36 reviews
Smithereens
- Scarecrow-88
- May 17, 2007
- Permalink
Where's the soundtrack? This is great.
I don't care what the naysayers below think. I like this little film.
And I think the soundtrack blows the pants off of Penelope Spheeris' "Decline of Western Civilization" that was released not too long before this one. I'd love to find the "Smithereens" soundtrack on CD!
Both this and "...Civilization" deal with the U.S. punk culture of the early 80s with this film clearly being the better of the two, imo. Saw 'em both at the same time.
Great little story with a good feel for New York of the early 1980s, and the shallowness of the scene during that time. It really depicted what a loserville the place really was.
I really felt for the Wren character and the rejection she continually faced, much of which was her own doing. She should have went back to New Jersey and made something of herself.
Btw, whatever happened to Susan Berman, anyway? Why hasn't she done more films?
my imbd rating: 7 out of 10
And I think the soundtrack blows the pants off of Penelope Spheeris' "Decline of Western Civilization" that was released not too long before this one. I'd love to find the "Smithereens" soundtrack on CD!
Both this and "...Civilization" deal with the U.S. punk culture of the early 80s with this film clearly being the better of the two, imo. Saw 'em both at the same time.
Great little story with a good feel for New York of the early 1980s, and the shallowness of the scene during that time. It really depicted what a loserville the place really was.
I really felt for the Wren character and the rejection she continually faced, much of which was her own doing. She should have went back to New Jersey and made something of herself.
Btw, whatever happened to Susan Berman, anyway? Why hasn't she done more films?
my imbd rating: 7 out of 10
- macabro357
- May 7, 2003
- Permalink
Depressing but impressive
Wren (Susan Berman) is a restless young woman trying to break into the music scene in NY of the early 1980s. A young, handsome and trusting man named Paul (Brad Rijn) falls for her--but she just uses him and tries to hook up with self-centered Eric (Richard Hell) who says he has contacts to get a career going.
This was a very impressive directorial debut by Susan Seidelman. It was made on a very low-budget and had mostly nonprofessional actors. It was surprisingly a favorite with critics and a success with art house college audiences of 1982. However it's pretty much disappeared since then. It's easy to see why. The clothes, music and attitudes are all clearly from the early 1980s. Most college kids today wouldn't know what to make of this. Still it's a good movie and, as a college kid from that era, I can honestly say this caught the look and feel of that time expertly. Purportedly this is also a pretty accurate portrayal about how the Village was way back then--hard to believe it was 25 years ago.
The film itself is gritty and negative and looks cheap--but that's because it was and it actually helps the movie. Seidelman's direction was actually pretty assured considering it was her first feature movie. Also, for the most part, the acting is good--Rijn in particular stands out. The only negatives I can think of is that is a depressing movie and Berman is miscast. She's a good actress but seems far too intelligent for the character she's playing.
Worth catching--especially for men and women who were in college in the early 1980s. It will really take you back! I give it an 8.
This was a very impressive directorial debut by Susan Seidelman. It was made on a very low-budget and had mostly nonprofessional actors. It was surprisingly a favorite with critics and a success with art house college audiences of 1982. However it's pretty much disappeared since then. It's easy to see why. The clothes, music and attitudes are all clearly from the early 1980s. Most college kids today wouldn't know what to make of this. Still it's a good movie and, as a college kid from that era, I can honestly say this caught the look and feel of that time expertly. Purportedly this is also a pretty accurate portrayal about how the Village was way back then--hard to believe it was 25 years ago.
The film itself is gritty and negative and looks cheap--but that's because it was and it actually helps the movie. Seidelman's direction was actually pretty assured considering it was her first feature movie. Also, for the most part, the acting is good--Rijn in particular stands out. The only negatives I can think of is that is a depressing movie and Berman is miscast. She's a good actress but seems far too intelligent for the character she's playing.
