This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

New York 1982: So the films first title card states. In a previous review I had expressed my love for the aesthetic of "The Big Apple" in the 1970's and early 1980's. This documentary is expressive of the artistic movement of the time. Poverty and degradation always produces great art and movements that alter popular culture. And it all begins with the underground: or the Subculture. In the late '70's, punk erupted from the Bowery, and in the Bronx came a series of artistic movements that eventually changed the world. From the ghettos hip hop was formed, along with the expressive street dance known as break dancing, which was developed from new, "mixed" beats, and along with this subcultural street form came graffiti. This was a completely new form of expression when this film was produced, but watching this now conjures much more.In the 21st century we have seen the rise of British graffiti artist Banksy, who has essentially revolutionised the form. Still keeping the allure of the artist-as-criminal (in the sense that he has never revealed his identity), Banksy commands millions of pounds/dollars for each piece that he has created. This year in his home town, Bristol, there has been a local government commission of graffiti that even extends into a piece sprayed on to a police station. This is a far cry from the criminality that graffiti held when this film was made. It's incredible that a major part of this once subculture now has become a part of the prime-time television that many watch today. The main thing I am thinking of here is the "street" dance group that was Diversity, who was successful on Britain's Got Talent. This would not have happened had it not been for the ghettos of New York's developing "breakin'". (as a side note, in 1984, the break dance movement was inevitably abused for a Hollywood movie, Breakin' (or as I remember it, Breakdance the Movie (1984)).(Note: as pseudo-gonzo writing (wow that's pretentious), I will go off on tangents in the review, as I am very interested in this subject).We follow in this film several, very young artists, who are incredibly passionate about their art. They are also very articulate. At various times we are shown the creation of pieces that clearly show that these are not random acts of vandalism, but are in fact carefully planned works of expression. As they outline the wall-art, they hold paper sketches that have been planned before "hitting the streets". As the graffiti was never going to be a permanent thing, these artist were smart enough to photograph most of what they created, which shows that they were aware of it's value. Without this much of these would be lost.Of course, just like any art form the quality is varied. But like all art, it is totally subjective. One persons art is another persons idea of the demise of civilisation. The New York art scene did, very early on, embrace this as a form of art, but it was still seen (and to be fair, largely still is) as vandalism. Pop art had previously revolutionised the art world in the 1960's in New York, particularly with Andy Warhol, and he was one of the first to see that graffiti was an extension of this form. He took into his flock Jean-Michel Basquiat, who had started as a street artist, and was catapulted in the art world. Unfortunately his life was short-lived as he died of a heroin overdose in 1988.The film does also highlight (however small it is) the opposite argument of the subject. The outcry of vandalism was palpable at the time. What is shown is the expensive process of the eradication of the "art". But this is less interesting than the world of these artists, who are absolutely involved in every part of these subcultural changes. Each are involved in the art, the dance and the music. On a personal level, I have always appreciated wall art. It certainly makes for more interesting sites on a train journey, when colourful, sometimes beautiful art, adorns the grey walls that line the railway lines. OK, so it's subjective. But then all art is.The contemporary aspect of the film does highlight the absolute racism of this art form. We see young whites interviewed who participate in the work, who say that, whilst the paint used is expensive, it is so much easier for them to enter a shop and purchase $100.00 worth of spray cans, whilst their black and Puerto Rican counter-parts have much problems when doing the same thing.A great piece of contemporary film making, that resonates with our 21st century life. Particularly when viewed with the popular success of our very own Banksy. Things may have changed, but street art is still a crime, simply as the general public cannot accept the difference between art that is displayed in galleries, and the art that we largely pass every day of our lives on our public walls (unless of course it has been authorised by the government).www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

