I am always dismayed to see the conceptions many people have of punk rock, so I was elated to find a film that finally hits the nail on the head: Don Letts' "Punk: Attitude." I think I have seen every punk documentary out there, but this is the first film that, in my opinion, finally gets it right. If you want a good, solid overview of the history of punk, and, more importantly, if you want to understand the true essence of punk at its best, this is the film to watch. As the film's title suggests, punk rock was and is always a socio-political attitude, first and foremost. Safety pins, haircuts, instrumentation, tempo: these are not the criteria of true punk. Attitude -- political, social, artistic -- is what matters.
Perhaps a mention of the L.A. band X was merited, but once one begins to quibble...