Worth catching--especially for men and women who were in college in the early 1980s. It will really take you back! I give it an 8.
excellent film by the director of "desperately seeking susan"
i quite disagree with "dehlia"'s comment, this movie is anything but dull. It is an excellent film that does seemingly document the early new york style of punk/new wave rock and it's main character Wren who is as mentioned on a road to nowhere. The film comes off as a really excellent student feature, and it was the first film by the director of Desperately Seeking Susan and She -Devil. You can definitely see remnants of the Wren character in the character Madonna plays in "susan" and the film doesn't have a big sappy ending which is what makes it so interesting, it starts off like a comedy and then reveals itself as a more serious drama. It reminded me a great deal of the films of the French New Wave. Definitely worth seeing.
- FilmBoy999
- May 21, 2000
- Permalink
Late-night VHS classic
Things to be aware of: This movie is a downer.
This movie is interminably slow at times. Feel free to skip forward with the remote. There is not a lot of plot to miss.
Having offered those two disclaimers, this movie is definitely worth watching if you are inclined towards depressing tales of urban outcasts. Like most, this one centers around a subculture, but is really about the kind of tragic dreamers that seem drawn to failure like moths to a porch light.
What makes this story so compelling in spite of the rather amateurish acting and film-making is the gradual, offhand, and absolutely realistic ways in which the different characters casually dig themselves into ever more inescapable holes.
This is a story not about the 80s or punk rock, it's a story about young people with unfocused ambition who are sucked in by the glamor of the scene, whatever it may be. These are the fashion victims we've all known: people who have a new best friend every week, with whom are going to write a screenplay, go on a road trip, start a band, whatever. The people who are too busy and too cool to be cared about unless you're going to make them famous, people who do not realize that the glittering lights of the city at night are just stores and bars, who keep thinking that one of them is going to turn out to be magic, who see everyday life as some kind of hoax that they won't be conned into falling for.
What is beautiful about "Smithereens" is the perfect depiction of the blind, frantic pursuit of a better, purer, more exciting life that leads to the opposite. The sad, romantic naiveté that looks for rescue in a bar at 2am is a target for every kind of leech whose belief in magic has burned out and turned to cynical opportunism. The neophyte victims gradually and seamlessly become predators themselves, preying on others who are looking for late-night magic. Dreams of romance, fame, and adventure become grubbing squabbles over sex and money and these dreamers don't even see it happening until, disdainful of everything, they end up with nothing.
This movie is interminably slow at times. Feel free to skip forward with the remote. There is not a lot of plot to miss.
Having offered those two disclaimers, this movie is definitely worth watching if you are inclined towards depressing tales of urban outcasts. Like most, this one centers around a subculture, but is really about the kind of tragic dreamers that seem drawn to failure like moths to a porch light.
What makes this story so compelling in spite of the rather amateurish acting and film-making is the gradual, offhand, and absolutely realistic ways in which the different characters casually dig themselves into ever more inescapable holes.
This is a story not about the 80s or punk rock, it's a story about young people with unfocused ambition who are sucked in by the glamor of the scene, whatever it may be. These are the fashion victims we've all known: people who have a new best friend every week, with whom are going to write a screenplay, go on a road trip, start a band, whatever. The people who are too busy and too cool to be cared about unless you're going to make them famous, people who do not realize that the glittering lights of the city at night are just stores and bars, who keep thinking that one of them is going to turn out to be magic, who see everyday life as some kind of hoax that they won't be conned into falling for.
What is beautiful about "Smithereens" is the perfect depiction of the blind, frantic pursuit of a better, purer, more exciting life that leads to the opposite. The sad, romantic naiveté that looks for rescue in a bar at 2am is a target for every kind of leech whose belief in magic has burned out and turned to cynical opportunism. The neophyte victims gradually and seamlessly become predators themselves, preying on others who are looking for late-night magic. Dreams of romance, fame, and adventure become grubbing squabbles over sex and money and these dreamers don't even see it happening until, disdainful of everything, they end up with nothing.
- AllstonRockCity
- Mar 28, 2008
- Permalink
Portrait of a female psychopath.
This is another hard to find movie from the 80s which although is set in the punk scene, could easily be any scene where people have lofty aspirations of success.
Many of the characters reminded me of big brother contestants, social media wannabees or those who fill nightclubs and bars trying to look cool and portray an image of success while at the same time being broke, unsuccessful and lonely. They live in a world which is all surface.
