Punks Movie

With "Punks," director Patrik-Ian Polk continues in the vein of recently released African American romantic comedies such as "The Brothers" and "Two Can Play That Game," but with a twist. Reclaiming its title from a derogatory street term for gay men, "Punks" takes an irreverent look at one of America's hidden communities. Unlike documentary-style films such as British director Isaac Julien's "Looking for Langston" (1989) or Marlon Riggs' "Black Is ...

With "Punks," director Patrik-Ian Polk continues in the vein of recently released African American romantic comedies such as "The Brothers" and "Two Can Play That Game," but with a twist. Reclaiming its title from a derogatory street term for gay men, "Punks" takes an irreverent look at one of America's hidden communities. Unlike documentary-style films such as British director Isaac Julien's "Looking for Langston" (1989) or Marlon Riggs' "Black Is ...

As artifacts go, this 1977 rockumentary has the real goods--all the names that made England's punk scene seem so exotic and exciting. Not just the big stars even your mom heard of, like Billy Idol and Johnny Rotten, but PolyCQ Styrene and Gaye Advert too, Alternative TV and the Slits. But what director Letts (later a player himself with Big Audio Dynamite) depicts is a squalid little world of kids goofing off, injecting drugs, slashing themselves and otherwise annoying adults.

As artifacts go, this 1977 rockumentary has the real goods--all the names that made England's punk scene seem so exotic and exciting. Not just the big stars even your mom heard of, like Billy Idol and Johnny Rotten, but PolyCQ Styrene and Gaye Advert too, Alternative TV and the Slits. But what director Letts (later a player himself with Big Audio Dynamite) depicts is a squalid little world of kids goofing off, injecting drugs, slashing themselves and otherwise annoying adults.