it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The acting in this movie is really good.

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.

I steaming pile of bad movie making. Don't watch it

Jon Cryer, Daniel Roebuck and Flea go for it on a twisted journey that puts guts and friendship on the line. The trip is set off course by a bunch of screw loose hillbilly's out to grease border jumpers and kill punks. They succeed in at least one of those things on camera within the first thirty minutes. Cathrine Mary Stewert, easily one of Canada's finest exports teaches Cryer how to shoot, and houses the battered collective as they undergo a series of mystical trips on her ranch. Lee Ving plays the bad guy and why he didn't get more work is beyond me as he comes off downright Terrifying in this romp. Penelope Spheeris directed and like most of her work this one is destined for V.H.S obscurity. I wish she could release a box set of her material, not only were her documentary's awesome but her straight productions were stellar as well. Pre-Fugitive Dan Roebuck, super early footage of the funkmaster himself "FLEA" and an always convincing Jon Cryer. Say what you will about the guy but he really fit the "weirdo gangster" role of the eighties better then anyone else. Dust off that vcr and snag a copy of this before it's too late.

I bought this movie for $1.99 at my local video store and while I was expecting it to be better considering that it was directed by Penelope Spheeris, it didn't turn out to be too bad. It certainly is an interesting picture. DUDES starts off comedic and light with three punk rock friends (Jon Cryer, Daniel Roebuck, and Flea, all good in their roles) heading out to L.A. to find a better life. 20 minutes into the movie, the film becomes more dramatic when they are attacked by a group of rednecks led by the nasty Missoula (Lee Ving). Missoula kills Flea by shooting him in the head and the rest of the movie has Jon Cryer and Daniel Roebuck looking for revenge. It's hard to say exactly what genre DUDES fits under. It's a mix of genres. It's part comedy, part drama, part western, and part action adventure. The mixing of genres is not entirely successful, though it does make DUDES a somewhat fascinating motion picture. It's unlike any other film from the 80s, that's for sure. With some more character development and better dialogue, DUDES could have been pretty good. The ingredients to a good picture are here, but the screenplay is not as strong as it should have been. There's still some stuff to like about DUDES. There are some decent laughs, the music is very 80s yet enjoyable, the action scenes are handled quite well, and the revenge plot, though clichéd, is fairly intriguing. I'd be interested in a DVD release with a making-of documentary since I'm sure it would be just as interesting as the film is. However, that will never happen since it seems nobody has ever heard of this movie. Slightly recommended. 5/10

Dudes is a fun albeit weirdly different movie. I didn't love it as much as Pepper Anne, but yeah - it's fun. From the opening with The Vandals to Lee Ving popping up as Cryer's nemesis, it never takes itself too seriously, even when it's taking itself too seriously. The plot is basically summed up in the Vandals tune "Urban Struggle" and P.A. above. Cryer and co. become disillusioned with the NY scene and head out west to see what lies out there. Run into Ving and his boys and things take a turn for the worse and then it's Cryer in Eastwood mode. Avenging angel.Anyway - take our words for it - Dudes is a semi-cult classic that's good for watching once every couple of years.