Movies by Penelope Spheeris
As part of the cast:
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Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)
Cast: Robert Altman, Quentin Tarantino, Jacqueline Bisset …
Directed by: Xan Cassavetes
Founded in 1974 and based in Los Angeles, the Z Channel was the nation's first pay-cable station, preceding HBO or Showtime. At its pinnacle in the early 1980s, it served only 100,000…
As a director:
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Five (2011)
Cast: Patricia Clarkson, Rosario Dawson, Ginnifer Goodwin …
Directed by: Jennifer Aniston, Patty Jenkins, Alicia Keys …
This evocative anthology features intertwining short films that examine the effect breast cancer has on five women, each of whom variously use determination, grit and humor -- one even holds…
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The Kid & I (2005)
Cast: Tom Arnold, Eric Gores, Richard Edson …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
While most teens wish for a car for their 18th birthday, Aaron Roman (Eric Gores) longs to star in a big-budget action movie. Luckily, his wealthy father (Joe Mantegna) has the means to make…
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The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth About Enron (2003)
Cast: Christian Kane, Brian Dennehy, Shannon Elizabeth …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Once he starts working for the Enron Corporation, young trader Brian Cruver (Christian Kane) is quickly caught up in the company's obsession with greed and partying. When Enron suddenly…
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Senseless (1998)
Cast: Marlon Wayans, David Spade, Brad Dourif …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
When hardworking Darryl participates in a medical study for extra cash, the experimental drug he's taking gives him superhuman sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Now, Darryl might…
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The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)
Cast: Stephen Chambers, Flea, Gary Fredo …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Director Penelope Spheeris completes her trilogy documenting the Los Angeles music scene with this look at the homeless teens who roamed the streets in the late 1990s and professed to live a…
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Black Sheep (1996)
Cast: Chris Farley, David Spade, Tim Matheson …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
When Albert runs for governor, his team moves to keep his slow-witted brother, Mike, out of the media. To baby-sit Mike, the campaign assigns Steve, who gets the experience of a lifetime when…
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The Little Rascals (1994)
Cast: Travis Tedford, Bug Hall, Brittany Ashton Holmes …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Delightfully hilarious fun for the whole family. This movie is inspired by Hal Roach's very popular "Our Gang" TV series. Both longtime fans and newcomers will enjoy the shenanigans of…
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The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
Cast: Diedrich Bader, Dabney Coleman, Erika Eleniak …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Based on the hit 1960s TV sitcom, this film follows Jed Clampett (Jim Varney) and his kin -- Jethro (Diedrich Bader), Elly May (Erika Eleniak) and Granny (Cloris Leachman) -- as they move…
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Wayne's World (1992)
Cast: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
In this big-screen feature of a legendary "Saturday Night Live" sketch, Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey), the original "Party on!" overgrown teenagers, produce a no-budget cable…
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The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
Cast: Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley, Steven Tyler …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Featuring concert footage and interviews with stars and fans, the second of director Penelope Spheeris's documentaries about the Los Angeles music scene focuses on heavy metal, the…
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Hollywood Vice Squad (1986)
Cast: Ronny Cox, Frank Gorshin, Leon Isaac Kennedy …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Worried mom Pauline Stanton (Trish Van Devere) descends into the Los Angeles underworld hoping to rescue her daughter (Robin Wright), who's working as a prostitute for an evil crime lord…
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The Boys Next Door (1985)
Cast: Maxwell Caulfield, Charlie Sheen, Patti D'Arbanville …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
On the eve of their high school graduation, two young men (Maxwell Caulfield and Charlie Sheen) head for Los Angeles -- along the way they embark on a violent murder spree that shocks the…
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Suburbia (1984)
Cast: Bill Coyne, Andrew Pece, D.I. …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Escaping their hard-boozing mother, Evan (Bill Coyne) and his brother, Ethan (Andrew Pece), take refuge with punks who live as squatters in an abandoned home next to a highway in this…
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Suburbia (1983)
Cast: Chris Pedersen, Bill Coyne, Jennifer Clay …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Based on her observations of teen runaways, Penelope Spheeris wrote and directed this compelling tale about Evan Johnson (Bill Coyne), who finds refuge with a band of malcontents when…
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The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
Cast: Black Flag, X, Bags …
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris
Before she directed Wayne and Garth in Wayne's World, Penelope Spheeris helmed this music-driven documentary about the hard-hitting Los Angeles punk scene, a film that proved so potent…