The story concerns Wren, a female psychopath who spends her time stringing along friends and family to put a roof over head, food and money. This is unusual as we rarely get top see movies which focus on sociopathic women who arent serial killers. Examples of her psychopathic behaviours include pathological lying, grandiose sense of self-worth, cunning/manipulative, lack of empathy, failure to accept responsibility for actions, need for stimulation, parasitic lifestyle, poor behavioural controls, promiscuity, lack of realistic long term goals, impulsivity and irresponsiblity. Thats almost every item of the psychopathic scale!
e, social At the same time she is intent on breaking into the music business and throws herself at any male she thinks can serve as her route to the lavish lifestyle she believes she is entitled to. The movie is basically a bunch of scrapes that Wren manages to get herself into based on her reckless behaviour and how these eventually test the patience of everyone around her. It could almost be seen as a black comedy.
I have to disagree with many of the reviews on here about this movie. I simply did not find the ending of this bleak at all, if anything it has a happy ending if you like karmic endings. Its also a wonderful portrayal of a female psychopath which is rarely seen in cinema.
- torrascotia
- Sep 11, 2018
- Permalink
Nu-Wav "Documentary"
There's something about black and white checkered miniskirts in 1982 that sums up an entire era.
"Smithereens" documents a brief history of an archetype that many are familiar with: the Hip Urban Street Punk on a Path to Nowhere.
What makes this film superb is that it treats the subject with a frank honesty rarely seen in such a genre. No happy endings, convoluted plot points or moral judgments are imposed upon Wren as she bumbles about New York trying to make her way.
She is neither likable nor despicable. Belonging to no demographic, she creates her own. She has vague desires, but no goals. And as such an aimless character, the film's closing shot is quite perfect.
"Smithereens" is an engaging, refreshingly stark 'documentary' that does not gloss over its themes with the glitz and glitter otherwise prevalent in the early 80's. It successfully encapsulates a time and a lifestyle rarely portrayed correctly, except maybe in "Sid & Nancy".
"Smithereens" documents a brief history of an archetype that many are familiar with: the Hip Urban Street Punk on a Path to Nowhere.
What makes this film superb is that it treats the subject with a frank honesty rarely seen in such a genre. No happy endings, convoluted plot points or moral judgments are imposed upon Wren as she bumbles about New York trying to make her way.
She is neither likable nor despicable. Belonging to no demographic, she creates her own. She has vague desires, but no goals. And as such an aimless character, the film's closing shot is quite perfect.
"Smithereens" is an engaging, refreshingly stark 'documentary' that does not gloss over its themes with the glitz and glitter otherwise prevalent in the early 80's. It successfully encapsulates a time and a lifestyle rarely portrayed correctly, except maybe in "Sid & Nancy".
Time capsule
If you want to watch movie about a horrible, horrible person, then this is for you! Otherwise it's a neat look at a dead new york starring characters that live on the fringes. A great soundtrack too!
Brilliant punk rock film
- werewolf138
- Dec 30, 2003
- Permalink
An okay Early 80s New York Story
The eighties had a decent amount of good films set in New York. There was Times Square (1980) and Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) among many others. Smithereens is the directorial debut of Susan Seidelman, who would go on to direct Desperately Seeking Susan.
Smithereens is the story of a young girl (Susan Berman) who roams the streets and is interested in stardom. She is followed around by a young man (Brad Rijn) who likes her, but she is interested in another (Richard Hell) who she thinks could her help her due to the fact that he was in a band.
This is an okay film. It's not near as good as Times Square or Desperately Seeking Susan, but it's pretty decent for an independent directorial debut. It is cool to see punk icon Richard Hell as the sleazy Eric, a man who uses Berman's Wren to his advantage.
Smithereens is the story of a young girl (Susan Berman) who roams the streets and is interested in stardom. She is followed around by a young man (Brad Rijn) who likes her, but she is interested in another (Richard Hell) who she thinks could her help her due to the fact that he was in a band.
This is an okay film. It's not near as good as Times Square or Desperately Seeking Susan, but it's pretty decent for an independent directorial debut. It is cool to see punk icon Richard Hell as the sleazy Eric, a man who uses Berman's Wren to his advantage.
