“…neatly captured the sneer and swagger of 30-year-old punk without snickering or jabbing you in the ribs. The beauty of The Last Pogo is that it is Everypunk’s story. Skinny ties, nerdy lead singers, angry young men, short songs with sharp chords. The brief interviews reveal bursts of enthusiasm, passionate, ideological beliefs, plus the usual in-fighting between bands.”

Review by Jack Rabid in "The Big Takeover" issue #63:
"Wow! I’ve been hearing about this 25-minute movie for 29 years, and it’s amazing to
view it now! What a window to a time that was rarely documented: the pre-hardcore,
original punk era when it was astonishingly fresh, creative, rule-busting, and shot full
of newborn energy/excitement. It’s Toronto, December 3, 1978, a three-camera,
good-sounding film (not video) of seven bands (one song each) playing at the farewell
concert of premier punk club, The Horseshoe Tavern. The stars are Teenage Head and
The Viletones, known from collectible singles—but not footage. Lesser known
openers prove equally supercharged, fascinating, and varied. The Scenics open like a
Canadian Velvet Underground; Cardboard Brains are more The Weirdos vein; The
Secrets add a taste of R&B/Skulls/Vibrators/U.K. Subs groove; The Ugly ripsnort
through a Dead Boys/Ramones dirty shockwave; and The Mods are Jam clones to a t
(or a suit and skinny tie!), but they’re excellent, fierce, and tight; Nazi Dog’s Viletones
make magically menacing three-chord rock, and, in the one song they were allowed
before cops stopped the show and punters rioted, Teenage Head cooks a classic rock
‘n’ roll infested chaos. Beyond that, is how vivid this film is, of a scene and
underground moment it captures. It’s not just the dancing and pogoing creatively
dressed, jazzed, skinny people—no idiot slam dancing and sneers—or the notorious
sweaty buzz the crowd gets from seven wired, wiry bands, or the pleasant sight of
punk’s front row ringed with women—led by impossibly cute punkette co-host
Margarita Passion. It’s that this was an art-meets-music lightning flash the likes of
which has never been replicated. Short but absolutely essential history comes alive!"
MAXIMUM ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, USA: ““Wondering what was happening in Toronto, Canada in 1978? THE LAST POGO documents the last night of punk rock at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern on December 1, 1978…great film.”
RAZORCAKES: “As much as a fan that I am of Canadian punk rock, I have to admit that my knowledge and collection are lacking in bands and information from the Eastern part of our country. I can tell you anything you need to know about The Subhumans, DOA, SNFU, Nomeansno, or Dayglo Abortions, but other than Teenage Head, The Viletones, and Forgotten Rebels, I really have no sense of history as to what was happening out there at the dawn of punk.
Well, I wonder no more, as The Last Pogo has been released on DVD to fill in some blanks for me. Originally filmed in 1978 at the Horseshoe Tavern on the last night of punk bands after being kicked out, the movie showcases just what was going on in Toronto back then. Of course, Teenage Head and The Viletones are here, which is to be expected, but I was truly taken aback by how much I dug the other bands on here, especially The Scenics.
Visually, the film is a sight to behold: classic grainy, ‘70s film at its finest featuring a bunch of weirdoes in a really smoky bar playing strange music. I love it! It really reminds me of a live Stompin’ Tom Connors movie from the same era. Something about the vibe of this film is distinctly Canadian and I like that. I’d like to think that in any city across this country that a riot would break out if you cut Teenage Head off after one song. This is a great little history lesson that I would recommend to anyone.”
SUBURBAN VOICE, BOSTON: “This was the first time I’ve ever had the opportunity to see live footage of these bands and it definitely whets the appetite for more. Because, while not all the bands here are mesmerizing, I’m a punk history buff and enjoyed seeing it documented at the time it unfolded, as opposed to a more “modern” take like “American Hardcore.” Just a few extras—commentary by Chris Haight from the Viletones that you can play with the film and there’s also a full recorded-in-the-studio set from the Scenics that showcases their taut approach.”
THE LEFT HIP, MONTREAL “The Last Pogo is a great and enjoyable document of the fashion and music of that Toronto scene of the time. Both the sound and footage are surprisingly high-quality, especially in comparison to a lot of the sadly primitive documentation from the early punk and hardcore years. The bands are good too – if you actually find yourself watching this obscure DVD, you either already know and love these bands or you will want to seek out some records after seeing the film.”
EYE WEEKLY, TORONTO “THE LAST POGO, the legendary 30-minute short documenting “the last” punk rock show at the Horseshoe Tavern in 1978, finally gets a DVD release on Tuesday. The film features performances by Teenage Head, The Viletones, The Scenics and more, a glimpse of the near-riot that, ultimately, didn’t so much knock Toronto’s punk scene on the head as kick it into the future.”