The Rise of The Decline

The Decline Of Western Civilization Collection has gotten quite a bit of praise in the press recently. Here's what some people had to say about Penelope Spheeris' three classic documentaries, now in one collection for the first time ever:

“The arrival of “The Decline of Western Civilization Collection’ as a pristine extras-filled box set from Shout Factory this week is to budding punks what a new ‘Star Wars’ movie is to, well, all the other kids: something they never thought they’d get to experience in their lifetimes.”

—The New York Times, June 28, 2015

“The first two Decline of Western Civilization docs are among the greatest rock movies ever made – and until the release of this four-disc boxed set packed with extras, they existed only on VHS…. They’re gritty mementos of an earlier, better generation of rock films.”

— Playboy Magazine, July/August 2015

“Shout! Factory have done a pretty fantastic job bringing The Decline Of Western Civilization Collectionto Blu-ray in truly deluxe style. The movies look and sound as good as you'd want them to and the set is jam-packed with extras that are both interesting and often times very entertaining as well. The films themselves hold up well as cultural artifacts of their respective times. Anyone with an interest in punk, metal or just subcultures in general should seriously appreciate this boxed set and all that it contains.”

— DVDTalk.com, June 19, 2015

“In addition to recording powerhouse bands in their prime, Spheeris also used these films to explore youth culture, the unifying power of music and the varying conceptions of ‘success.’ Her work here is outstanding, and it’s great to have it available again.”

— The Los Angeles Times, June 27, 2015

“Hopefully — now that Shout! Factory has presented each film fit with stunning high definition transfers — Spheeris’s importance as one of the most important documentary filmmakers will be fully realized.”

— diaboliquemagazine.com, July 1, 2015

— TheDissolve.com, March 25, 2015

Here are some more great articles on the films and Spheeris:

• Vice: Punk Documentary 'The Decline of Western Civilization' Gets the Rerelease It Deserves
• Pitchfork: The Punk Director: Penelope Spheeris Revisits Her Decline of Western Civilization Trilogy
• Paste: Western Civilization Declined