The Circle Jerks were always one of the most explosive, engaging and wildly enjoyable forces in punk rock: a militant shock troupe whose mixture of frantic hedonism, naked aggression, withering whimsy and walloping music was never less than flabbergasting. There ain't hyperbole lurid enough to attempt to began to convey the heat and velocity at which the band has consistently operated, a fact that makes the arrival of director Dave Markey's jolting new jerkumentary, Circle Jerks: My Career as a Jerk, such a welcome event. For those who experienced firsthand the group's weaponized punk-rock stylings, it's a glorious reminder of how dangerous some types of pleasure can be; for those just immersing themselves in the Keith Morris–brewed vat of glorious self-destructo shenanigans, it's a vivid look into punk's artistic past that rates as equal parts instruction manual and Scared Straight cautionary tale. Filmmaker Markey will join band members Greg Hetson and Lucky Lehrer for a post-mortem gab fest. Don't be stupid, kids, go! Part of Don't Knock the Rock Festival. Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater, 611 N Fairfax Ave.; Thurs., Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m.; $12. (323) 655-2510, cinefamily.org.

Thu., Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m., 2012

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