James Merendino talked in April about doing a sequel to this film. More recently, he has released pictures and it has finally sunk in that it WILL happen.
The first movie wasn’t exactly a darling at the box-office but it did have positive reviews and received a cult-following. The new film called Punk’s Dead has a lot of the supporting cast returning, but ultimately does seem to have Matthew Lillard.
To commemorate the occasion, I figured that I would share some of my thoughts on the film.
SLC Punk! is a 1998 American comedy-drama film that was written and directed by James Merendino. The film stars Matthew Lillard, Michael A. Goorjian, Jason Segel, Annabeth Gish, Jennifer Lien, Christopher McDonald, Devon Sawa, Adam Pascal, Til Schweiger, Jimmy Duval, and Summer Phoenix.
Recognize any of those names? Except Shaggy from Scooby Doo, of course.
The film tells the story about a young punk rock fan named Steven Levy, other-wise known as merely Stevo. He is a college graduate from Salt Lake City, and is ultimately against the “form” and all that jazz. Basically, he is portrayed as a stereotype of an anarchist during the 1980s.
A lot of the film is supposedly based on real life events, but it has certainly been exaggerated.
There is a lot of criticisms that some might have about this film. It doesn’t have what some would call a linear-narrative. In-fact, for a while, it is practically allover the place and then some. While by the end of it, something plausible and worthwhile happens, it doesn’t always feel like it was building toward that.
I don’t share most of these criticisms. I liked it. I’ll admit though, that it is not for everybody.
I have seen several other refer to it as the American equivalent of Trainspotting. (Good film.) SLC Punk! feels more allover and wacky, but after watching both films, you can definitely see the similarities.
If there is anything that I want to have gotten across from this review in-particular, it’s that the film would have failed without Matthew Lillard. Some of the best scenes in the film are when he randomly stops to rant, and it shows how much that the actor is really capable of. Along with Animal Room, this movie shows what the actor can do with better characters. Albeit, both aren’t exactly what I’d call serious, they certainly are strong acts.
The rest of the cast helps to paint the canvas, there is several memorable moments with them. They are mostly them being high or crazy, which certainly meshes well with the themes for the rest of the movie.
Even still, I can’t help but feel a little unsure about how the sequel will work out.
While the movie ultimately parodies and mocks the idea of anarchy and rebellion, there is definitely several quotable parts to acknowledge. There are moments of actual depth and thought-provoking scenes. In the end, it also shows a lot of heart.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this film. The characters are colorful, over-the-top, and led by a topnotch performance done by Matthew Lillard. The story is allover the place, but I believe it comes full-circle before the credits roll.
I don’t know how a sequel will be, but they have my attention.
Thanks for reading…