Saturday, July 28, 2012

SLC Punk

            Matthew Lillard (Wing Commander) plays the quintessential anti-society anarchist. The only problem is, well, he lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Where everyone is either a hick or a straight arrow. He’s smart, too. A graduate of University of Utah, pre-law. The question he faces is what the hell does he do now? He’s prepared to do nothing, but that forces even more questions to creep up. The host of bizarre characters he meets through his sub-culture connections is quite hilarious.
            This movie is really an exploration of what causes people to change, and what people ultimately value. Anarchy isn’t really a value at all, and it isn’t what punks ultimately want, because anarchy applies solitude, and the punk is a pack-creation.
            An exploration of character, and told through Lillard as well as the events that happen. Ultimately, Heroin Bob, the “good guy” because he doesn’t do drugs, dies of an overdose, and Kenny, the nerd-looking punk, goes off to a big fancy university to study botany. The reality is, everyone sells out, and that’s hard for youth in rebellion to come to grips with. But what are they buying when they sell out? That’s the question again that haunts our young protagonist. Why do we do the things we do, and ultimately the question of why do we choose the values that we are given, rather than rebelling against the true dogma…
            In all, it’s pretty poorly executed, lighting and cinematography, but the questions asked, the answers discovered, and the performances of Lillard, and Devon Sawa (Final Destination) as a permafried punk beggar make this a very charming and unique experience. 2.

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