Customer Reviews

Beat Street [VHS]

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was franticly looking for this movie not more than 6 months ago, cannot find it anywhere! . This is a movie that must be seen and owned by anyone who loves hip hop and it's culture. Unlike the other breakdance movies this one is so well made, not only does it include artist that are the foundation of hip hop such and melle mel, afrika bambaataa and tina b to name a few but it outlines the culture, from dj-ing to graffity and showdowns on the dancefloor. The rocksteady crew are pure ledgens and for them to be in this movie is just a major bonus. I am propably preaching to the converted here but if you are into hip hop or just listen to the music, you have got to get this movie, hopefully it will come out on dvd 'cos the music would absolutely ROCK.

A true hip-hop classic. I was first introduced to this film through my mother who was a teenager at the time of it's original release in 1984. Thanks to this movie, at 9 years old, i have a greater appreciation for hip hop and better understand its origins. This movie gives an accurate representation of one of the 20th century's most influential musical genres. Unlike the other hip hop movies Beat Street accurately captures the look and feel of the hip hop culture of New York City in the 80s (sheepskins, bomber jackets, kangol hats) It also takes a holistic look at hip hop nation astutely incorporating all of its elements - rap music, break dancing, spinning/mixing, graffiti art. More than just a movie about hip hop, it is a movie about familial ties, friendship and the triumph of the human spirit. It is a must see for the new generation of hip hop soldiers. Buy it - YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED! Peace out!

Leandro B. a.k.a. Rocker

This is a very gooooood movie, I loved this movie since I was a kid growing up and now I really need to add this to my collection. I know there is another movie that came out in the 80's called "Breakin'". It's similar to Beat Street. If anyone knows where I could get my hands on that movie let me know because Iam a breakdancing-aholic. Email me if you have any clues about that movie. Thanks!!

This movie is about how life was for urban NYC youngsters during the early 80's. Hip-Hop gave rise with its four elements: Graffiti, Breakdance, MCing, and DJing running wild through the streets. This was the rich culture that people all over the world immersed themselves in and were impacted by. But I agree with those that say Hollywood exploited this culture we call Hip-Hop. They made this movie without understanding its true meaning and essence. But this movie is a fun watch because there are many big names known to the Hip-Hop world in it like the Rock Steady Crew and NYC Breakers, Kool Herc, Doug E. Fresh, Kool Moe Dee, and many other big names. If anything, this movie is remembered for one thing and that is the notorious ROXY scene and the battle between two great breakdance crews, RSC and NYC Breakers. It's probably one of the best battle scenes ever. I also like this movie because they had a couple of scenes at my alma mater, CCNY. The romance and drama is typical of Hollywood and it doesn't really help to formidably portray the Hip-Hop culture in anyway, rather it takes away from the few notable parts in the movie. They should of omitted the fakery and just focused on what it claims to be about, Hip-Hop. I think it would have had a better reputation and gotten much more respect from those who actually lived the culture during that period. I recommend "Wild Style" or "Style Wars" to check out what Hip-Hop was really all about in those days. PEACE!

To those of you who say this movie is wack or is not Hip Hop, you guys have it all backwards. I know for most of you that were born after 1980 this is not part of your generation and it might seem corny to you, but you should understand that the guys in this movie pioneered Hip Hop into what it is today, and should get the respect it deserves. They set the foundation of what you see out there now, and you must also understand that most of your big acts out there today, lack the knowledge of what hip hop was originally about. The MC's back in the day weren't proud to be shot 9 times...u feel me ? If it weren't for Legz and Kool Herc, u wouldn't have 50 cent or Mike Jones. And for all you new inspired rappers out there that put this movie down - dont put it down, learn from the roots and you will be more succesful...

