Punks Not Dead

Susan Dynner's Punk's Not Dead is nothing extraordinary. In essence, it's a pretty comprehensive look at punk rock for people who don't know shit about it. But even at that, it doesn't really explain for the newcomers who the interviewees are, or why exactly they're important. Oh well. They'll just have to do their own research like the rest of us!

If you've never really understood what's so special about punk rock, but thought you might be missing out, this is a good place to start. Punk's Not Dead chronicles punk through the eyes of its creators—from its humble beginnings to its current mainstream appeal. Since it’s damn near impossible to cram thirty-plus years of history into one tolerable film, there is obviously a lot missing here. But it's a good overview of the culture for, again, people who don't know shit about it.

For those who know more about punk than they ever wanted to, there is no holy grail of new knowledge here. You've seen all the interviews before. They come off as outtakes from Don Letts' PUNK: Attitude and Steven Blush's American Hardcore—lumped together and placed alongside comments from modern “punk” bands like Sum 41 and My Chemical Romance.

What the film does seem to have over previous punk documentaries is involvement from a lot more people, and a much stronger representation of the often ignored later U.K. bands: U.K. Subs, 999, Subhumans, Stiff Little Fingers, The Adicts, The Business and The Exploited to name a few.

If you're like me, and can't get enough of listening to stories of debauchery from borderline senior citizens, or just like to laugh as Good Charlotte laments over being called sellouts, the film is worth a watch. If you're looking for any hard-hitting material, you better go out and make your own movie.

If you just wanna learn more than they can teach you at Hot Topic, give this disc a spin. Then check out other docs like the aforementioned PUNK: Attitude and American Hardcore, along with other like The Decline of Western Civilization, End of the Century: The Story of The Ramones, The Filth and the Fury, Another State of Mind, We Jam Econo, and Afro-Punk—and most importantly, buy some CDs and read a fuckin' book!

- Kyle Timlin