The Decline of Western Civilization Part 3 1998

“The Decline of Western Civilization III,” a documentary from 1998 directed by Penelope Spheeris, explores the lives of homeless teenagers immersed in the gutter punk subculture. This film is the final installment in Spheeris’s trilogy that examines different facets of life in Los Angeles over time. The first installment focused on the punk rock scene of 1980-1981, while the second highlighted the heavy metal movement in Los Angeles from 1986-1988. In this third film, Spheeris delves into the world of hardcore street punks, known as “gutter punks,” who embrace an extreme anti-establishment ethos and completely disengage from mainstream society. The documentary features interviews with homeless teens residing on the streets or in abandoned buildings in Los Angeles, as well as conversations with an unstable mother, LAPD officer Gary Fredo, and a paralyzed young person living on disability benefits.