A review by Mike Shea Movie Rating: ( * * * · · ) DVD Rating: ( * * * * · )
SLC (Salt Lake City) Punk is a story following the oppression of the punk social group in the most difficult of cultural cities, Salt Lake City. The story is a first person documentary that follows the lives of two hard core punk rockers as they attempt to spread anarchy and mayhem throughout this repressed area. I know I have been selling it with the fire of a Discovery special, but the movie is far more entertaining. It actually has quite a Kevin Smith feel, with a fast and furious introduction followed by some title credits that has you strapping on studded collars and trying to figure out how to have a 20" mohawk with nothing but vascaline. Our hero attempts to tell the story of his culture and his friends, who he actually introduces the audience to in the first person, through the same philosophy as his lifestyle, anarchy. At certain points he stops to disect a fight or jump completely away from the story in order to highlight a certain point. At the half way mark the movie turns south and starts getting serious. This is where the fun starts to leave and now we have to grow up as our heroes have to. By the end of the movie we have a better understanding of the mindset of these individuals, but we lose some of the fun associated with beating on red necks or buying beer in Wyoming. The DVD has a nice Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and a 16x9 enhanced picture. There is also an audio commentary available. Overall, this movie teaches us the lessons of anarchy and strength through oppression while letting us have fun at the same time.