Customer Reviews

Streetwise [VHS]

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mary Ellen Mark and Martin Bell created the most memorable documentary ever .Steetwise should have won the oscar in which it was nominated for. As you experience the sad lifestyles of Erin,Lulu,Dewayne,Ratt,and the rest,you become attached to each of the street kids.You wonder what became of these young subjects after viewing the film. Mary Ellen Mark still keeps in contact with Erin.Erin has 5 children and lives in a Seattle apartment. Ratt disappeared from Seattle in late 1983,and hasnt been seen since. Patty and Munchkin broke up their relationship soon after the film was made.Munchkin is a chef in a Seattle restaurant. Lulu was stabbed in a fight in 1985 while defending a friend.About 319 people attended her funeral,as reported by CNN Headline News.

Streetwise is a very sad documentary about the lives of
several runaways living on the streets of Seattle,Washington.
The film was made by Martin Bell,Mary Ellen Mark,and Cheryl Mccall.It was based straight from the Life magazine article
called "Streets Of The Lost".
Almost every reviewer of this documentary asks what became of
these kids.The answer is often quite grim.....
1)Dewayne Pomeroy hanged himself in July,1984,the day before his 17th birthday.Some of the street kids held a balloon release
and planted a tree in Freeway Park in his memory.
2)Lou Ellen Couch was stabbed by a man at an arcade on 1st and
Pike street during a fight in December,1985.Her last words
were,"Tell Martin and Mary Ellen Lulu died".....Some 319 people
attended her funeral.
Two floor plaques at the Pike Place Market bear the names of Dewayne and Lulu.
3)Roberta Joseph Hayes fell victim to the Green River killer
in 1987.She was last seen leaving a Portland jail.Her remains
were discovered near highway 410 around Enumclaw,Oregon in 1991.
4)Patti died of aids.
5)Munchkin has been working as a chef in Seattle for over 15
years now.
6)Ratt had been incarcerated in prison for a while,and was last
reported to be driving a truck at night for a living.
7)Shadow was last reported to be doing construction work.
8)Kimberly is married to a navy man.
9)Erin Blackwell now has 9 children.Two of her daughters live
with relatives.Her son,Daylon,lives on his own.Erin and her husband were reportedly planning to move to North Carolina.Mary
Ellen Mark still keeps in contact with Erin.

I remember seeing the film at a special showing in Seattle when it first came out. At that same time I was taking a monthly turn at a local shelter, down on 2nd Ave I think, bringing a meal and helping out. I remembered Lulu, talked with her a little now and then. This movie is the real thing.

America witnessed the plight of the Streetwise kids in 1985,
when the film hit the U.S. box office under warm reviews from
numerous critics.
The documentary takes the viewer into the tragic lives of several runaways living on Pike Street in downtown Seattle.We
are introduced to Patty and Munchkin,Erin,Lulu,Dewayne,Ratt,Shadow,Shelly,among others.The kids exemplify the league of thousands of runaways across our
nation.The film brings to light a corner of society that most of the public choose to ignore,but a runaway could be anyone`s
child...They come from broken homes,victims of divorce and often
even violence.They live in a sad world of uncertainty,searching
for love and happiness in a place that offers neither...some of these children end up dying on the streets,as well...
On December 12,1985,Lulu Couch,met with tragedy.While coming to
the defense of a friend,she was stabbed by a man.She died soon
afterward.According to CNN news,around 319 people turned out for
her memorial service.
In 1990,I received a letter from Jerry Esterly,a social worker
who is featured in the documentary.He expressed his concerns for
the increasing population of runaways in Seattle..."the situation is still the same here,too many in need and little response from the government...the film-makers have been great
with the Streetwise kids.They keep in touch regularly and are
there whenever needed.They have become the most significant
people in some of the kid's lives....."
Jeffrey Bryan
White Oak,NC

This documentary is as true-to life as any could ever be. I know because I could very well have been Tiny. I knew her.

