Highly Overrated But Still Good

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

"SLC Punk!" is the charming story of Steveo and his pal Heroin Bob (who does not actually due heroin), two hardcore anarchist punks in the unlikely setting of Salt Lake City, Utah. To anyone who's grown up different outside of the hip big cities, I think this movie will strike a chord, even if your scene wasn't punk rock. The setting definitely works to this movie's advantage. The punks are at constant war with the rednecks (which includes the police) and rivals of the Mods. The beer run to Wyoming and soul-searching trips to the salt flats are some of the real highlights of the movie and elements that take advantage of the setting in Utah.The movie is shot in a stylish, fourth-wall breaking style. I found it to be extremely reminiscent of Trainspotting, which came out a few years earlier. It doesn't do so well in comparison with that particular movie, which has funnier laughs, much more dramatic lows, a crisper plot, more dynamic use of music... and so on.This is hardly to say "SLC Punk!" is a bad movie, it is completely worth a watch, especially if you have any affinity for punk rock or being a social outsider.

The movie was made in 1998 and somehow I missed it then because of my other commitments, but when I found it on Netflix last night I immediately put into instant queue and watched it with my wife the same evening.I became a hard core punk rocker around 75 or 76 when I first heard of Iggy Pop and the Stooges and Television. At first I was like Bob, Mohawk and all. I did it for 2 reasons, to fit in with my new found friends but more importantly to tick off my dad. I was only around 16 at the time and rebellious.Couple of years later I became more like Steve, full head of hair but colored different ways whenever the mood struck.We attended many clubs in Chicago to see some great and not so great bands. We also got to see some bands in bigger venues as well as the Sex Pistols in Houston in 78 (well, for about 3-4 songs anyways) as we got chased by the cowboys after a fight broke out between the band and the cowboys. Anyways I know what I'm talking about and this movie showed some strong accuracy.I only give it 8 stars because I thought the soundtrack could have been better and there were some issues with continuity.Other than that I highly recommend this small flick and guarantee you won't be bored. Most actors were great. It pretty much stayed true to what the punk scene was all about back then, just like "Hooligans" is pretty much true dealing with the football hooliganism in the UK. It made me wish I was that age again and had another chance to relive that period of my life. It was fun and exciting time.

An entertaining tale of two punks in SLC, with a good supporting characters, and a strong performance by Lilliard.Salt Lake City (SLC) is a very conservative place, and the two main characters Stevo (Lilliard) and Bob (Goorjian) are in a very small minority. There isn't much of an overarching story, though there is an underlying message, but rather a collection of events, including flashbacks. These are introduced by Lilliard's narration. The anecdotes themselves are so entertaining, that ride is still very enjoyable. One tale for example, involves the gang getting alcohol from the next state over, and the shopkeeper believing they have been taken over by Satan. There are also serious, dramatic moments, which are effective, as all the characters involved are likable. Lilliard puts on a compelling varied performance, and it is a shame that he wasn't recognized as the great actor he is, and didn't/hasn't become more mainstream. A lesser known film with a great script, great acting, and very entertaining, with some sort of underlying message.

My supervisor all-but forced me to watch this "punked" out movie. He even gave me a lesson in "Punk Groups" in which I asked him to name some, well, more main stream punk bands to get a feel for his type of music. Well, it turns out, not only his taste in music (or the groups he mentioned,) such as Green Day and The Offspring, happen to be in my top bands of all time, so does his taste in movies.I wouldn't go as far as I would say I loved SLC Punk…but damn, it was really, really good.The movie was a complete surprise to me, refreshing, original and a great kick-start (that unfortunately, never happened) to Matthew Lillard being a front-runner/lead star. The movie had humor, heart, tension (man, you never know when one of the punks/posers were going to burst out into insane violence) and awesome dialogue, including some wonderful talk-to-the-screen dialogue.It's self-described punk and obvious rebel, Stevo (Lillard) and best mate "heroin" Bob (Goorjian) against the world and their dysfunctional families during the last summer of their so-called "freedom." What makes this movie rise above a typical comedy about out-of-control teens, is Stevo's consistent need for answers to his "why, why, why" questions on where he fits in the universe, or the dump SLC (or Salt Lake City) he lives in, and if anarchy is the key. He mixes true rebellion, comedy, deep thoughts and actual maturity through his antics. That, my peers, is really hard for any written character or live actor to do. Lillard did it brilliantly. He made us root for him, despite his flaws, insecurities, revolts and violence.I remember being almost (I said ALMOST) the same age as these kids during the time this was set. This took place in 1985, while I didn't start high school until 1988, and that's where the majority of his "groups" emerged, such as nerds, punks, Goths, posers, etc. They were all present in my school. True, I did try to "fit in" to one of the many groups, obviously doing my own self-discovery and probably coming out more of a poser than any particular group. Let me clarify: that was my Freshman year in high school.Something changed when I returned for my Sophomore year. And I have remained the same since: I simply did NOT care anymore. I saw too many people attempting to join this group, hang out with those punks, dress in all black, etc, etc. Something clicked in me that this was all a waste of time, and I needed to be me and to hell with the rest. Needless to say, I was very unpopular with a great majority of my stuck up fellow students. I did NOT care. So be it, as Hard Harry would say.This led me to appreciate a film like this. Like them, I saw people come/go, try to fit in, move on. This was all real life, even though I wasn't one of the punks. (Honestly, I resembled Mike (the enormously hilarious Segel) the most, without the violence, that is.) Sure, the movie can be depressing (and enormously violent) at times, but at very least the writer/director Merendino apparently never asked you to look too deep. As soon as it went that direction, he would pull the rug with either humor or the growth of Stevo.So thanks to my supervisor for the recommendation – despite you being part of "THE MAN" or "system," you can come up with my highly recommended movies.Side Note: No spoiler – but someone dies in the movie. It's meant as a heart-breaking scene, and it is, somewhat. But…damn, her/his throat pulses up and down (despite the white/powered face, indicating overdose) and faster than someone on coke, the caffeine kind, that is. (Although…) They did add some special effects to this movie, such as to the Donner Family scenes, so why not do something with that incredibly obvious flaw. Try and get past that, and I see very, if at all, few flaws with the rest of the brilliant movie.