From the hype sticker:
Penelope Spheeris' cult film Suburbia sought to capture the teenage angst, alienation and soul-searching of the Los Angeles punk scene, the long-sought soundtrack a big part of its appeal. The live side features TSOL at their melodic best, with "Wash Away" and "Darker My Love" reminding of the broken hearts and damaged minds beneath the mosh pits, contrasted by the Vandals' raucous "Legend Of Pat Brown," while D.I.'s "Richard Hung Himself" is a one-away ode of self-destruction; the other side has Alex Gibson's evocative film score, the edgy instrumentals capturing the on-screen estrangement. True grit and required listening!
From the back cover:
No actors here, just real people. Director Penelope Spheeris, possibly America's surest hand in dealing with social rejects, knew she couldn't turn actors into punks. "I can," she says, "turn punks into actors."
About 14 of these homeless L.A. kids crash all day and listen to 300 beats-per-minute speedrock at night. They live in the condemned waste of a deserted suburban area where wild dogs roam and emblazoned graffiti is reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's ominous "Clockwork Orange."
Filmed in realistic locations in a run-down suburb of Downey, CA (condemned to make way for the new Century Freeway to LAX) and in LA clubs, "SUBURBIA" is an original story by Spheeris. The production took place during the winter of 1982-83 and lasted five weeks.
SURVIVAL RESEARCH
167 Kings Way, South Melbourne VIC 3205, Australia
(C) 1984 (P) 2024 Survival Research. All rights reserved.
Not Exportable to the USA.
Vincent Canby of the New York Times says SUBURBIA is "The best teenagers-in-revolt movie since 'Over The Edge'. It's far better than Coppola's 'Outsiders' and 'Rumblefish'."