DUDES

(director: Penelope Spheeris; screenwriter: J. Randal Johnson; cinematographer: Robert Richardson; editor: Andy Horvvitch; music: Charles Bernstein; cast: Jon Cryer (Grant), Daniel Roebuck (Biscuit), Catherine Mary Stewart ( Jessie), Lee Ving (Missoula), Flea (Milo), Bill Ray Sharkey (Blix), Glenn Withrow (Wes), Pete Willcox (Daredevil Elvis), Pamela Gidley (Elyse), Marc Rude (Sonny); Runtime: 90; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Herb Jaffe/Miguel Tejada-Flores ; Live Home Video; 1987)

“The violent clash between cultures makes for absurdist adolescent drama, but it’s weirdly entertaining. Go figure!”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

An off-beat road adventure comedy directed by Penelope Spheeris(“The Decline of Western Civilization“/”Suburbia”/”Wayne’s World”) and written by J. Randal Johnson. It has some Easy Rider vibes going for it.

Three punk rockers from Queens– Milo (Flea, later became the bassist with the Red Hot Chili Peppers), Grant (Jon Cryer), dressed as a cowboy, and Biscuit (Daniel Roebuck), dressed as a Mowhawk–travel cross country to Hollywood in their Volkswagen looking for excitement and a fresh start. In Utah, they get attacked by rednecks while camping out in the desert and for his strange looks Milo is killed by the sneering hateful biker gang leader Missoula (Lee Ving). The surviving rockers get help in avenging their friend’s death from the spunky gas station gun-toting gal named Jessie (Catherine Mary Stewart), a Daredevil Elvis impersonator (Pete Willcox) and a ghostly cowboy.

The loud heavy metal soundtrack is guaranteed to keep you awake.

The violent clash between cultures makes for absurdist adolescent drama, but it’s weirdly entertaining. Go figure!

REVIEWED ON 4/19/2015 GRADE: B-