The Runnin’ Kind

The Runnin’ Kind (1989) is a scrappy L.A. punk movie that works more as a scene document than a polished comedy. Written by Pleasant Gehman, it follows an Ohio teen who comes to Los Angeles chasing music and gets pulled into the underground club world.

What gives the movie its real punk value is the authenticity: it was shot in Los Angeles and Hollywood, and the band in the film is not just a prop but a real group from the scene, the Screaming Sirens. That makes it feel less like a Hollywood idea of punk and more like a local postcard from the actual late-’80s LA circuit.

The soundtrack helps sell the vibe, with soundtrack credits including songs like “Love Wreck,” “Tumbleweed,” and “Your Good Girl (Is Gonna Go Bad)”. For punk and cult-movie fans, The Runnin’ Kind is one of those obscure titles that matters because it captured a specific subculture while it was still happening.