Downtown 81

...document of life in downtown New York 1981. I saw this at the Stockholm film festival, November 2000. Apparently the film had just been completed. Where has it been for 20 years????

I loved seeing all of those people from the art and rock worlds. Jean Michel Basqiat is so cute and a good actor too! What a shame he died young. I didn´t know he had a band too. It´s fun seeing New Wave bands like Kid Creole and the Plastics. Gorgeous Debbie Harry is in it too!!! *sigh!*

Everyone is so colorful! I love the 80´s fashions... It has a dreamlike feel to it. See it if you can!

Has some really good music and performances; Kid Creole and the Coconuts, James White and the Blacks, DNA, Tuxedo Moon, the Plastics, Melle Mel, Vincent Gallo, Lydia Lunch...etc, but aside from this there isn't much more to it. The dialog, especially the narration(by Saul Williams), is actually pretty good, but the performances are all pretty bland or outright bad, no matter how many hipsters are thrown in; Debbie Harry and Jean Micheal Basquit(the latter being the leading role) both still don't have enough cultural cred to keep this film from being a novelty item. It goes for the a Jack Kerouac style roving spontaneity, but doesn't have the insight to keep it moving along, which is where the band performances come in. I guess its pretty balanced in that regard between great music and bad acting, and I did enjoy it, but I just expected more. Though it does have a fairy tale ending.

Nothing but the void, a pleasant one for those who have known the eighties, but well, quite boring for those who are not interested in it. NO screenplay in this film, but a hero wandering in an underground New York full of arstists and night clubbers. It is aimless, pointless and naive. But not entirely unpleasant.

For anybody born after 1990 that ever wondered what the 1980's was all about,this film may (or may not)answer a few questions. Jean Michelle Basquiat stars as himself,in a "day in the life" of a graffiti artist who is trying to raise some money to pay his rent. Along the way, he meets up with one interesting character after another. This film also features performances by some of the era's proto punk/New Wave/No Wave/Hip Hop/etc. musical acts (including out of towner's,Tuxedomoon,in what looks like a very hip music video that MTV would never even consider airing). This started out as 'Glenn O'Brien's New York Beat Movie'(O'Brien co-wrote the screenplay),but was shelved,due to a lack of finances before it was finished filming. The film was directed by Edo Bertoglio, has only directed one other film ('Face Addict'),like 'Beat Movie',dealt with the New York uptown/downtown art scene . The fact that over the years,the soundtrack became lost to time only made matters worse. In the late 1990's,however, the original 16mm negative was found (sans soundtrack),a new soundtrack was made up (using a brand new soundtrack,including a replacement voice over dub for Basquiat,who, had died in 1988),and the film was finally given a limited "art house" release in 2000,under the new title,'Downtown 81'. Not the best film depicting the 1980's,but certainly not the worst. Not rated,but contains some rude language.

I'd give it a 10 but I don't want to seem too irrational. I think this films acing was terrible, the voicing was as well, but for god's sakes people this is Jean Michel Basquiat. There is nothing I'd rather watch, I had a blast just sitting here watching this man play himself and understand how this guy made out in the world of art. I however get a kick from the feel and vibe and the subject matter. It's something that keeps me watching, as for someone who does not care for this subject matter, be ready to find something better to do or dream because this film most likely will not hold you any longer than the first few minutes. Olives. Me and my friend quoted that part about the olives. Good times, and yes I love the olives much. Always have, always will baby, but I hate martinis. And if yo don't like Basquiat's work but are into the subject matter, then give it a chance you might actually appreciate the time wasted on the film.