‘The Decline of Western Civilization’ Collection Is an Essential History of Alternative L.A.

The Decline of Western Civilization, Penelope Spheeris’s notorious portrait of the Los Angeles punk scene during the late ’70s and early ’80s, has had a history as storied as the legendary subjects it depicts. Upon its 1981 premiere, numerous fights broke out amongst members of the scene depicted, and the L.A. Chief of Police wrote to the director askin…