Penelope Spheeris

Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris, 1984
Spheeris in 2013
Born (1945-12-02) December 2, 1945 (age 78)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation(s)Film director, film producer, screenwriter
Years active1968–present
ChildrenAnna Fox
RelativesJimmie Spheeris (brother)
Chris Spheeris (cousin)
Costa-Gavras (cousin)

Penelope Spheeris (born December 2, 1945)[1] is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. She has directed both documentary and scripted films. Her best-known works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization, each covering an aspect of Los Angeles underground culture,[2] and Wayne's World, her highest-grossing film.[3]

  1. ^
    • Rombes, Nicholas (2010). A Cultural Dictionary of Punk. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 268. ISBN 9781441105059.
    • "The Punk Director: Penelope Spheeris Revisits Her Decline of Western Civilization Trilogy". Pitchfork. July 15, 2015.
    • Nelmes, Jill; Selbo, Jule (2015). Women Screenwriters: An International Guide. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137312372.
    • Tietjen, Jill; Bridges, Barbara (2019). Hollywood Her Story, An Illustrated History of Women and the Movies. Globe Pequot Press. ISBN 9781493037063.
    • Mattson, Kevin (2020). We're Not Here to Entertain. Oxford University Press. p. 48. ISBN 9780190908256.
  2. ^ "Penelope Spheeris". Woman's Hour. 21 July 2006. BBC. Radio 4. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  3. ^ Diamond, Jamie (April 12, 1992). "FILM; Penelope Spheeris: From Carny Life To 'Wayne's World'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-07-21.