Rating: 
Summary: Later Days
Review: Me and my sister were in love with Suburbia when we saw it in the mid 80's. We grew up in NY, but we felt for some reason as though we belonged in California. It's great to see Suburbia again after all these years with commentary by director Penelope Spheeris to boot.Penelope Spheeris used real kids as opposed to seasoned actors. As a result, the movie has a genuine punk rock vibe, although the acting is nothing to write home about. Listening to the director's commentary, one learns the ins and outs of how and why certain aspects of the film occur. She took a lot of events taking place at that time and incorporated them into the script, such as the wild dogs in the beginning of the movie. One thing that I am kinda bummed out about is how she seems to be a bit embarassed by the movie. She almost makes excuses at times. Yes, the scene in which the two men shoot the wild dogs is a bit hard to stomach and we all know that that type of scene would never make it into a movie today. But that is one of the aspects that I love about Suburbia. It's a low budget, honest, straight out of the 80's movie. Penelope Spheeris should be 100% proud of it. The music and live concert footage is great. D.I. and TSOL, to name a couple, provide a great soundtrack. I've recommended Suburbia to many people over the past 16+ years and will continue to do so.
Rating:
Summary: Punker Than YOU!
Review: Sad fact people: this is the most punk rock movie that will EVER be made. Y'see, as bad as this film was, y'know, the bad acting, the horrible dialogue, the predictable plot, the fact that it was so bad makes it punk! *LOL* A total DIY independent movie which shows punk as it was in the early 80s in Los Angeles. (Although one fellow viewer once mentioned that if a show at that time in that place was ever shut down because some chick got her clothes ripped off, there would have been a riot...probably true!) The actors were all amatuers, and most likely they were all real punks and/or street kids with absolutely NO film experience to speak of, and the director did little or nothing before this film. So, why four stars if it was so crappy? Because of what the film was about! Predictability aside, this movie captures the essence of Punk. Not just "punk rock" mind you. If you're just lookin' for the "rock" part of punk, go throw on a Blink 182 or Sum 41 (whats with the numbers by the way?) album, 'cause thats as close as you're gonna get! Punk was, is, and always will be a way of life. The scene may be all but dead in this country right now, (thanks to the afore-mentioned bands killing the very essense of the the movement) but to those who understand what it is and why it was will always follow it. Its not a philosophy, its a way of life. And it can't be explained on paper, or even in film for that matter. It has to be experienced...wether you're a poor kid from nothing, kickikng ass in the pit, or a suburban brat, sick of everyone's B.S. around you and just hoping you find something better to connect with, Punk is a way of life that speaks louder than the music it comes with! This movie, along with some of the British and American documentaries, is the closest thing I've ever seen to capturing that feeling of what we've decided to call Punk. The characters, what little we know about them, they're music, the people who are against them, and the fact that they only have each other, and aren't willing to give that up for nothing, are the very things that has kept the Punk scene alive all these years, despite the so-called "posers," etc., butting they're ugly lil heads in trying to claim it as they're own. Wether you're a punk, or a skinhead, or even, since the 90s anyway, a goth, hardcore kid, grunge-type druggie person (you know what i mean!), if you get this movie, then chances are you don't need some silly review to help you undertstand why this film was so important. To the rest of you out there...you're on your own. Good luck.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie But Poor Transfer To DVD
Review: Suburbia does an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the hardcore punk scene of the early 1980's. All of its music and fashion (long before the goth look became trendy) is accurately portrayed. Whereas in SLC punk where you had actors portraying punk rockers, the kids in Suburbia were actually part of the hardcore music scene. My biggest disappointment with this DVD though is it's quality. As this was one my favorite movies from my teen years, I was hoping that the DVD would be a nice clear print of the film. Instead, it looks like the film was transferred from a VHS tape. Very poor sound and video. The commentary by director Penelope Spheeris is also lacking in that she should have included some of the "punk" actors. It would have been interesting to hear their take on this film (and the hardcore scene) 20 years later. I would have given this DVD 5 stars but have subtracted two points for the poor quality of the transfer.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Punk Rock Movie Ever!
Review: Suburbia is without a doubt one of the best movies ever made, punk rock or otherwise. The fact that this movie and Penelope Spheeris' other masterpiece, The Decline of Western Civilization, were allowed to go out of print for so long is downright criminal. At least Suburbia has finally gotten the respect it deserves, being released on both VHS and DVD. The highlight of the film is without a doubt the concert performances, but even without them this movie would be far superior to anything released today(look at such terrible movies such as SLC Punk, for example.) Unlike films like this, that tend to insult and mock the punk movement, Suburbia is so realistic that at times you wonder if you are watching a movie or a documentary. The kids are probably more easy to relate to than any characters ever created in a film, and the fact that this movie makes things less black and white than most, with the kids and the adults doing an equal share of bad things, makes it all the more watchable. The acting really isn't as bad as most people make out, compared to SLC Punk all these kids should have received Oscars. The movie is never boring, and it just keeps building towards a climax all the way to the explosive ending. The concert performances feature two of the best bands ever to come out of California, DI and TSOL, and the Vandals before they turned to [ stuff ]. TSOL are especially electrifying, this was definitely the peak of their career, right before they broke up. If you have never seen this film, get it now, you will thank yourself for many years to come. Now, if only The Decline of Western Civilization could just get the same treatment...
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