Dudes

'Dudes' (1987) is a delightfully rowdy black road comedy that for some inexplicable reason remains relatively unheralded. And it is a cultural travesty that, Penelope Spheeris's endearingly ludicrous cow punk road comedy is still unavailable on a UK-friendly Blu? Jon Cryer, Daniel Roebuck and Flea decide that the life of a big apple punker is a stone-cold snooze, and in a prescient moment of drunken inspiration they decide that a road trip to California might demonstratively improve their dour, metropolitan ennui. A righteous bummer for them, but fortunately for the viewer, their riotously ramshackle exodus is amusingly fraught with all manner of improbable calamity. An especially memorable interlude is a violent encounter with some low-down desert skeezoids, headed by the murderous red neck, Missoula, vividly played with gleeful mania by ex-Fear vocalist, Lee 'Black Moon Rising' Ving.

'Dudes' is a thoroughly engaging, roughshod road-movie oddity that begs for rediscovery, due largely to the endearingly daft twin lead performances from Roebuck & Cryer, the exhilarating RAWK soundtrack, and playfully eccentric mise-en-scene by maestro, Penelope Spheeris. For me, the REAL clincher is when the divinely bickering punkers over-imbibe a bottle of lysergic snake juice, procured from amiable renaissance man, Daredelvis (Pete Wilcox) and suddenly Spheeris plunges us deep into squirrelly, Alex Cox territory wherein all manner of gonzoid western archetypes are purloined for our midnight movie edification! It's the film's flaws, mad energy, and joyful incongruities that make it such a winning VHS-era cult gem! And my vinyl soundtrack album featuring Keel's boisterous 'Rock N' Roll Outlaw' cover is something I shall, hopefully, never have to part with!

This is not a serious film. It tries to be in a couple of places but doesnt make it. Some of the dream sequences are just a tad laboured but only a tad. Apart from this small points it is full of good humour and I certainly enjoyed it. I do not watch films for messages, for me that just escapes the point. Film is escapism, that is why it exists, to take us out of ourselves, to make us laugh,cry and smile. This is what DUDES does. We follow 3 punks cross country and their encounters with different people. They are products of the multi-cultural mix that is New York, the scene of all three bored in the VW driving thru the desert is truly hilarious. The second half of this film is bit more bleaker with dream sequences et al but still this is remains a joy. I was left with a good feeling after the end of this film and do so every time I revisit it.

I steaming pile of bad movie making. Don't watch it

Fun offbeat 80s puck rock comedy/drama about two New York punks, Jon Cryer and Daniel Roebuck, who travel out west and run afoul various rednecks, bikers, and lawmen in a southwest desert community on their way to LA. "Dudes" was directed by Penelope Spheeris, who made the seminal punk rock documentary "Decline of the Western Civilization," but this film isn't as much a document of punk culture as it is an oddball 1980s counterculture time capsule. Despite the two lead actors being decidedly un-punk rock, the film does feature legitimate musicians Lee Ving (FEAR) as a biker, John Densmore (The Doors) as a cop, Flea (The Red Hot Chili Peppers, FEAR) as a punk buddy of the two leads, and also an appearance by The Vandals during the film's opening. Ving is a particular standout as a nasty loudmouth biker. Seeing him this film really made me want to see him in more, although his filmography is sadly pretty short and primarily supporting roles (though I really do want to find a copy of his appearance on "Who's the Boss"). "Dudes" also gets time capsule value with the casting of Catherine Mary Stewart ("Night of the Comet" and "The Last Starfighter") as a local wrecking service owner who helps the dudes when their Volkswagen Beetle needs fixed. Also of note is that this was the fourth feature film shot by cinematography by Robert Richardson, who'd later go on to be the regular director of photography for the likes of Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino. Overall, "Dudes" is not as gritty as Spheeris' "Suburbia" nor is it as entertaining of a counter culture comedy/drama as "Something Wild," but the end result is an interesting time capsule that held my interest. There's also a decent soundtrack that features everything from Jane's Addiction to Carl Perkins.

I first saw dudes when I was seventeen,I rented the movie and returned it two years later.Well I have always wished I added it to my collection.As far as plot is concerned, the film is a little weak,but there are some more memorable lines including Dare-Delvises line regarding angry beef.The personal development of Grant and Biscuit make the film worth it.If you are looking for a serious film to learn something from this isn't it but if you are looking for some escapist comedy with some serious moments then you have come to the right place.

Dudes became one of my favorites quickly and has never really let me go. The weaker moments include a seemingly out of sync dream sequence,and the bar scene when Grant finally meets Missoula. So check it out with an open mind and enjoy Dudes for what it is worth.