New York Beat Movie (1981)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Edo Bertoglio

Writer:

Glenn O'Brien (writer)

Release Date:

14 March 2001 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The film is a day in the life of a young artist, Jean Michel Basquiat, who needs to raise money to reclaim...

Plot Keywords:

Artist | Graffiti | 1980s | Street Life | New York City

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ted Bafaloukos	...	Junk Dealer
Tom Baker	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Eszter Balint	...	Herself
Jean Michel Basquiat	...	Himself
Roberta Bayley	...	Street Girl
Snooky Bellomo	...	Manic Panic Girl
Tish Bellomo	...	Manic Panic Girl
Bemshi	...	Dancer
Victor Bockris	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Byron Bowie	...	Himself
Joe Bowie	...	Himself - Trombonist, James White & The Blacks
Diane Brill	...	Kid Creole Announcer
John Browner	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Steven Brown	...	Himself
Clem Burke	...	The Felons band member
Anne Carlisle	...	Fashion Show Model (as Ann Carlyle)
James Chance	...	James White
Ma Chang	...	Himself
Marshall Chess	...	Thief
Mickey Clean	...	Pot Dealer
Carol Coleman	...	Herself
Diego Cortez	...	Fist-fighter at the Mudd Club
Kid Creole		(as August Darnell)
Ronnie Cutrone	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Jimmy Destri	...	Taxi Driver
Tomas Doncker	...	Himself - Guitarist, James White & The Blacks
George Dubose	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Lori Eastside	...	Herself
Barbara Egan	...	Fashion Show Model
Fab 5 Freddy	...	Graffiti Artist
Tav Falco	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Lenny Ferrari	...	Himself
Bradley Field	...	Studio Manager
Vincent Gallo	...	Himself
Karen Geniece	...	Herself - Guitarist, Walter Steding & The Dragon People
Patrick Geooffrois	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Giorgio Gomelsky	...	The Landlord
Winston Grennan	...	Himself - Drummer, Kid Creole & The Coconuts
Ronnie Griffith	...	Herself
Bobby Grossman	...	East Village Junkie
Vinnie Grouppi	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Richie Harrison	...	Himself
Deborah Harry	...	Fairy Godmother
Kristian Hoffman	...	A&R Person
Michael Holman	...	Michael
Adriana Kaegi	...	Herself
Patrice Kamins	...	Fashion Show Model
Arto Lindsay	...	Himself
Andrew Lloyd	...	Himself
Lucille	...	Fashion Show Model
Hal Ludacer	...	Fashion Show Model
John Lurie	...	Himself
Compton Maddux	...	Limo Driver
Cherie Marilyn	...	Dancer
Maripol	...	Fashion Designer
Steve Mass	...	Drunk at the Go-Go Bar
Debi Mazar	...	Peppermint Lounge Dancer
Mark Mazur	...	Himself
David McDermott
Mitsuru	...	Make-up Artist
Haoui Montaug	...	Club Doorman
Daniela Morera	...	Mrs. Cavalcanti
Ikue Mori	...	Herself
John Morton	...	Peppermint Lounge Doorman
Olivier Mosset	...	Bike Rider
Cookie Mueller	...	2nd Go-Go Dancer
Coati Mundi	...	Himself
Elliott Murphy	...	Rock Star
Chica Nakanishi	...	Herself - Vocalist, The Plastics
Toshio Nakanishi	...	Himself
Bern Nix	...	Himself
Glenn O'Brien	...	Neil Barlowe
Vicki Pedersen	...	Dresser
Amos Poe	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Cheryl Poirier	...	Herself
Peter Principle	...	Himself
'Lee' George Quinones	...	Graffiti Artist
Catherine Rebennack	...	1st Go-Go Dancer
Blaine Reininger	...	Himself
Danny Rosen	...	Danny
Lisa Rosen	...	The Maid
Steve Sabato	...	Car Seller
Anita Sarko	...	D.J.
Ernest Scaglione	...	Go-Go Bar Manager
Cyndy Schneidau	...	Nurse
Millie Schneidau	...	Nurse
Peter Schott	...	Himself
Anna Schroeder	...	The Love Interest
Takemi Shima	...	Himself - Drummer, The Plastics
Benedicte Siroux	...	Fashion Show Model
Larry 'Ratso' Sloman	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Lindzee Smith	...	Club Owner
Steven Z. Soszynski	...	Grocer
Walter Steding	...	Himself
Chris Stein	...	The Felons band member
Dave Street	...	Musician
Michael Sullivan	...	Himself - Maracasist, The Felons
Claudia Summers	...	Friend in Park
Betsy Sussler	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Hajime Tachibana	...	Himself
Snuky Tate	...	Himself
Marty Thau	...	Record Mogul
Colin Wade	...	Himself
Richard Weigand	...	Doctor
Saul Williams	...	Jean-Michel Basquiat (voice)
Tim Wright	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Downtown 81 (USA) (recut version)
Glenn O'Brien's New York Beat Movie (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

France:73 min | Japan:75 min | USA:72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

France:U

Trivia:

In 1981, financial problems prevented the post-production and release of the film. Subsequently, parts of the film became lost over the years. After much searching, the missing materials were located in 1998. Finally, post production began in 1999 and the film was released in 2000.

Quotes:

Jean Michel Basquiat: I'm an artist. When you tell people that they usually say, 'what's your medium?' I usually say, 'extra large.'

Movie Connections:

Featured in Basquiat (1996)

Soundtrack:

Drum Mode

A snapshot of 1981 Post-Punk, New-Wave Manhattan

Usually referred to by its original title "DOWNTOWN 81", the film gives a snapshot of life in run-down Lower East Side Manhattan in the early '80s. Shot in 1981, the film portrays the day-to-day routine of Jean-Michel Basquiat, "graffiti"-artist, musician, or perhaps more accurately, artist in general, as he tries to survive amidst rappers, junkies, strippers, models and uptown art-lovers. Due to financial difficulties, the film apparently got lost, but part of the original material was recovered in 1998 and was finally released in the year 2000. The original soundtrack remained lost, so Basquiat's voice had to be dubbed.

It's an interesting time-capsule of Post-Punk, New-Wave New York, with a sometimes fascinating compilation of interesting vignettes from the scene, but as a movie, it's less rewarding. The story is practically non-existent and there is no acting really, as everybody play themselves. There's much resemblance to the experimental films Andy Warhol made about the New York art scene. It's a typical example of a "fiction" film with a very lose story line combined with mostly real-life characters from the period, like Deborah Harry, Fab Five Freddy, the music of Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Tuxemodoon, The Plastics, DNA, The Lounge Lizards and Basquiat himself with his own band, Gray. A long segment in the film is reserved for a live performance of Kid Creole and the Coconuts. If you're a fan, it's great fun.

In the end a mixed bag, a film mainly of interest for fans of Basquiat and the music of the era. So, if you like the period, it's definitely worth checking out.

Camera Obscura --- 7/10