Many of us check up on reviews of current cinema to get a bit of an idea of how well a film is doing, or maybe if it really seems worth the money. While updates on the current reel are essential, it’s always important to revisit the past (in the case of films that is). Alas, with the Rewind series, we bring you reexaminations and essays of films that shouldn’t be forgotten (and maybe some that really must be). It’s always important to keep the world of cinema alive.
Salt Lake City stretches out like a bitter, cold, grey wasteland connecting to the void that is the lake itself. Atop a grassy hill along the edge of the metropolitan valley stand two lost souls, staring out into the abyss. These souls are represented by the young, colorful, torn up punks of Salt Lake City, and the abyss is without a doubt staring right back at them. James Merendino paints this picture in his scrapbook film SLC Punk!, an opus of the rebellious youth in desolate Utah.
After a young obsession followed by a more teenage rejection, I revisited this film with different eyes and found a truly unique experience. There have been movies that encompass certain scenes and movements like Velvet Goldmine and even Sid and Nancy, and do it with sincerity and obvious knowledge on their subjects. However, SLC Punk! is not just about lifestyle or the 80’s punk movement. In explaining these relevancies, the film is more about the evolution and progression of ambition, the complex pains of youth and the often times oxymoronic rebellion towards order and structure.
Merendino’s punks of Salt Lake City acknowledge themselves as answers to what the rest of the world is so confused about. Heroin Bob, a guy who won’t even touch pot let alone narcotics, reveals what is the core value of all these punks: love. Throwing parties just to beat the shit out of each other, greeting one another warmly with, “Hey, fuck you man,” the lost kids of SLC vent their anger and passionate rebellion, only to feed the firm platform of love and respect which they stand upon.
Stylistically, the film really stands apart from those around it, even in the ground breaking late-90s indie flick world. Like the utopia preached by protagonist Steve-O, the movie as a whole is nearly void of structure. In fact, it is pieced together like a messy collage with quick edits, countless sub-scenes stemming from the narrative, and tangent after tangent. Still, Merendino finds these perfect moments with raw emotion or strung out wonder and captures them with patience and beauty. And the performances support immensely.
At first glance, Mathew Lillard’s performance as Steve-O may not lend anything particularly special. He delivers these monologues about the fallacies of the punk scene and explanations for everything he lives by, and often times they come off as over-the-top and a bit cheesy. Except he then saves himself every time by coming back to Earth and showing a level acknowledgment of the surroundings, such as his back and forth conversations with his father (some of the funniest moments of the film.)
Aside from the script penned by Merendino, the soundtrack is evidence of a clear familiarity with the subject matter, sporting everything from The Exploited to Generation X. He hilariously examines the American punk fascination with the UK scene, and the irrelevancy to those fighting the good fight in towns like Salt Lake City. Whatever James Merendino was up to the in 1980’s, he certainly has a great grasp of the small town Reagan-condemning punk mind.
SLC Punk! is a film to be examined for several important reasons. While tightly positioned in the punk rock frame, the movie really comes out free of boundaries and I believe has the potential of striking something within the heart of anyone willing to put theirs into it.
Logo designed by Skylar Jessen
Fahrenheit 406 