“They didn't realize they'd be the slums of the future.” Penelope Spheeris Brings Punk to Roger Corman
After completing her documentary The Decline of Western Civilization about the LA punk scene, director Penelope Spheeris wanted to tell a narrative story in that world. Roger Corman saw potential in her vision and agreed to match her $250,000 investment to make the film. Spheeris made the unconventional choice to cast real punk musicians and street kids rather than professional actors, believing it would create more authentic performances. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue the member bonus Roger Corman series with a conversation about her 1983 film Suburbia.
Living on the Edge of Society
The film powerfully depicts alienated youth finding community among fellow outcasts while struggling against societal rejection. Though Corman insisted on including sex or violence every 10 minutes, Spheeris managed to maintain her artistic vision while incorporating these commercial elements. We explore how she achieved this balance and whether it ultimately strengthened or weakened the final product.
Key Themes and Production Elements
The abandoned suburban setting becomes a character itself, reflecting broader issues of American development and social displacement. Spheeris based many plot elements on real stories she encountered while filming her documentary, including the pack of abandoned guard dogs. Her documentary background influences the film's raw, authentic style.
Additional Discussion Points:
The performances by non-professional actors and whether this approach succeeded
The film's portrayal of parents and authority figures
The parallel between abandoned dogs and abandoned youth
The tragic bookending deaths that open and close the film
How the film fits within Spheeris' larger body of work
Corman's influence on the commercial elements
We both found Suburbia to be a powerful and emotionally affecting film that transcends its low-budget origins through authenticity and strong thematic resonance. Though it can be difficult to watch at times, it offers valuable perspective on alienated youth and societal rejection that remains relevant today. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel — when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
This is a member bonus episode. We'd love it if you became a member to support our show, but you’d love it because of everything you get. We have monthly member bonus episodes like this one that only members can access. You also get member bonus content on select episodes, access to members-only Discord channels, and early releases for every episode. Plus, no ads! And you get to vote on the movies we discuss in our members only episodes! What can we say? It pays to be a member. Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.
Chapters
Welcome to The Next Reel • Suburbia
Exploration of 80s Family Dynamic
Escalation of Attitudes
“They didn't realize they'd be the slums of the future.” Penelope Spheeris Brings Punk to Roger Corman
After completing her documentary The Decline of Western Civilization about the LA punk scene, director Penelope Spheeris wanted to tell a narrative story in that world. Roger Corman saw potential in her vision and agreed to match her $250,000 investment to make the film. Spheeris made the unconventional choice to cast real punk musicians and street kids rather than professional actors, believing it would create more authentic performances. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue the member bonus Roger Corman series with a conversation about her 1983 film Suburbia.
Living on the Edge of Society
The film powerfully depicts alienated youth finding community among fellow outcasts while struggling against societal rejection. Though Corman insisted on including sex or violence every 10 minutes, Spheeris managed to maintain her artistic vision while incorporating these commercial elements. We explore how she achieved this balance and whether it ultimately strengthened or weakened the final product.
Key Themes and Production Elements
The abandoned suburban setting becomes a character itself, reflecting broader issues of American development and social displacement. Spheeris based many plot elements on real stories she encountered while filming her documentary, including the pack of abandoned guard dogs. Her documentary background influences the film's raw, authentic style.
Additional Discussion Points:
The performances by non-professional actors and whether this approach succeeded
The film's portrayal of parents and authority figures
The parallel between abandoned dogs and abandoned youth
The tragic bookending deaths that open and close the film
How the film fits within Spheeris' larger body of work
Corman's influence on the commercial elements
We both found Suburbia to be a powerful and emotionally affecting film that transcends its low-budget origins through authenticity and strong thematic resonance. Though it can be difficult to watch at times, it offers valuable perspective on alienated youth and societal rejection that remains relevant today. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel — when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
This is a member bonus episode. We'd love it if you became a member to support our show, but you’d love it because of everything you get. We have monthly member bonus episodes like this one that only members can access. You also get member bonus content on select episodes, access to members-only Discord channels, and early releases for every episode. Plus, no ads! And you get to vote on the movies we discuss in our members only episodes! What can we say? It pays to be a member. Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.
Creators & Guests
Host
Andy Nelson
With over 25 years of experience in film, television, and commercial production, Andy has cultivated an enduring passion for storytelling in all its forms. His enthusiasm for the craft began in his youth when he and his friends started making their own movies in grade school. After studying film at the University of Colorado Boulder, Andy wrote, directed, and produced several short films while also producing indie features like Netherbeast Incorporated and Ambush at Dark Canyon. Andy has been on the production team for award-winning documentaries such as The Imposter and The Joe Show, as well as TV shows like Investigation Discovery’s Deadly Dentists and Nat Geo’s Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers. Over a decade ago, he started podcasting with Pete and immediately embraced the medium. Now, as a partner at TruStory FM, Andy looks forward to more storytelling through their wide variety of shows. Throughout his career, Andy has passed on his knowledge by teaching young minds the crafts of screenwriting, producing, editing, and podcasting. Outside of work, Andy is a family man who enjoys a good martini, a cold beer, a nice cup o’ joe. And always, of course, a great movie.
