Beat Street (1984)

An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture.

Director:

Stan Lathan

Writers:

Steven Hager (story by) (as Steve Hager), Andrew Davis (screenplay by) (as Andy Davis)

Stars:

Rae Dawn Chong, Guy Davis, Jon Chardiet

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rae Dawn Chong	...	Tracy
Guy Davis	...	Kenny
Jon Chardiet	...	Ramon
Leon W. Grant	...	Chollie
Saundra Santiago	...	Carmen
Robert Taylor	...	Lee
Mary Alice	...	Cora (as Mary Alice Smith)
Shawn Elliott	...	Domingo (as Shawn Elliot)
Jim Borrelli	...	Monte
Dean Elliott	...	Henry
Franc Reyes	...	Luis
Tonya Pinkins	...	Angela
Lee Chamberlin	...	Alicia
Antonia Rey	...	Flora
Duane Jones	...	Robert

Storyline

The gang wars and violence of the '60's have given way to the hip-hop culture. No longer do warlords and their gangs roam the streets possessively guarding their territory. But rather, break dancers, rappers, DJs, and graffiti artists have expanded their territory and goals beyond immediate physical borders.

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Plot Keywords:

hood | funeral | santa claus | dance movie | hip hop | 

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Taglines:

Get down, brother, shuffle those feet, shake a little boogie to the sound of that beat.

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Fast Break (who appeared in the Treacherous Three sequence), there was a classroom up-rocking battle scene that involved the New York City Breakers and the Rock Steady Crew, but it was cut. There was also more of the climatic battle between these two crews at the Roxy nightclub.

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Goofs

During the Roxy breakdancing battle, the three actors to the left of Rae Dawn Chong - a brunette woman, a blonde woman, and a man with a mustache - keep change the order they are standing next to one another.

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Quotes

Kenny 'Double K' Kirkland: Check it out: Cotton Field Chants and Hollers - Very Fresh!

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Alternate Versions

UK theatrical prints were edited by four seconds to obtain a "PG" rating. The 1986 and 2002 video releases were uncut and received a "15" classification, though in 2008 the rating was downgraded to "12," again without cuts.

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Connections

Featured in How Hip Hop Changed the World (2011)

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Soundtracks

It's All Right by Me
Performed by Jenny Burton

User Reviews

Masterpiece of 80's nostalgia

Cinematically, this film stinks. So does a lot of the acting. But I

don't care. If there is a strong representation of what the 80's were

like(For a lot of us in the innercity anyways) and what hip-hop, Zulu

nation, and break dancing were really like.Great music, great

dancing! It almost seems like a documentary of a time now past

when hip-hop was a way of life. It's also interesting to see New

York looking like ground zero from a nuclear attack. Some viewers

may be too young to remember that It was a poor, run down city

during the 70's and 80's. This is the best of all the hip-hop/break

dancing movies that came out around that period. Of course the

80's are considered a joke now with all the bad tv shows and

movies, but those of us who lived through it will always remember

it fondly for a time when music, dancing, and graffiti were fresh, yo!

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Perfect Beat

Filming Locations:

South Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,218,040, 10 June 1984

Gross USA:

$16,595,791

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,595,791

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1