Even before the opening titles collapse in their clamor, punk provocateur Jon Moritsugu (Hippy Porn, My Degeneration) declares “Teenage Hate Now!” Strange proclamation for a love story about two teens, albeit teens lost in a dreary wasteland of punked-out peers, suicidal fantasists, and mod bikers with bongs. London (played by Amy Davis, darling of the depressed) lives in a trashy apartment, her “box of disease,” with a strung-out mom and sib X-Ray, who’s hyped-up about the coming rumble with rival “Nipponese” bikers. Moritsugu plays “the yellow stud,” leader of the pack, but this is a Warholian wasteland of insensate actors, so the bikers respond with rigor (mortis) to such epithets as “Hunan chickens” and “rice jockeys.” For her part, London has a bad case of angst in her pants, summarized by the snarling realization: “I am the two words—Fuck and Up.” Roaring with a punk soundtrack, the meaty MFX is definitely not about race, unless it’s on a road to nowhere. (Look for the scene shot in the Berkeley Art Museum.)

—Steve Seid

• Written by Moritsugu. Photographed by Todd Verow. With Amy Davis, Desi del Valle, Jacques Boyreau, Victor Fischbarg. (70 mins, Color, 16mm, From Jon Moritsugu)

Preceded by short:
Rev (Seoungho Cho, U.S., 1997) smears a cityscape into dreamy oscillations, accompanied by Stephen Vitiello’s processed guitar. (11:30 mins, Color, 3/4” Video, From Electronic Arts Intermix)

• (Total running time: 82 mins)