Penelope Spheeris — Director (15)
We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll (2001) [Movie] IMDb WikiData TMDB
We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll
Penelope Spheeris presents an amazing chronicle of the travelling musical carnival known as OZZfest, the most successful summer concert tour for the last five years. Complete access to incredible material sends this documentary film into the realm of pure entertainment. Unforgettable moments from zealous religious protesters, outrageous fans and the guys (and girls) backstage provide an insightful view into the soul of white, middle-class America. A stunning and sometimes disturbing glimpse of a cultural movement, this film is sure to be a reference for historians for decades to come. This comment on Middle America skates the line between your worst nightmare and the best time you’ve ever had. Features interviews with, and performances by BLACK SABBATH, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SLIPKNOT, PRIMUS, ROB ZOMBIE, GODSMACK and more.
Prison Stories: Women on the Inside (1991) [Movie] IMDb TMDB WikiData
Prison Stories: Women on the Inside
other title: Frauen hinter Gittern / Femmes sous haute surveillance
Three novels - three dramatic stories in the walls of the women's prison. The first story - a brand new, first went to prison inmates. The second - about a mother whose son has ceased to go to prison for visits. The third - about the experiences of women on the eve of its release.
Balls to the Wall (2011) [Movie] TMDB IMDb WikiData
Balls to the Wall
other title: 竭盡全力 / 竭尽全力
Ben's fiancée has her heart set on an expensive dream wedding, but her father, Jack, has secretly gambled away all his money. When Ben discovers he has a talent for exotic dancing, Jack pushes him to moonlight as a stripper to finance the wedding.
The Real St. Nick (2012) [Movie] IMDb WikiData TMDB
The Real St. Nick
other title: Le père Noël est tombé sur la tête
A pretty psychiatrist is saved from an accident by a man who, after hitting his head on a rock, believes he is Santa Claus. As she nurses him back to health at her institute, he brings the spirit of Christmas to the hospital.
The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron (2003) [Movie] IMDb TMDB WikiData
The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron
other title: L'Affaire Enron / 倒塌的大廈
Brian Cruver, an ambitious 26-year-old lands a job at Enron. As he assimilates to the company's get-rich-quick mantra, spending sprees and wild corporate "gatherings" become the norm. But when Enron files for bankruptcy, Cruver discovers he's just a pawn in a failing game of corporate greed--one that made the rich richer...while the rest lost everything.
The Kid & I (2005) [Movie] IMDb WikiData TMDB
The Kid & I
other title: 小孩和我 / 孩子和我
Aaron Roman is a teenager with cerebral palsy who dreams of starring in a big-time action movie. When his father grants Aaron his wish for his eighteenth birthday, he experiences the reality a bit hard to manage.
Dudes (1987) [Movie] TMDB IMDb WikiData
Dudes
other title: Dudes - Halt mich fest, die Wüste bebt! / Los tachuelas
Two punks from the big city, traveling across the country in a Volkswagen bug, embrace the western ethos when they must take revenge against a group of rednecks for killing their friend in this lighthearted road movie. Along the way, they enlist the help of a young woman who runs a wrecking service.
The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998) [Movie] Douban WikiData IMDb TMDB
The Decline of Western Civilization Part III
other title: 西方文明的衰落3 / 서구 문명의 몰락 3
The third (and seemingly final) installment in Penelope Spheeris' Los Angeles music trilogy, THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION III follows not the punk acts of Los Angeles from 1996-1997 but their homeless teenaged fans. Musician interviews in this DECLINE are fewer but include interesting musings from Keith Morris from the Circle Jerks and Flea (credited as the "ex-bass player of Fear"). DECLINE III lives up to its title as Spheeris explores every facet of the gutter-punk life, from their damaged upbringings (nearly all were abused or neglected as children) to the self-destructive lives they lead on society's fringe (alcoholism, homelessness and run-ins with skinheads, among others). - Tom Fritsche
The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) [Movie] Douban IMDb WikiData TMDB
The Decline of Western Civilization
director: Penelope Spheeris actor: Eugene Tatu / Alice Bag
other title: 西方文明的衰落 / 서구 문명의 몰락
Unavailable on home video for many years (except perhaps as a grainy, nth-generation VHS bootleg), Penelope Spheeris' seminal document of the young 1979-1980 Los Angeles punk scene includes chaotic live performances by now-legendary groups like Black Flag (with short-lived lead singer Ron "Chavo Pederast" Reyes), X (giving themselves stick-and-poke tattoos) and the Germs (whose unpredictable lead singer Darby Crash would commit suicide before the film's release) interwoven with talking-head interviews with teenage punks and, most entertainingly, older club owners trying very hard to describe a growing form of music they were clearly unprepared for. The footage of Fear's confrontational set would later grab the attention of John Belushi, who snagged the band a 1981 appearance on Saturday Night Live (and resulted in $20,000 in damage to the studio). - Tom Fritsche