Customer Reviews

The Avon Barksdale Story: Legends of the Unwired

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"The Wire" trained its loyal viewers to think and have an attention span, unlike most tv shows ( unfortunately).
This dvd, which gives background on the real life inspiration for one of the main characters, is likely to appeal to " Wire" completists for that reason- we want details! You'll spend the whole time you're watching trying to figure out how much of what you see and hear is true, and how much of it David Simon and company worked into the show and in what form.

The production values aren't great, the reeneactments are cheesy, and the narrator's tone veers from decrying to admiring violence and criminality. And Wood Harris's role seems to be just to show amusement at Barksdale's tales of crime- at one point he laughs heartily when Barksdale declines to answer a questions by saying there is no statute of limitations on murder. There are definitely mixed messages in this work.


As a stand alone work, I give it barely 3 stars, a " Wire" devotee may get 4 stars worth of enjoyment out of this.

If you thought Avon Barksdale from HBO's The Wire was bad, you haven't heard about the real life person the story is based on.

this is a documentary hosted by the actor who played Avon in the show (Wood Harris) as he interviews the real life Avon Barksdale as they walk through Baltimore's ghettos where the show was shot as well as other locations where you see just how real the show really was.

I had a chance to preview this, and i must admit it is excellent. one of the best documentaries on the topic all together and an absolute must watch for fans of The Wire.

more info:
[...].

trailer:
[...].

If you're a fan of The Wire series then you'll enjoy the DVD. Bottom line. Point blank. I'm not going to speak on the aesthetics of the production because that's not what one would buy the DVD for. But if you're a fan of The Wire then you'd enjoy the DVD.

Perhaps I should have read the description a little closer, but I honestly expected a short dramatic film starring Wood Harris about the origins of the Barksdale character. Instead, the DVD is a brief biopic on the inspiration behind the Avon Barksdale character, a Baltimore criminal named Nathaniel Avon (aka "Bodie") Barksdale. While very interesting, the whole thing smacks of low-fi. The music sounds home recorded, the narration tries a little too hard to be authentic & "street-real", and the dramatization scenes are poorly shot & poorly acted. I have to say, though, that the subject matter makes it watchable, because the real Barksdale is a very fascinating character. It's almost a shame that they didn't mix a little more truth into the show. All in all I was satisfied with my purchase, but I'm not looking forward to more Legends of the Un-Wired productions

If u r into the Wire this will be interesting,not the best documentary, but did tell about the real "don't call me" "Avon",only for those who loved the show the Wire

This was an excellent documentary that delved into the true "Avon Barksdale". If you were fascinated by The Wire, this documentary will give you a deeper understanding of some of the characters and how they came to be created from people that were real. Again, just an excellent watch.

I loved The Wire!!... hated this documentary. Mellowdramatic narration, cheesey reenactments and weak interviewing completely ruin what could have been a really compelling documentary.

I'm a big fan of The Wire so it is very interesting to heard from the person that the story
was based on.

The video was of extreme low quality , with no real actors or actresses. A total waste of money. The music was of extremely low quality. They are trying to get "The Wire" fans to pay for a completely low quality product.

Don't waste your money, if you are a true fan of the wire! The documentary was a cheap run. The actor Wood Harris made Avon Barksdale character seem very interesting than the real Barksdale. The documentary reminded me of a boot leg DVD.