If anybody remembers the movie American History X by Tony Kaye, it is a constant reminder during the Obama administration that racism does exist, especially when an African-American is President of the United States of America. American History X is about a story of Skinhead gangs, the D.O.C., the White Power Movement in the Scene, especially in Venice, California. I remember when the Venice influence came to San Anto, people talking like surfers, everybody wanted a Dogtown skateboard, and wanted to mimic the Skinhead culture in California & New York City. When I bought my book Making A Scene at Hogwild Records back in 1990, I didn't expect for San Anto to mimic the exact hardcore culture as in the Big Apple. San Anto was a variety of different cultures in the Scene, blending in with Metalheads, Skateboarders, Skinheads, Punk Rawkers, & New Wavers. San Anto was more like the movie Suburbia, the Punk Parade Scene in the movie is what I remember, a group walking down Southcross going to McCreless Mall in a mob fashion. McCreless Mall had Concrete Surf for us to hang out. It was the dawn of gangs forming is what I remember. American History X to me is like the Scene in San Anto when the American Skinheads & Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice formed Anti-Racist Action to fight against White Power Skinheads altogether in the San Antonio area. The ending to American History X was really sad because his little brother who he tried to save from being a racist died from a black teenager who shot him at his High School. Dereck Vinyard cried out loud as if it should have been him who should have died instead. In my opinion, the perfect ending to this movie should have been when they were taking down the Nazi flag in their room. People can still change today, all it takes is opening up their eyes. There are parts to this movie like the Concrete Stomp and being raped in prison by his own White Power friends that are being left out, but that's why the movie was great, especially singing racist songs and using the N word like it's nothing. A movie this great makes you wonder if Edward Norton did not get the part to become part of the Avengers as the Incredible Hulk.
In this other film A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick, Alex is a reformed Hooligan, finds himself in trouble from the beginning, having his own gang as he called them droogs, and he made it clear he was the Droogan leader. The Korova Milk Bar scene in which they hang out drinking milk plus ready for a night of Ultra-Violence is what today's Punk Rawkers & Skinheads do when they go to local bars & venues drinking some Lonestars before the night of Chaos & Destruction. When Alex's droogs turned against him, Alex found himself in prison learning about the good book and learning what it is to be good after he murdered a woman, knowing right from wrong. Just like some of the Skinheads I knew back in the day in San Anto, some found Jesus while in prison, but not reformed from their Ultra-Violent behavior. There was a scene in the movie where Alex and his droogs fight against Billy and his droogs, fighting for territory or just simply Ultra-Violence in their system. When Alex volunteers for a special program by the government to reform Alex's ultra-violent behavior, he finally gets a chance to become part of society. Society then turned on poor Alex in which he tried to commit suicide. Alex's love for Ludwig Van Beethoven's song made him Ultra-Violent & Sick when he heard the song, but after attempting suicide, the government was blamed for Alex's failure. In the End, Alex was a reformed citizen to back to his old Ultra-Violent self again with Ludwig Van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. We all have a saying in the hood, you can take the Punk Rawker/Skinhead out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the Skinhead/Punk Rawker. This movie also has rape scenes, threesome sex, torturing people, gang fights, and lots of Ultra-Violence.
These movies and many more can be checked out at your local library like the Mission Library in the SouthEast Side of San Anto. Feel free to donate your old punk rawk & skinhead movies to your local librarian so that we may enjoy these movies for free. I would love to see Suburbia as part of the collection as well. I hear that Hogwild Records has this movie for $19 at their record store. Both these movies American History X & A Clockwork Orange were checked out at my local libraries. Feel free to check them out at your local library, just put a hold on them and they'll deliver it to your library in your area. Making A Scene!