You know I like how this movie was getting good reviews, and then one cat from the BRONX tells it like it is and then all these cornball, albino skined, suburban living, MTV wathing I know about HIPHOP suckers, have something to say. yeah okay! listen I am from brooklyn new york, east new york, and after they cleaned up the south bronx, right now is the current hell hole in the city, I am 40 years old, not 14, GET IT, and I was in my teens when this movie came out. Every hard rock in the hood loved this movie, it was real in what it was trying to do and that was show hip hop in 1984. I hear all this !@#@# some white dude played ramo, so what!! Scarface now sucks because Al Pacino played a cuban, wow the Gogfather sucks too now that james cann is really a JEW, marlon brando is not Italian, Cornballs who are you to say BEAT STREET is not real!!!, the Italians love the Godfather because of what it tried to capture, no movie is real, but it did capture the MOB in the 1940's and BEAT STREET captured HIPHOP in the 1980's KID!!. The graffiti is fake ha ha ha, please it looked real to me and I TAG to this day, and have a FAT black book, the graffiti should pass my test not yours suburban child!!, YOU GUYs ARE NOW TALKING BAD ABOUT THIS MOVIE BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU WERE NOT THERE AND WHEN SOMEONE SPOKE UP THAT WAS, IT MADE YOU FEEL LIKE @#@#. I was there too, I can even tell you what avenue in the Bronx Rock Steady called home and that is Cortona Ave, and that's because I had to go to the BX to see them battle the TWIN PARK BOYZ. WHO ARE YOU!!! This movie did a great job taking a picture of NEW YORK HIP HOP IN 1984!! That movie BREAKIN, WAS SO FAKE, I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS YOUNG EVERYBODY IN THE HOOD WAS LIKE THAT WAS SOME BULL$$@$% RIGHT. I remember going to the record release party for BLACK ROB, some years back and heard Puffy, Black Rob and other cats talking about krush groove, wildstyle, and they said BEAT STREET WAS THE BEST OF THEM ALL CLASSIC. I love this movie because it goes back back into time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS.speaking of CAP ONE MPC AND SEEN UA, WOW man you out of towners have lots of guts to act like you know what your talking about, guess you knows CAP ONE (ME) MY MAN IS ABOUT 6'5 WITH RED HAIR THAT'S RIGHT RED HAIR LOOKS LIKE A MALE RAGGEDY ANN AND RIGHT NOW ANT DOING NOTHING WITH HIS LIFE HANGING OUT IN BRONX PARK EAST PARK DRUNKING BEER LOOKING INTO THE SKY THINKING ABOUT HIS HEYDAY WITH THE MORRIS PARK CREW, SEEN HAS A TATTOO SHOP AND HAS DONE WORK ON MY ARM FOR ME ,HE COOLING. AND THEY BOTH LEARNED THERE @#@$$ FROM BLACKS AND PUERTO RICANS.

Wow. This movie is electrifying. I was fortunate enough to be into Hip Hop at the time the movie was released. I remember the older B-Boys in my school talking about it. It is unusual for a movie to actually live up to the hype surrounding it. This one not only lives up to the hype, it overtakes it by a mile or 2.
The music, it signifies real Hip Hop, it has a live soundtrack with real Hip Hop artists, real B-Boys, not a bunch of fairys from some dance school acting the parts of B-Boys.
It is an amazing film documenting real Hip Hop and its elements ie:The music, The breakin' and the gaffitti. Any new jacks wanting to learn about the history of the culture in its original form, this movie is a must. THIS MOVIE IS A PART OF HIP HOP HISTORY FROM A TIME WHEN HIP HOP WAS REAL.

I have rented this movie so many times I could own a hundred of them, This movie holds a special place in my heart cause it's filmed in my old stomping grounds in the Bronx (NY) and I know many of the dancers and Extra's in this cult clasic of Hip Hop/Rap movie, THIS IS OLD SCHOOL RAP! you won't be disappointed

This is the one, yes this is the greatest hip-hop movies of thecentury. I despise BREAKDANCE and ELECTRIC BOOGALOO because of thisBEAT STREET. The true hip-hop is in this movie. Yep, RAMO is great sodoes ROCK STEADY CREW,AFRIKA BAMBATAA and the godly GRANDMASTER MELLEMEL. Ray Dawn Chong has acted very well. The new rap(dare to callthemselve rap, hip-hop) shud learn from this originals before they cuta peice of... album. I totally recommended it. BTW what make me upsetabout this movie isthat.......................................... THEY'D NEVER RELEASE ITIN DVD FORMAT. Can someone let me know where I can get the DVDversion?

I agree with one of the previous comments about the movie plot itself not being all that great, but just to watch and reminisce with a time that can never be replaced. I wish they had behind the scenes on this DVD and some of the battles they had off the camera - that in itself would have been better than the movie ! But i read somewhere that the cameras were always turned off when they had battles during the filming of this movie (probably didn't want people to bite their moves). Anyways, I watched this movie at the theatres a half dozen times back in 83', and when it came out on VHS i was stoked. It's a shame that the west coast equivalent (Breakin' and esp. Breakin II) was made too hollywood, but I guess back then it was rare to be on a TV or movies so no one could complain. I am so proud that I was able to experience and participate in hip hop during that time era, when everything was just about fun.