Downtown 81
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Movie Reviews of Downtown 81
Movie Review: You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares, so go downtown
Summary: 5 Stars
In this magical feature film, artist extraordinaire Jean-Michel Basquiat is in full form, nineteen and almost ready to hear those post-graffiti fan screams. In one day, we see him leave a hospital having suffered some mysterious illness, get evicted from his run down East Village apartment, try to sell a painting, get paid for it by check, have his band's equipment stolen, chase down a beautiful model he had met, and live life to the fullest. For the artistically inclined, it is a wondrous sight to see Basquiat graffiti writing his poetic revelations on decrepit walls and in books. Little vignettes abound when Basquiat, bright eyed and bushy tailed, runs into his artist friends including Fab Five Freddy, Lee Quinones, and Debby Harry (of Blondie). The film is interspersed with performances by new wave artists including: Kid Creole and the Coconuts, The Plastics, James White and the Blacks, DNA, etc, punctuated with scenes of the rhythms and rap of hip hop. To say this film technically looks a little low budget would be an understatement. But that is where its charm lies. The simple hand held nature of the camera coincides with the innocence and exuberance of these artists before they are swept away into the artistic halls of stardom. Downtown 81 offers a fictionalized version of a day in the life of the young Jean-Michel, a day that included drawing, creating, laughing, and dancing. Although he died only seven years later, in this film, we are reminded of the pleasure he took with his friends in providing us the masterpieces he has left behind. -Danelle AugustinMovie Review: Great footage of Basquiat
Summary: 5 Stars
This film is raw. You get to peek back to the 1980s New York art scene and feel like you're walking down the streets and into the clubs with Basquiat. It's incredible to see the man behind the myth, even if it is just a snapshot. I had been disappointed by Jeffrey Wright's portrayal of Basquiat in the 1996 film and was always curious to see some footage of the real Basquiat so watching this film was an incredible experience. Unfortuntely you don't get to see him paint. The film also feels unfinished, but I recall reading somewhere that they didn't get all of the footage they wanted. I loved the fairy tale mood they were going for, but it could have been more emphatic. They could have had Basquiat draw on the film reel to create cartoonish figures in the frames and they could have used more devices to create a parable. Debbie Harry pops up briefly in the film. Brilliant time capsule back to NYC with Basquiat.Movie Review: Eerily timeless & worth owning for Basquiat fans & early '80s scene
Summary: 5 Stars
Initially dubious about this film, I read every Amazon review before purchasing and was pleased to find the quality and substance even better than I'd hoped. I love the movie "Basquiat" and now I'm amazed how well it portrayed the artist & his life, having now seen Downtown 81. Don't miss the Special Features, particularly the photo galleries; it was gratifying to learn than many of the talented people associated with the film have really made something of their lives. We can only wonder what more Basquiat would have achieved or how his art would have evolved if he were alive today. But at least we have his art of the '80s, and this film.Movie Review: a bunch of artists glorifying their scene--as they well should.
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're expecting a documentary of Basquiat, you will be sorely dissapointed. If you're expecting a movie qua movie, you'll be less dissapointed, but not as much. Downtown 81 is at the very least an art film that happens to feature Basquiat, as well as the "stars" of nyc circa '79. If you have never seen films of this type you are in for a ride. Apropos of this genre, Downtown 81 is ostensibly low budget, quirky, but most of all, historical. Historical not in the sense that it is an important film, but rather historical as a document. Not since Mondo New York have i encountered a film that captures so well the feeling, mood, vibe, and color of this so very interesting period in both the underground of New York, but also the art scene. I would even add that it gives one a glimpse of life in general in what the description on the reverse of the package calls "pre-Giuliani New York"; a very different Manhatten than what we all might expect.
As both a fan of Basquiat and of Schnabel's movie, I would assume the other fans of either or both will find this film quite entertaining. Otherwise, I recommend it for anyone interested in the 80's art scene, the early nyc punk/new wave scene, or those curious about the underbelly of the nyc of this period.
Additionally, what makes this release so interesting and important are the extras, especially the segment from an early cable tv show featuring Basquiat during the SAMO years.
All in all, not a bad bang for the buck, as well as a great addition to any cd collection of one whose curiosity has been piqued by this particular time.
Movie Review: A trippy almost surreal peek into the 80s New York art scene
Summary: 4 Stars
If you can bypass the bad,out of sync dialogue(It seems the original master audio might have been lost and recreated solely for the re-issue)this is a really good ,dare I say it, art movie. It's a rare treat for anyone to see classic No Wave bands like DNA,Tuxedomoon & James White and the Blacks on film,hands down. And who can ever say even one bad word about the Japanese band the Plastics? My only slight beef with the film was that it sometimes tried to drive the point too much in the premise that "This is New York,baby!!! We're the center of the world!" Also,it vacillated between Basquiat,his syntax art and the bands so often you weren't sure what was the film's true focus. Still,for a 21 year old lost movie(that survived only by the master negative being locked away and forgotten)it's a gem of a period piece. The special appearance by Debbie Harry makes things even more quirky. Very definitely an excellent companion video to the Basquiat biopic.