- BenTramerLives78
- Oct 23, 2020
- Permalink
Quirky and raw...but fatally stubborn
Susan Berman plays young woman named Wren who hangs out in New York City's punk underground, but who is unable to translate her interest in the burgeoning music scene into a lucrative form of work. Director Susan Seidelman, who also conceived the original story with co-screenwriter Ron Nyswaner, understands this gritty milieu exceptionally well, and the film's low-end budget works for her scenario. Still, "Smithereens" isn't an edgy film, nor a particularly dangerous one. It gives us a rather inept heroine who's locked in a hopeless situation, with no avenues available for a personal or professional redemption. As a result, the finale represents a dead-end rather than the thoughtful or provoking portrait Seidelman clearly intended this to be. ** from ****
- moonspinner55
- Apr 2, 2011
- Permalink
Brilliant
Unromantic view of East Village life perfectly captures the people and the place. Depressing and totally convincing. I love the first couple of minutes, which so perfectly and wordless establishes the character of the protagonist and the style of the film. And the score is terrific. Seidlemann's first and best film, an indie sleeper.
I've shown this movie to two girlfriends, neither of whom were as thrilled as I was, so it's possible some of my love for this movie is because I remember that East Village. I didn't hang out with the sort of characters in the movie, but I did see them around the neighborhood and found them intriguing.
I can't believe this sleeper hit and critical darling only has a six on IMDB!
I've shown this movie to two girlfriends, neither of whom were as thrilled as I was, so it's possible some of my love for this movie is because I remember that East Village. I didn't hang out with the sort of characters in the movie, but I did see them around the neighborhood and found them intriguing.
I can't believe this sleeper hit and critical darling only has a six on IMDB!
Promising debuts for two Susans
- gridoon2024
- Sep 14, 2020
- Permalink
TVs and Tuna
Wren is a dirty birdie. A vagrant punkette skumbag who wears a checkered vinyl mini-skirt with blue pantyhose and pink hi-top Converse. Her only possessions are a busted-up portable TV and a trash bag full of really scary dipsy-dumpster punk fashions (think Pat Benatar 1981 or Punky Brewster 1984). She looks stupid, acts stupid, and is stupid. She's my hero.
Wren inadvertently wins the affection of this dorky kid with a big heart, who lives in his van and has really bad hair. This relationship functions because:
A) She's a filthy homeless mess, and he's got a van she can sleep in
B) He's into filthy homeless messes, and he's got a van she can sleep in
The dork doesn't understand why Wren lets him buy her drinks and then leaves the bar with other dorks. He keeps buying the drinks and pouts a lot. What a dork! Wren can't be bothered with the dork's unwanted advances and so she goes about stalking this skuzzy douche-bag who has a punk-band. And really bad hair.
All kidding aside, there are some touching moments in this film that kind of reach inside of you and warm your heart. Like when the dork lets the cracked-out hooker sit in his van because it's chilly outside, and in return she offers him a bee-jay and the tuna-sandwich her mom packed as a between-trick snack. That scene almost made me cry.
I love this movie so much that I had to go out and buy it. And I'm glad I did because now my sofa doesn't tip forward on that one side.
Wren inadvertently wins the affection of this dorky kid with a big heart, who lives in his van and has really bad hair. This relationship functions because:
A) She's a filthy homeless mess, and he's got a van she can sleep in
B) He's into filthy homeless messes, and he's got a van she can sleep in
The dork doesn't understand why Wren lets him buy her drinks and then leaves the bar with other dorks. He keeps buying the drinks and pouts a lot. What a dork! Wren can't be bothered with the dork's unwanted advances and so she goes about stalking this skuzzy douche-bag who has a punk-band. And really bad hair.
All kidding aside, there are some touching moments in this film that kind of reach inside of you and warm your heart. Like when the dork lets the cracked-out hooker sit in his van because it's chilly outside, and in return she offers him a bee-jay and the tuna-sandwich her mom packed as a between-trick snack. That scene almost made me cry.
I love this movie so much that I had to go out and buy it. And I'm glad I did because now my sofa doesn't tip forward on that one side.
Where's the Story?
So many indie films want you to believe New York is this bleak, dirty place where everyone lives on the street. In reality, there must be dozens of film crews running into each other in any given vacant lot trying to hide the fact that it's the center of a bustling film culture. If there were so many kids offering shell games, they wouldn't have to hire actors to play them.