Host
Pete Wright
#Movies, #ADHD, & #Podcasting • Co-founder @trustory.fm🎥 The Next Reel Family of #Film Podcasts @thenextreel.com🎙️ Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast @takecontroladhd.com📖 Co-author of Unapologetically ADHD • https://unapologeticallyadhdbook.com
What is The Next Reel Film Podcast?
A show about movies and how they connect.
We love movies. We’ve been talking about them, one movie a week, since 2011. It’s a lot of movies, that’s true, but we’re passionate about origins and performance, directors and actors, themes and genres, and so much more. So join the community, and let’s hear about your favorite movies, too.
When the movie ends, our conversation begins.
Pete Wright:
I'm Pete Wright. And I'm Andy Nelson. Welcome to the next reel when the movie ends. Our conversation begins. Suburbia is over.
Pete Wright:
Give them the music.
Andy Nelson:
Meet the kids from suburbia. There's Jack. Wake up and smell the coffee, man. Sheila.
Pete Wright:
Because I
Andy Nelson:
have some of scars already. Joe. That could be there all your life. And Ethan I feel kinda scared. You'll love him or hate him.
Pete Wright:
Metal rejects running wild in our streets. Alright, Andy. Where would you like to start with this conversation? I have a feeling you have feelings about my potential feelings. Last time we got in a big fight.
Pete Wright:
Do you remember?
Andy Nelson:
Oh, yeah. It was awesome. We need to rumble like that more often. It's the next real mosh pit. That's what we need.
Andy Nelson:
So what
Pete Wright:
do you what do you wanna talk about with Suburbia?
Andy Nelson:
I don't know. This is a an interesting one to discuss because it's, you know, definitely with Penelope's fierce at the head at this particular period in her life when she was she had just done her documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization, which is all about the LA punk rock scene, and then she would go on to do two more. I just think that it's an interesting glimpse into this world. So I guess, I mean, I I don't know. I guess we should start with our initial thoughts because that seems to be where we often start.
Andy Nelson:
So initial thoughts on on this film. And I suppose in the scope of that also, how does it feel as far as being under this umbrella of Roger Corman in this series?
Pete Wright:
Well, it may surprise you to know I quite enjoyed my time with this film.
Andy Nelson:
It doesn't surprise me.
Pete Wright:
Does it so it should it should surprise you
Andy Nelson:
It does.
Pete Wright:
Because of our big fight last time. Our legendary fight of historical gravitas.
Andy Nelson:
Because last week
Pete Wright:
It's about Roger Corman.
Andy Nelson:
It's a totally different it's a it's the type of film. Like, I've I've I'm understanding the types of films that Pete is okay with. Like Yeah. This one doesn't feel like a Roger Corman film. No.
Andy Nelson:
And I think Pete prefers the films that don't actually feel like Roger Corman films.
Pete Wright:
But still have his name on it. Yeah. Right. I I need the Roger Corman plausible deniability film list. That's what I need.
Pete Wright:
You'll never guess Corman had his name on this. I actually found this a deeply sad I hope I'm not alone. I found it a deeply sad exploration of the lives of these kids, and and it ends on a just an incredible downer. And it feels like a genuinely hopeless exploration of, you know, what the capitalist model has allowed to happen through sprawl and a culture that is not able to adapt to the changing generational swings that come after one after another. And, you know, I mean, it's it's it's a trope now to say parents just don't understand, but, you know, that's a thing that we as parents understand generationally, that our kids are different than we are, and they have different concerns.
Pete Wright:
And sometimes they're or the same concerns wrapped up in a different package. And this is a movie that exists at the intersection of that conflict, you know, at the expense of these of these kids.
Andy Nelson:
That's interesting because well, I think that there's a lot of accuracy there, but I I do think it's interesting that there's this element that you saw with the film about the parents just don't understand. Like, this is rebel without a cause where, you know, the son is a rebel and the parents just don't get it, and they just are trying to fix him. I felt like there was less of that in this film and more of the parents just aren't there is really what it was. And it it felt like a look at a shift in society where we've created these neighborhoods where there are divorced parents and busy parents and alcoholic parents and parents who just aren't even paying attention to their children. So it's less that they don't understand and more that they're just not present.
