Born to Lose (DVD) 

 
(Vanguard) www.vanguard-cinema.com
www.borntolose.com
Directed by Doug Cawker
Starring: "The Spoilers"

Make no mistake, this is a t-shirt movie. Not that that's a bad thing. I mean, "Sid and Nancy" was a t-shirt movie too, and that was a classic, right? It's just that 6 months from now, when I think back on "Born to Lose", the first thing I'm going to remember is the Dead Boys and GG Allin t-shirts worn by the Spoilers throughout the film. I think I might have even ordered the Dead Boys t-shirt afterwards. Who bankrolled this movie, Infinity 1? Anyway, "Born To Lose" (not to be confused with the Johnny Thunders documentary of the same name, although I'm sure it will be) is a punk rock mockumentary, about the ups and downs (mostly downs) of a semi-fictional LA punk combo called the Spoilers, formerly known as the Have Nots. Both bands were led by Stevie Monroe (Joseph Rye), a classic British sleaze punk with an attitude as bad as his thick-assed accent. Born to Lose begins in the middle, with the Spoilers spinning their wheels, looking for a break. Stevie is swimming against the tide with his Johnny Thunders influenced razor rock band in a scene rife with straight edge hardcore kids and clueless band mates. He sees an opportunity to bring things to the next level when he meets up with Lisa (Elyse Ashton), an evil PR ("public relations", not Puerto Rican) girl that still dresses like a goth chick from 1987, who sees some glimmer of greatness in the Spoilers, and convinces a local label honcho to record them. Things go significantly wrong in no time, however, since Lisa is a junkie, and she quickly recruits Stevie into her zombie drug punk brigade. Together, the duo turn into a couple of pale faced creeps, and the band breaks up. End of story. 

You've got to applaud Cawker for his sense of realism- that's what happens, after all, when drugs and sour girls are introduced into the pathology of a rock and roll band. There's no triumphant reunion tour in Japan in store for the Spoilers, as the film's title makes obvious. There's plenty of inter-band bickering along the way down though, as well as a smattering of disastrous gigs, interviews, and a dive-bombing recording session. All of which makes "Born to Lose" probably the most honest portrayal of what it's like being in a low level punk band to date. I mean, besides actually being in one, which is entirely too much trouble. 

Shot in gritty, grainy, documentary style, "Born to Lose" throws you right in the middle of the rock and roll action, but they might have leaned a little too heavily on what it's really like, because the dialogue is a bitch to make out in a few scenes, and unlike being at the rock show, there's no one to scream right into you ear to clarify. Sub-titles would have aided the experience greatly. Otherwise, though, it's got all the requisite pathos and humor inherent to punk rock, and a killer soundtrack as well, featuring Texas Terri, Street walkin' Cheetahs, Lazy Cowgirls, and the Joneses, among others. And it's got cool t-shirts, as well. - Sleazegrinder