Punk Vacation (1990)

A movie like "Punk Vacation" is in some ways difficult to rate, and in some ways even more difficult to describe. Made with what was obviously an extremely low budget, the movie is quite often shoddy in nature. Linking footage is missing, plot points are quite often vague to completely incomprehensible, the characters are more often than not thinly written, and production values are next to non existent. Normally all of this would make a movie really bad and easy to dismiss. But it's directed in a very weird manner that gets you curious enough to stay with it until the end credits. There's more often than not a surreal feeling at times, a bizarre feeling like the filmmakers were making things up as they went along. It seems at times to be made by individuals who only had a vague understanding of normal human behaviour and how a story should be plotted out. While I don't think I can give the movie a general recommendation, I think there is a small minority who might find the movie strange and incompetent enough to be worth their while. If what I have told about the movie intrigues you, it might be up your alley.

The tranquility of a small California hamlet gets ripped asunder after diner owner Mr. Kemper gets brutally murdered by a gang of vicious punks. Kemper's feisty eldest daughter Lisa (a solid and appealing performance by Sandra Bogan) vows to get revenge on the punks for killing her dad, but things go awry after Lisa winds up being abducted by the gang. This leads to an all-out war between the punks and the redneck town residents.Director Stanley Lewis, working from a compact script by Lance Smith and Harvey Richelson, relates the enjoyable story at a reasonably snappy pace, treats the nifty premise like a modern Western, further spruces things up with a funny sense of amiably quirky humor, and pulls out the stirring stops for the lively and exciting second half. Moreover, the colorful array of punks are drawn with a bit more depth and humanity than one might expect, with especially stand-out work from Roxanne Rogers as fiercely loyal and formidable moll ringleader Ramrod, Billy Piera as whiny peacenik Feggy, and Wayne Chema as fearsome skinhead Venny. In addition, the hick townies are a hilarious collection of bumbling dolts; Louis Waldon in particular elicits a lot of the film's biggest laughs with his gut-busting broad portrayal of gruff and irate commie-bashing buffoon Sheriff Virgil. Stephen Fiachi contributes a likable turn as earnest deputy Steve Reed while Don Martin registers well as the easygoing Deputy Sheriff Don. Daryn Okada's sharp cinematography gives this picture an impressively polished look, with excellent artful use of a crane and some snazzy scene transitions. The funky-throbbing score by Ed Grenga and Ross Vannelli hits the rousing spot. An immensely fun flick.

This movie changed my life. It has a compelling story line with excellent acting. The director's vision takes the viewer on an endless adventure that will make you laugh, cry, and jump out of your seat.The movie takes fight club and Big and mixes them up into the best kind of movie soup you have ever slurped. I challenge anyone on the face of the earth and beyond to find a more heartbreakingly good story than this.Chris Gaw made this movie what it is with his soul patch and corny jokes keeping everyone going.If you love punks.....and love them more when they are on vacation, you will love Punk Vacation.Please go out and purchase this movie.

Well... I like bad movies. So this isn't exactly the worst bad movie I've ever seen. It's sort of entertaining, at least, to laugh at a bit. But as for the "punk" part of "Punk Vacation"... uh, don't look here for punk rock stuff. This ain't no "Suburbia," not even "Class of 1984." At least those movies had actual punk bands perform in them, but "Punk Vacation" has a sort of mock-punk soundtrack and a bunch of pseudo-punkish people with bad makeup and studded wristbands. At least at one point the punks try to start a revolution by shooting all the cops in the small desert town they're "vacationing" in. Too bad they're stopped thanks to the "Predator"-style booby traps laid by the wily, sexy deputy. Good for a laugh as to what clueless Hollywood types think "punk" is all about.