Bomb the System (2002)

A tribute to graffiti art and the city where it all began. Blest, a 19-year-old graffiti writer, has just graduated from high school. With no ambition toward mainstream goals of work and ... See full summary »

Director:

Adam Bhala Lough

Writer:

Adam Bhala Lough

Stars:

Mark Webber, Gano Grills, Jade Yorker

6 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mark Webber	...	Anthony 'Blest' Campo
Gano Grills	...	Justin 'Buk 50' Broady
Jade Yorker	...	Kevin 'Lune' Broady
Jaclyn DeSantis	...	Alexandra
Joey Dedio	...	Hazer
Stephen Buchanan	...	Noble
Al Sapienza	...	Officer Bobby Cox
Bonz Malone	...	Officer Nole Shorts
Donna Mitchell	...	Diane Campo
Kumar Pallana	...	Kumar Baba
Blake Lethem	...	Lazaro
Dylan Mikson	...	Gabriel
Joshua Gustin	...	Young Blest
KaDee Strickland	...	Toni
Semz	...	Knife

Storyline

A tribute to graffiti art and the city where it all began. Blest, a 19-year-old graffiti writer, has just graduated from high school. With no ambition toward mainstream goals of work and family, he spends his time bombing the city with graffiti messages until he and his crew become the most wanted bombers by the corrupt NYPD Vandal Squad. He even attracts major media and gallery attention for his tags. Also part of Blest's crew are Buk 50 and his younger brother Lune, whose arrest and beating by the NYPD causes the crew to wage a full-on graffiti war against the city. As they fight with their spray cans and their tags, Blest meets a political activist, Alexandra. Soon after, Blest's relationship with Buk 50 and the crew fragments as Blest ponders his position in life.

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Plot Keywords:

graffiti | fight the system | friend | street art | drug use

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Taglines:

Graffiti Can Be A Powerful Weapon

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language, drug use, some violence and sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

MySpace official page

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hindi

Release Date:

December 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vomva sto systima

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$9,176 (USA) (27 May 2005)

Gross:

$14,865 (USA) (10 June 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bomb the System LLC, Drops Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

The word "precinct" is misspelled in the newspaper headline that is seen after the undercover police car is tagged with graffiti.

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Connections

Featured in The 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2004)

User Reviews

Slow starter gets interesting in the second half when 'tagging' turns to tragedy!

The dedicated practitioners of graffiti art in New York City get dramatically profiled in a film shot 'guerilla' style late at night in order to simulate the 'danger' involved with the only art form that's against the law.

Stereotypical 'bad' cops continually stalk the intrepid band of 'taggers' while 'Blest' (Mark Webber) truly is the most artistically blessed member of the gang as he readies an art exhibit of his best work.

However, this film doesn't really become interesting until Blest becomes involved with 'Alexandra' (Jaclyn DeSantis), a political activist who anonymously paints the words 'Bomb the System' all over the city sidewalks using a cleverly modified shopping bag that has a stencil cut into the bottom.

As the police become more and more of a factor the dangers that Blest faces by hanging with his friends causes him to make some hard decisions. Worth watching for some great night shots of New York City and an amazing sequence on the top of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Check it out!