"SLC Punk!" put our fair city's counterculture on the map 25 years ago this week, when the angsty comedy was released nationally in theaters.

Flashback: Come with us to 1999 to see how time has treated the cult classic that taught the world you can't sink a car in the Great Salt Lake.

Did we like it?

Back then: Director, writer and Judge Memorial Catholic High School graduate James Merendino earned decent reviews for his Sundance and Cannes debut about local deadbeats nursing their ennui with drugs, fisticuffs and Manic Panic.

Nowadays: It's required viewing if you live here, so liking it is beside the point, but we do, as Matthew Lillard's performance holds up.

Reality check

Back then: The punks of 1999 thought it misrepresented their scene, Merendino told City Weekly in 2013.

Yes, but: Merendino was himself an SLC punk in the '80s, when the semi-autobiographical film is set. He went to shows at the Indian Center — a once-legendary punk venue that still stands as an Indigenous resource center — and got in fights there, as depicted in the movie.

Nowadays: Misfit locals will relate to the regional layers of conservatism in a scene that got big laughs at the '99 Sundance screening.

• "In this complex world of fascism that was Utah state policy, we had only one choice if we wanted real beer: Wyoming," main character Stevo says as his mohawked "tribe" leaves Mormon Utah on I-80, only to be chased out of Evanston by gun-wielding Christian fundamentalist preppers.

On location

"How the Mormon settlers looked upon this valley and felt that it was the promised land is beyond me," Stevo muses in a voiceover. "Maybe it looked different back then."

• Let's see whether it looks different 25 years after the movie's release.

State liquor store, 205 W. 400 South

Same building. Same shelves. Same overhead lights. And the Print Shop-ish wine varietal signs remained for at least another 20 years.

Stevo and Heroin Bob's apartment

The building still stands, in all its industrial glory!

• It's the old Big D Construction location at 400 West 400 South — not a place where jobless punks could afford a tower apartment these days.

Filming location mystery

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Salt Lake City may be welcoming an NHL franchise before it gets an MLB team.

The big picture: Arizona Coyotes players were told Friday that they were moving to Utah as the NHL and Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith attempt to facilitate a sale, ESPN reported.

• The team could begin playing at the Delta Center as early as next season. The potential relocation comes as the franchise faces arena issues in Arizona.

Zoom in: Bringing an NHL franchise to Utah has the backing of local and state officials.

• Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill last month that would help fund a new NHL arena downtown by increasing sales tax.

What they're saying: "We're showing that we're ready and that's what we're putting forward," Ryan Smith told The Athletic on his conversations with the NHL. "We talk to them frequently. They know our interest. They see what's going on. They see the value, and they're intrigued."

What's next: An official announcement could come as soon as this week, according to ESPN.

What we're watching: Salt Lake City and the Larry H. Miller Company are campaigning for an MLB expansion team, with a new stadium proposed on the west side.

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🗳️ Natalie Cline, the embattled state school board member who prompted calls for her resignation after questioning a high school athlete's gender, lost her re-election bid on Saturday at the Salt Lake County GOP Convention. (AP)

• Amanda Bollinger, an administrator for Jordan School District, garnered enough support to win the Republican nomination.

🎺 Ogden School District's mariachi program is expanding to more schools as Weber County's Latino communities grow. (KSL.com)

🚨 The Provo Police Department investigated a bomb threat targeting a local bookstore that was holding an all-ages drag story hour. A Salt Lake City bookstore received a similar bomb threat last September, canceling a scheduled drag story event. (ABC 4)

This season for the Utah Jazz wasn't pretty — they finished with a 31-51 record.

The big picture: After six straight playoff berths, the Jazz have now finished the last two years with a losing record.

Between the lines: This was expected after the team entered a rebuild after former head coach Quin Snyder's departure and trading two all-stars: Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Yes, but: After a surprising 37-win season last year, there was hope the team could compete for at least the NBA Play-In Tournament in coach Will Hardy's second year.

Zoom in: Here are five numbers that defined the Jazz's 2023-24 season.

13: The Jazz's longest losing streak of the season. Utah was 29-37 before the wheels came off and the team failed to win a game for nearly a month.

27: The number of games both Jordan Clarkson and Lauri Markkanen, two of the Jazz's best players, missed this season.

3: Remember the number and the name Keyonte George. The rookie showed a ton of promise this year, averaging nearly 13 points and 27 minutes per game.

120.5: Utah's defense was among the worst in the league, as opposing teams average more than 120 points per game against them.

2014: The last year the Jazz finished the season with more than 50 losses.

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