'They call themselves writers because that's what they do. They write their names among other things everywhere. Names they've been given or have chosen for themselves. Most of all they write in and on subway trains, which carry their names from one end of the city to the other. It's called bombing. And it has equally assertive counterparts in rap music and break dancing'. According to Tony Silver, the maker of this documentary film on graffiti and hip hop culture.Back in the days when many neighborhoods in New York were still a crumbling wasteland, Major Koch (of course!) and the city workers responsible for the city's clean-up provide most of the laughs. One tormented Transport Authority official keeps complaining that the substance used to remove the paint also fogs the windows. A difficult choice. Either not getting a view from the windows because of the graffiti or because of the cleaning substance that fogs the windows.And what about that cheesy ad campaign with Hector Camacho and Alex Ramos? 'Take it from the champs, graffiti is for chumps. Make your mark in society, not on society'. And then in the press conference preceding the campaign. 'Mr mayor, are those posters graffiti proof?' 'Time will tell!' Camacho and Ramos must be scratching the back of their heads by now. Many of the writers they agitated against have become legends by now but who remembers these two chumps? It's hard to imagine the airwaves this caused when it first reached Europe. I think it was in 1985 when it first aired in the Netherlands and France and many other countries as well. Literally within months after this documentary was shown, cities like Amsterdam and Paris where bombed in a way they've never experienced before. Graffiti had made its mark, mostly by early pioneers that had their roots in the punk-scene, but after STYLE WARS the scene literally exploded and saw the beginning of hip hop culture in Europe as well. I think it's important to realize this film was much more influential in Europe. In the States it was the first major documentary on graffiti, but of a phenomenon that had existed for quite some time there, but in Europe - besides the early punk scene - it was unknown in 1983 and caused a huge stir. I've seen it many times now, but it never bores me. It remains just as vivid today as the first I saw it and it's subsequent historical significance just adds to the flavour when watching it again.The film is packed with so many memorable moments, it's hard to pick one out. One of the most mesmerizing scenes is when three writers hang around at a subway station on the platform and start rapping on the rhymes from "The Message", by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. After 30 seconds the actual song starts on the background just as the train rolls in. An amazing shot and a fantastic piece of editing, a wonderful scene! If there's anything like THE quintessential shot of New York City subcultures in 1982, this is it.Now the much needed DVD-release is there, given the deluxe treatment by Public Art Films with two discs and lots of extras. I could have done without the interview with Tony Silver, not the most charismatic person around but most of the other stuff is OK with lost of artist galleries, tributes to DONDI and SHY 147 and lots of guest interviews with Fab 5 Freddy, Goldie, Guru, DJ Red Alert and photographer Martha Cooper.Camera Obscura --- 9/10

I've just been browsing the comments of the Old skool hip hop classics like Beat Street, Wildstyle etc when I thought I would take a look at this one. Which is by far the best. I was surprised at the lack of comments as this really is a great in depth look at New York, at a time when the city was an exciting bubbling cauldron of sub culture. All before it was turned into a mass marketed commercial fabrication cashed in on by various corporations.The likes of Seen, Skeme, IztheWiz, kase2 amongst others give memorable dialogue and insights to their experiences. All of which very well pitched up against Mayor Koch and various Subway transit authority representatives pitching their political and social prerogatives against the Graffiti writers exploits. The cornerstone to this documentary ever being made was Henry Chalfant whom befriended and sympathetically documented the writer's work for many years. I recall that the documentary actually won an award of some description but looking over the box sleeve I can't find the details of this. Also worth noting is that the recent release contains an extra 10 minutes of previously unseen footage.I noticed that there are no links on this site to purchase it but it is easily acquired. I recommend a trip to a local comic shop or the like and pick up one of many Graffiti art magazine publications. You will find it for sale in any one of those. If you are particularly keen on this subject matter you might also want to hunt down a book by 'Craig Castleman' called 'Getting up' for a more in depth if not visual account. The fourth coming release of Downtown '81 might also be worth a look for the real fans of this genre.Through various publications I have read of many of the featured writers in Style Wars, still around and making their mark in the world of Graffiti. The one writer that I haven't personally heard about since' is Skeme. For me his contribution to the documentary invoked a lot of admiration, due to his blunt honesty and purist ethics. I have read that Henry Chalfont has no intentions to make any follow up documentary on the basis that home grown publications and videos are already achieving this. Personally and i am sure many agree with me, this is a story that many would like to see continued and whom better to tell it than Henry himself.

This documentary on subway grafitti in New York City in the early 1980s had it all: it was beautifully shot, had a great soundtrack, and captured the essence of what was going on in the city after the 70s and under the regime of Mayor Kotch. The best thing about this documentary is how it can be studied on so many levels- it makes you realize why "bombing" is done and what it accomplishes. It helps you understand the psychological reasoning behind it, and how it plays on human character traits such as territorial rights, pursuit and the need for recognition. It shows how graffitti had a strong impact on society, and how it tore some homes apart. A must see- plus a great representation of early hip hop music and style. Love those TWAs! (Teeny Weeny Afros!) 9 out of 10.