Direction: Penelope Spheeris

The best movies, series, and documentaries directed by Penelope Spheeris. Explore exceptional titles that showcase a unique filmmaking vision.


The Decline of Western Civilization

1981 · Documentary · 100 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Plot The Decline of Western Civilization is an American documentary film filmed through 1979 and 1980. The movie was directed by Penelope Spheeris about the Los Angeles punk rock scene

7.0

138 votes

7.0

138 votes

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III

1998 · Documentary · 86 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Ricky Wilder · Flea · Stephen Chambers · Gary Fredo

Plot The Decline of Western Civilization III is a 1998 documentary film directed by Penelope Spheeris that chronicles the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teenagers. It is the third film of...

6.9

46 votes

6.9

46 votes

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years

1988 · Documentary · 93 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Steven Tyler · Joe Perry · Alice Cooper · Gene Simmons

Plot An exploration of the heavy metal scene in Los Angeles, with particular emphasis on glam metal. It features concert footage and interviews of legendary heavy metal and hard rock bands...

6.8

122 votes

6.8

122 votes

Suburbia

1984 · Movie · 94 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Chris Pedersen · Bill Coyne · Jennifer Clay · Timothy O'Brien

Plot Teenage Sheila (Jennifer Clay) is running away from her Los Angeles home, and hitches a lift one night with a young mother and her baby. As they drive along the...

6.1

587 votes

6.1

587 votes

Five (TV)

2011 · Movie · 87 min. · United States

Direction Jennifer Aniston · Demi Moore · Alicia Keys · Penelope Spheeris

Cast Patricia Clarkson · Jeanne Tripplehorn · Ginnifer Goodwin · Rosario Dawson

Plot An anthology of five short films exploring the impact of breast cancer on people's lives.

6.1

133 votes

6.1

133 votes

The Boys Next Door

1985 · Movie · 91 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Charlie Sheen · Maxwell Caulfield · Patti D'Arbanville · Christopher McDonald

Plot Roy and Bo leave their small town the weekend after graduation for a short road trip to LA. Soon, they find themselves lashing out and leaving a trial of bodies...

6.0

118 votes

6.0

118 votes

The Little Rascals

1994 · Movie · 78 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Travis Tedford · Bug Hall · Brittany Ashton Holmes · Kevin Jamal Woods

Plot Spanky and his gang are back in this modern take on the favorite old comedy shorts from the 1920s and 30s. Back, too, is the "He-man Womun Haters Club", but...

5.4

5K votes

5.4

5K votes

Wayne's World

1992 · Movie · 95 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Mike Myers · Dana Carvey · Rob Lowe · Tia Carrere

Plot As slackers Wayne and Garth (Myers and Carvey) struggle to promote their public access cable show, Wayne's World, Wayne falls for an up-and-coming rock star, Cassandra (Carrere). Using their connections,...

5.3

8K votes

5.3

8K votes

Black Sheep

1996 · Movie · 87 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Chris Farley · David Spade · Tim Matheson · Christine Ebersole

Plot Chris Farley plays the disaster-prone brother of a gubernatorial candidate (Tim Matheson) in Washington State. Though he is well meaning, the havoc he creates on the campaign trail is drawing...

5.1

417 votes

5.1

417 votes

Senseless

1998 · Movie · 93 min. · United States

4.3

1K votes

4.3

1K votes

The Beverly Hillbillies

1993 · Movie · 93 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Jim Varney · Rob Schneider · Diedrich Bader · Lily Tomlin

Plot Jed Clampett and kin move from Arkansas to Beverly Hills when he becomes a billionaire, after an oil strike. The country folk are very naive with regard to life in...

2.9

5K votes

2.9

5K votes

UFO Abductions (TV)

1991 · Documentary · 144 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Not rated

Not rated

Hollywood Vice Squad

1986 · Movie · 101 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Ronny Cox · Frank Gorshin · Leon Isaac Kennedy · Trish Van Devere

Plot A mother goes to Hollywood to find her runaway daughter. She discovers that the girl has become involved in the pornography industry, and goes to the police to get help...

Not rated

Not rated

Hollywierd

1999 · Documentary · min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Charles Band · William Paul Burns · Miles A. Copeland III · Phil Fondacaro

Plot Documents the making of BLOOD DOLLS, interviewing members of the cast and crew.

Not rated

Not rated

Balls to the Wall

2011 · Movie · 84 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Joe Hursley · Jenna Dewan · Christopher McDonald · Mimi Rogers

Plot An engaged guy is forced by his future father-in-law to take a side job moonlighting as an exotic dancer in order to pay extravagant wedding neither of them can afford.

Not rated

Not rated

The Real St. Nick (TV)

2012 · Movie · 85 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Torrey DeVitto · Callard Harris · Matthew Felker · Kenneth Choi

Plot A pretty psychiatrist is saved from an accident by a man who, after hitting his head on a rock, believes he is Santa Claus. As she nurses him back to...

Not rated

Not rated

The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron (TV)

2003 · Movie · 100 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Christian Kane · Shannon Elizabeth · Cameron Bancroft · Nancy Anne Sakovich

Plot The rise and fall of the Enron company, as seen from the perspective of employee Brian Cruver, based on his book.

Not rated

Not rated

The Kid & I

2005 · Movie · 93 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Tom Arnold · Eric Gores · Linda Hamilton · Joe Mantegna

Plot "The Kid & I" follows a 17-year-old with cerebral palsy who dreams of being in an action movie. His wealthy entrepreneur father (Mantegna) tells Aaron he can have anything he...

Not rated

Not rated

Visitors from the Unknown (TV)

1991 · Movie · 47 min. · United States

Direction Penelope Spheeris

Cast Karl Bakke · Stephen Held · Jon Chardiet · Dorothy McDonald

Plot A special reenacting the experiences of people who have had documented encounters with extraterrestrial life forces. A British policeman has a close encounter with a UFO, a wood-cutter spots a...

Not rated

Not rated