This was an excellent documentary. I was thoroughly educated about the No Wave film movment. I will probably buy a book about it and read more in detail. I think I would even show the film as part of an American Film History class.
The film talks about the depression that the Lower East Side was in. Whole buildings were vacant and run down. Artists willing to take a chance could live there cheaply, yet it was dangerous. Jim Jarmusch is one of the biggest names to come out of the No Wave movement. I was also interested to learn about Amos Poe. But the films are hard to find and expensive for DVDs which is the format that they are on. I found a few films that the documentary mentions. Some of the others might be lost because they were shot on home movie cameras.
It was interesting to see the New York art scene of the early eighties growing, but not getting into the mainstream. At the end of the film with the dawning of the MTV generation the scene began to change. It was less edgy. At least one commentator said that MTV took the Lower East Side style and put it on MTV. However true that was, I do remember several video jockeys having a distinct downtown style about them. Like "downtown julie brown."
I've been downtown many times and everytime I feel overwhelmed, yet in my comfort zone. There are numerous movie theaters around, small places to eat, and interesting places. Sometimes I think about moving there and becoming part of the art scene in NYC. Now I guess it's Brooklyn where the artists live because Manhattan has become too expensive. I keep looking for a place where I'd be able to live like an artist. It's getting tougher and tougher. This film shows a different time and place which gave rise to some really films, paintings, songs, etc.
Can't wait to go down there again.
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