This particular street life saga shows nothing new, and remarkably nothing punk. Nothing happens for 90 minutes. The main character is the same at the end as in the beginning. Why does she put up flyers of herself if she's not in a band? Why do hookers and street vendors proposition a guy who couldn't be more clearly broke if he was naked? As 'likeable' as Wren is, and as much as you want to see her do something with her life, or heck, even become a stripper, this movie just doesn't pay off. Watching this is like playing a slow pinball game with no noise. Why would you?
This particular street life saga shows nothing new, and remarkably nothing punk. Nothing happens for 90 minutes. The main character is the same at the end as in the beginning. Why does she put up flyers of herself if she's not in a band? Why do hookers and street vendors proposition a guy who couldn't be more clearly broke if he was naked? As 'likeable' as Wren is, and as much as you want to see her do something with her life, or heck, even become a stripper, this movie just doesn't pay off. Watching this is like playing a slow pinball game with no noise. Why would you?
A fair warning to women
Come to New York to make memories ... that will haunt you for the rest of your life.
In the 80s many young artistically inclined American women dreamed of at least giving it a try to make it in New York City. Wren (Susan Berman) is such a girl. Her talents are not very clear, but she is absolutely determined to lie, betray, "kiss" and steal to make it. This movie tells the story of the last days of her downfall in New York. She meets the musician Eric (Richard Hell), who already has made a record and a name for himself. He is therefore a step above most of the hopefuls. She tries to get his help and he takes hers. She meets the nice guy Paul, who offers her an escape from New York. Eric is broke like Wren, Paul is at the wrong place, like Wren. Both men seem to be in a similar situation, but yet they are not.
Most of the female characters are gullible, delusional, catty or lost, out of their depth. They are not living a good live. Wren going from failure to hope, to failure, failure, hope and failure does make this abundantly clear.
The landmark album "Crazy Rhythms" (1980) by The Feelies was quite obviously a big inspiration for Susan Seidelman. The instrumental parts are played throughout the movie, the propulsive, nervous rhythms are a perfect soundtrack for Wren. The movie ends with the Feelies song "Loveless Love", a rejection of the lifestyle she aspired to. "Smithereens" is a timely warning: Don't follow false role models, being blown to smithereens isn't much fun. Susan Seidelman was a good person.
In the 80s many young artistically inclined American women dreamed of at least giving it a try to make it in New York City. Wren (Susan Berman) is such a girl. Her talents are not very clear, but she is absolutely determined to lie, betray, "kiss" and steal to make it. This movie tells the story of the last days of her downfall in New York. She meets the musician Eric (Richard Hell), who already has made a record and a name for himself. He is therefore a step above most of the hopefuls. She tries to get his help and he takes hers. She meets the nice guy Paul, who offers her an escape from New York. Eric is broke like Wren, Paul is at the wrong place, like Wren. Both men seem to be in a similar situation, but yet they are not.
Most of the female characters are gullible, delusional, catty or lost, out of their depth. They are not living a good live. Wren going from failure to hope, to failure, failure, hope and failure does make this abundantly clear.
The landmark album "Crazy Rhythms" (1980) by The Feelies was quite obviously a big inspiration for Susan Seidelman. The instrumental parts are played throughout the movie, the propulsive, nervous rhythms are a perfect soundtrack for Wren. The movie ends with the Feelies song "Loveless Love", a rejection of the lifestyle she aspired to. "Smithereens" is a timely warning: Don't follow false role models, being blown to smithereens isn't much fun. Susan Seidelman was a good person.
- xroo-73772
- Aug 25, 2024
- Permalink
Intriguing at an early hour.
I watched this film probably about 2 years ago at some very early hour of the morning. The Smithereens was one of those films which was strangely compelling in an empty sort of way, there is this incredibly overpowering early 80's economically, socially and artistically bleak skew on everything. This feeling alone makes the film worth watching, and the completely disconnected and irrelevant life of the main character evokes strange emotions of sympathy and intense loneliness. I can't tell you much about the story-line other than it is following the life of a young woman who is a bit of a miscreant and is getting nowhere incredibly fast. Desolation, vacuity and depression at its best!
