Great Movies: Suburbia

When film critics write about so-called Great Movies, they tend to bring up things like Casablanca. Citizen Kane. Rebecca. Lawrence of Arabia. That sort of thing. Here at Horror Drive-In we like a more visceral viewing experience. Oh, we do enjoy cerebral movies now and then, but we mostly enjoy exploitation fare. We're more likely to talk about Jaws than Schindler's List. Dementia 13 than The Godfather. Boxcar Bertha than Raging Bull.

In 1984 a movie about dislocated young punk rockers was released. Written and directed by Penelope Spheeris, who would later go on to be a major Hollywood player, Suburbia is a gritty, sometimes shocking, sometimes funny, sometimes touching story of a group of homeless kids who call themselves The Rejected (TR for short). They have taken up residence in a haunting version of suburbia. Fallen into disrepair, the once-stylish community is now abandoned. Except for various squatters and feral dogs.

Just as The Rejected have been rejected by society, they have rejected the values that were supposed to nurture them, but only failed them. They have no use for the fraudulent 1950's family values of TV sitcoms, or phony baloney 60's hippie optimism. The hedonistic, feel-good 70's hold no appeal to these angry kids either. Life is hopeless, there is no future, love does not exist. Except for the bond they have with one another.

One of the things I love about Suburbia is how the kids are not presented as poor, misunderstood little darlings. A girl is viciously humiliated by them early on in the movie. The Rejected not only steal in order to survive, but they vandalize out of spite. We see signs of racism and homophobia. They are far from perfect, which makes them all the more believable.

Suburbia is bookended with brutal scenes of violence involving children, so if that presses your buttons, be forewarned. The opening is especially shocking.

Roger Corman backed Suburbia, and it was a perfect film for him. In his illustrious career he documented Beatniks, Bikers, and Dopers. The Punk movement was a natural progression for him.

Fresh off of her punk documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization, writer-director Penelope Spheeris made Suburbia. Spheeris also made another of my favorite movies called The Boys Next Door. That film showed how so-called normal kids turn into cold blooded killers. Later she made it big in Hollywood, helming things like Wayne's World. In 1987 she made a movie called Dudes. Being familiar with her previous work, I was excited about Dudes and I told my friends that it was going to be a great film. I don't think I'll ever live that one down. Dudes is a major embarrassment.

Big budget fare and a couple of turkeys along the way do not negate the brilliance of Suburbia. It is a powerful film that has lost none of its ability to shock and to move the viewer. Those who think Punk is crap like Green Day need to go back and see the real thing. It's all in Suburbia.