Oi! Warning (1999) [DE] - Movie (IMDb) - A young man gets caught up in a conflict between his friends, a skinhead and a gay anarchist.

  • Pistol (2022) [EN] - TV Miniseries (IMDb) - Based on the memoir of Steve Jones, the legendary Sex Pistols guitarist who helped usher in a punk revolution in Britain.

  • Repo Man (1984) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A young punk recruited by a car repossession agency finds himself in pursuit of a Chevrolet Malibu that is wanted for a $20,000 bounty - and has something otherworldly stashed in its trunk.

  • Rock n Roll High School (1979) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - Ramones fanatic and delinquent Riff Randell battles it out with the strict new principal of Vince Lombardi High School, Miss Togar, with help from the Ramones.

  • Rodrigo D: No futuro (1990) [ES] - Movie (IMDb) - Rodrigo and his friends are bored teenagers living in Medellin. Rodrigo wants to start a punk band. The youths mainly loaf around the hillside shanty towns and, for kicks, steal a bike or car, or shoot someone.

  • Rude Boy (1980) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A young British punk and roadie for The Clash navigates life in socially torn 1970s England.

  • Sid & Nancy (1986) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - The relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is portrayed.

  • SLC Punk (1998) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - In the early 1980s Stevo, and Heroin Bob are the only two dedicated punks in conservative Salt Lake City.

  • Smithereens (1982) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A talent-challenged girl tries to promote herself to stardom in New York’s waning punk music world.

  • Suburbia (1983) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - When household tensions and a sense of worthlessness overcome Evan, he finds escape when he clings with the orphans of a throw-away society.

  • This Is England (2006) [EN] - Movie (IMDb) - A young boy becomes friends with a gang of skinheads. Friends soon become like family, and relationships will be pushed to the very limit.

  • @Hikermick
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    edit-2
    5 months ago

    Thanks, great list!

    My contribution:

    Rude Boy (1980): Lots of Clash live footage with the social upheaval in London as a background. Or is it the other way around? Must see for any Clash fan. Lots of unintelligible dialog from mumbling Brits and their crazy slang. Currently on Night Flight pay streaming service

    Times Square (1980) not sure if this is something you want on your list but you might enjoy. Two girls form a punk band and shit goes sideways. Featuring a young Tim Curry

    The Dicks From Texas (2014) documentary on The Dicks. Gotta admit I haven’t seen this one yet.

    If you aren’t aware already Night Flight is an excellent streaming service specializing in Rock stuff. They’re having a sale $50 for a year, as far as I know it’s still available at that price. In the 80’s it was a late night cable show I never got to watch as we didn’t have cable. The original episodes are on the streaming service. Despite showing a lot of main stream stuff it was pretty radical for it’s time. New Wave Theater was a segment within the show that had some pretty daring stuff for the time until it’s host got stabbed to death

    • @Hikermick
      link
      25 months ago

      Thanks, great list!

      My contribution:

      Rude Boy (1980): Lots of Clash live footage with the social upheaval in London as a background. Or is it the other way around? Must see for any Clash fan. Lots of unintelligible dialog from mumbling Brits and their crazy slang. Currently on Night Flight pay streaming service

      Times Square (1980) not sure if this is something you want on your list but you might enjoy. Two girls form a punk band and shit goes sideways. Featuring a young Tim Curry

      The Dicks From Texas (2014) documentary on The Dicks. Gotta admit I haven’t seen this one yet.

      If you aren’t aware already Night Flight is an excellent streaming service specializing in Rock stuff. They’re having a sale $50 for a year, as far as I know it’s still available at that price. In the 80’s it was a late night cable show I never got to watch as we didn’t have cable. The original episodes are on the streaming service. Despite showing a lot of main stream stuff it was pretty radical for it’s time. New Wave Theater was a segment within the show that had some underground stuff until it’s host got stabbed to death