- machinabullet
- Aug 27, 2002
- Permalink
An authentically gritty & vivid time capsule of the early 80's East Village scene
- Woodyanders
- Jun 26, 2006
- Permalink
Incoherent drivel
"Smithereens" is the kind of worthless flick which just hangs out among the cable channels taking up space like a cheesy dime novel in the public library. A worthless bit of tripe and first effort for mediocre director Seidelman, the film is fraught with bad acting, bad sound, bad camera work, and poor quality in all aspects of the film. Many better films never make it to market and why junk flicks like this one do and never seem to go away is one of life's great mysteries. (D-)
Feeling Moody___Very Moody...Like This
- moderniste
- Apr 28, 2012
- Permalink
a moment in time and place
The movie starts with Wren stealing a pair of outrageous sunglasses from a lady in the NYC subway. She's putting up flyers promoting herself in the hopes of gaining a foothold in the punk scene. She sees herself as an upstart promoter. She schemes and scrape but mostly she's at the bottom of the barrel. The punk scene is moving to L.A. while NY music is advancing in other genres. Paul is infatuated the first moment he sees her in the subway. He tries to date her but she treats him poorly. She gets locked out of her apartment after failing to pay the rent. While on a date with Paul, she meets Eric from a defunct one-hit-wonder punk band Smithereens.
This starts well as a fascinating look into a time and a place. Wren is an interesting character although Paul is a bit too pathetic. It's too bad that neither actors are terribly charismatic. It's a small indie and it may be asking too much to discover some future star. This is a life slowly grinding downwards. It's a bit tiring to see her life go to naught as nothing ever seems to work. It's a worthy first feature from indie director Susan Seidelman.
This starts well as a fascinating look into a time and a place. Wren is an interesting character although Paul is a bit too pathetic. It's too bad that neither actors are terribly charismatic. It's a small indie and it may be asking too much to discover some future star. This is a life slowly grinding downwards. It's a bit tiring to see her life go to naught as nothing ever seems to work. It's a worthy first feature from indie director Susan Seidelman.
- SnoopyStyle
- Mar 7, 2019
- Permalink
Realistic, absorbing.
We know people like this: rootless, aimless, self-absorbed, and using. This is a realistic portrait of such a young woman who, when everything smashes to "smithereens," may or may not have an epiphany, in an ending reminiscent of the last frame in 400 Blows. Great directorial debut.
The dream
A lot of the reviewers focus on the waning punk scene of the Village in the early 80s, but this is really irrelevant to the movie. Wren, our heroine, is just one of thousands since the 1920s looking for "the dream" of success while living in a trash can or other men's pants. Susan Seidelman did an outstanding job of capturing the desperation, the hopelessness, the lies, the dirt, and the total narcissism required of pursuing "the dream". Aptly, in one scene we see anti-hero Eric's room mate reading a comic called "Despair". While I myself was once a musician in NY (but an hour north of the city), being awake for days going from work to practice to gigs and back to work again, I had long ago disabused myself the idea of "the dream" - I had decided I enjoyed eating and sleeping in my own home more important. Playing music was for fun. But I played with people exactly like this, including a female lead singer who had once led exactly a Wren-ful life of sleeping in the street or some guy's van just to survive. I even had my own situation as a skull full of mush where I found myself dragging a suitcase and a portable TV down a street 1500 miles from home with exactly enough money for a ticket back - leaving me with a dollar to last me three days, with which is more than Wren ended up. That final shot encapsulates the nightmare masquerading as a dream perfectly. "Smithereens" is nothing new - there are scores of movies since the silent era-days exactly like this. But capturing that mood so perfectly is pure art.
BTW - did anyone catch Chris Noth (of "Law and Order" fame) in the van?
- mdinaz-80608
- Apr 26, 2020
- Permalink
Starts out good, but goes to boredom
Considering the extremely low budget, this film is pretty impressive. It starts out entertaining and absorbing as we get to know the main character and all the travels and travails she encounters on her quest for fame. However, the story doesn't develop much after that and pretty much goes nowhere, leaving the view bored and waiting for something to materialize.