I went to elementary school with and lived in the same housing project as Tiny and Lily. I ran into them off and on because of mutual acquaintances, but was not friends with them. I continued on into middle school and rarely saw these girls. I moved out of state for high school, came back to the area after I graduated and shortly thereafter, I rented this movie. I was stunned--not only to see profiled these girls that I had known, but also to see what my life could have--and would have--been. I knew of the abuse these girls suffered (in school kids talk) and how they were throwaways. Unfortunately, where we grew up, this was more common than not. The only difference between Erin and me was that I caught a break and someone who cared reached out to me in time.

I hope and pray that all of the kids profiled in this movie who are still alive, some day, also catch a break. I was one of the lucky ones.

This documentary should be required viewing for training all social workers. Perhaps fewer children would fall through the cracks. In fact, all legislators should also be required to view it so they know who they go to bat for when laws are passed for the protection of children.

I first saw this film back in 1987.I was 16 years old and had ran away from home 2 years earlier.I was fortunate enough to have parents who would take me back ,some of these kids weren't.I was 14 my friend was 15 we were left to sleep in the wood's alone and scared,in a big city I had never been to.This film STREETWISE has inspired me to make helping streetkids my lifes work.It is the most powerful film I've ever seen,by far!Praise GOD for Mary ellen Mark and Martin Bell,for tackling a subject so ignored!

This is a realistic film of how it was. I lived as a street kid in Seattle in the early 80s. I was there as a runaway on the Ave and downtown. This film was actually made/filmed in 1982-83 and released in 1984.

The saddest part is the father in jail, helpless and shattered, full of regret. Great movie.

Streetwise is a compelling documentary and social study that spotlights the homeless population by focusing on adolescents. This invocative film highlights the effects of the dissolution of the two parent family and shows the effects of such on innocent children. Not since Paradise Lost has a film so firmly ingrained itsself in my conscience. this film is a must see for those who appreciate the forum of the documentary and presume to be concerned with the human condition and its development.

Tanya Chapman
B.A. Film Studies, University of Utah

One of the most powerful movies I've ever seen. You really grow to love these kids, bringing home the full weight of tragedy to the viewer. This documentary is just as dramatic as any work of fiction. In fact, I just saw a movie, also about street kids, called American Heart with Jeff Bridges that borrows some key lines from this film. Both movies feature exclusive music from Tom Waits too. Streetwise is definitely the better of the two by far, though AH gets credit just for being so influenced by SW. I'm a real film buff, and Streetwise is one of my favorite movies. I'd love to know what ever became of those kids. Anyone know?

I originally saw this movie when it was released and shown at "arthouse" theatres, back in the day, and never forgot it. Recently, I obtained a used copy off e*B*a*y, and have watched it several times. THIS is what the film "Times Square" tried to capture. THIS is what every sick hollywood director succumbing to "directing" scripted so-called "reality shows" only wish they could recreate. This is true reality and it still goes on today- look around you: there will always be throw-away kids. America doesn't really give a damn about the poor. Ask President Bush. He'll tell you- give them soup for breakfast and it'll all be fine. What a shame. I, like a another reviewer wondered, where are those kids today? Did any make it alive to see their adulthood? The only one I ever heard an update on was Tiny. Nightline did an update on her life/situation (about 1992-93?), and as you may have guessed.... she was interviewed living in a sleazy motel room with a baby... fighting with some loser she desperately wanted to keep as her man. Kinda figured that, huh? I recommend you get this on video until it is released on dvd, if ever. And while you're searching for it, get your hands on the video trilogy "The Decline Of Western Civilization (1981), "The Decline Of Western Civilization II (1988): L.A. Metal Scene", and "The Decline Of Western Civilization III (1999): The Hollywood Homeless". These are more than just time capsules of our lives, they are reality shows unscripted for those of us who want to see the truth.