As mentioned in the opening credits, the film was shot between July 1996 and August 1997 in
Los Angeles. It is dedicated to "Squid, Stephen Chambers, and all the gutterpunks that survive." The film involves
gutter punks who take the anti-establishment message with extreme seriousness and tune out society completely. Spheeris talks to homeless teenagers living on the street or squatting in abandoned buildings in Los Angeles that go by the names of "Why-Me?", "Hamburger", "Troll", "Eyeball", "Squid", and others.
Los Angeles Police Department officer Gary Fredo and a paralyzed youth living on
disability benefits are also interviewed. Near the end, the film shows a memorial squat location near the place where a local squatter, Stephen Chambers, died in a fire. Musicians interviewed include
Keith Morris (
Black Flag,
Circle Jerks), Rick Wilder (
The Mau Maus), and
Flea (
Fear,
Red Hot Chili Peppers). Morris had previously appeared in the first
The Decline of Western Civilization. Performances by four bands were filmed:
Final Conflict,
Litmus Green, Naked Aggression, and The Resistance. The film ends by listing the fate of two of the interviewees. "Squid" died on July 19, 1997, from multiple stab wounds. "Spoon" was in L.A. County Jail awaiting trial for his murder. ==Reception and distribution==