Penelope Spheeris's three-part documentary series, the Decline of Western Civilization trilogy, is available to watch for free on the official Shout! Factory YouTube channel.
The films, made between 1981 and 1998, offer an insight into the world of contemporary music subcultures:
- The first part presents the Los Angeles punk movement with iconic bands like Black Flag, Germs, and X.
- The second part (The Metal Years) explores the heyday and downsides of the glam metal era.
- The third part documents the lives of homeless youth and the underground scene of the nineties.
The trilogy is not only valuable from a music history perspective but also as a social document: it shows how young people experienced rebellion, exclusion, and the unifying power of the music community.