Andy Nelson:
And so these kids are just kind of left to their own devices and trying to figure out how to survive on their own. And in a lot of the cases, it's it just seems easier to leave the home and go off and live on their own as we see so many of these kids do. And I feel like we only really see one parent actually care and it's actually, Jack's stepdad who is also the cop. But I I think that's the that's the parent who actually wants to help and is actively trying to give his stepson distance, but also trying to help coach him on ways to allow for their existence to kind of continue as much as as Jack kind of pushes against that. And I found that to be kind of an important element of the story is this is this lack of kind of parental interest except in the sense of when these kids are doing things, you know, that disrupt their their way of things, you know.
Andy Nelson:
And then we have the meetings of the neighborhood group and all of that sort of stuff. And so I I think that's a big part of this story also. And, it it was really interesting to see, like, we have our our main kid and his brother is his little brother, Ethan. Their parents I I think their dad is gone. He's, like, divorced, and, they're living with their mom who's an alcoholic and and is never paying attention to them.
Andy Nelson:
Then you have I can't remember the kid's name, who has the two gay dads who seem very disinterested in his life and only in floating in their pool and relaxing. And and their reaction when he's leaving is like, oh, running away again. Like, that's kind of the reaction that we get from these people. And so it's it's an interesting glimpse into the growth of apathy, I think, also in in the way that the family dynamic had shifted.
Pete Wright:
I appreciate your sort of pushback on the the parents just aren't there because I think the the two gay dads is a great example. They are there, but they're not there. Right? And and that exchange when I who was it? Was it it wasn't Jack.
Pete Wright:
Was it Joe? So, anyway, somebody when the kid when they come to pick up the kid and they take him away, the dads are there and they say, oh, are you leaving again? As if just, you know, obviously to say that this has happened before, and they care less about it every time it happens. And they're just uninvested. That, I think, is a result of of the vibe I get from this movie.
Pete Wright:
It it it is, you know, principally explored in the the teachers with or with the the parent meeting, but it's also explored in the other, you know, adults, the the role model adults who who see these kids as so completely foreign. The adults who drive crazily through this abandoned neighborhood to shoot dogs and, you know, wanna use their own force to move these kids out of the abandoned houses. You know, this is the the escalation of behaviors that creates the cultural rift that leads to real violence. And, and I think that's the that's the part that really sticks with me, that that sadness that comes from from that feeling of escalation and the lack of understanding and willingness to understand at the each other at this point. And the onus is a % on the parents.
Pete Wright:
That's the thing that's so frustrating. The parents have given up on these kids. They've given up because they're scared of what? The music? The you know, I it it is infuriating to watch this movie at that same, you know, that same level.
Andy Nelson:
It's Andy, and I'm here to interrupt your regular programming with a proposition to make your Mohawks stand on end. What you just heard was a tantalizing glimpse of our no holds barred discussion about Penelope Spherus' Suburbia, but I'm afraid that's all you're gonna get. There's a whole underground world of bonus content out there waiting to be explored, and the only way to dive into the mosh pit is by becoming a member. Picture this, a vast, anarchic landscape of exclusive episodes stretching out before you like gritty streets of suburbia itself. As a member, you'll have the keys to this celluloid kingdom, and trust me, it's a wild ride.
Andy Nelson:
You'll get access to the entire library back catalog, not just from our show, but from all the shows that are part of the Next Real family of podcasts, Sitting in the Dark, Cinemascope, The Film Board, and Movies We Like. That's a lot of cinematic chaos to dive into. Every month, you'll get to sink your teeth into a brand new member bonus episode, each one a raw, unfiltered journey into the heart of cinema. You'll have ad free access to our entire library so you can thrash your way through our back catalog like a punk rocker tearing through his set list. And if that wasn't enough, we've got pre show and post show chats on select episodes that'll make you feel like you're right there in the green room with us, swapping stories and downing cheap beer.
Andy Nelson:
But here's where things get really intense. As a member, you'll have the power to call the shots. You'll get to vote on the films we discuss for our member bonus episodes, ensuring that they're always tailored to your rebellious tastes. You'll have your own personal gang of cinema punks ready to stir up the perfect movie discussion just for you. And if you're itching to jaw with some fellow film rebels, our Discord community is the place to be.
Andy Nelson:
A virtual dive bar where cinephiles can gather to swap tales, share insights, and maybe even plan a few celluloid revolts of their own. Just remember, leave your conformity at the door. So why be a mere spectator when you could be stage diving with the big dogs? Slam dance your way over to truestory.fm/join and sign up today. It's just $5 a month or $55 for a whole year.
Andy Nelson:
That's a small price to pay for a first class ticket to cinema nirvana. And that, my friends, is where we'll have to leave you for now. If you wanna hear the full uncensored version of our anarchic journey through suburbia, you know what to do. Join the gang, become a member, and let's mash our way into the celluloid sunset together. Trust me, it's a trip you won't soon forget.
