Customer Reviews

Style Wars

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
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I, like many, first saw Style Wars back in the early 80's on PBS as an impressionable youth who was just discovering Hip Hop in all it's forms. It has remained to this day, one of the best (certainly the most honest) accounts of Hip Hop in it's relative infancy. While the focus is squarely on the "writers" (graffiti artists for all you new jacks), we do get to see other aspects of Hip Hop culture in play (most notably b-boying with the Rock Steady Crew). Watching the film on dvd after so many years was literally like going back in time. It not only holds up, it has aged like fine wine. Every shot in the film reeks of NY & Hip Hop in the early 80's. A true, 100% bonafide classic in every sense of the word. The filmakers have succeeded beautifully in capturing the spirit of the time, the place, the people and the culture. This is a true time capsule if there ever was one.
Ok, enough with accolades. Now on to the disc. Dang. Talk about getting the deluxe treatment. Whereas the Wild Style DVD is incomplete (see my review), Style Wars is not only complete, uncut and un-altered, it is absolutely full to brim with fantastic extras...close to 4 HOURS worth. Highlights include art and interviews with many of the films participants. Most notable for me was MIN ONE. He's the tough little curly-haired, white kid who tries to get the rest of the writers to retaliate against Cap for "going over their burners". ("That's never forgive action"). All I can say is he looks like he's been through one hell of a lot in the last 20 years. Very sobering to say the least.
Other extras include outtakes, audio commentary by the filmakers, and (this is very cool) a 30 minute loop of "whole cars".
If you consider yourself a serious Hip Hop head, you have no excuse not to own this dvd.

It's as if Style Wars co-star (and graffiti pioneer) Iz The Wiz was predicting the outcome of this classic documentary when he emphatically yelled:"This is it...this is it!" in one of it's scenes. Some 20 years later, the world over is echoing Iz's exact same sentiments. With Style Wars, creators Henry Chalfant and Tony Silver assembled one of the best and historiaclly correct Hip Hop documentaries to date. Taking place around '81, '82 during the Koch administration, Style Wars delves mostly into NY's subway graffiti and B-boy culture. By far, two of the more illustrious facets in the cultural jewel known as Hip Hop. Style Wars captures graffiti and B-boy pioneers (most in their teens) doin' what they do best and ultimately shaping the course of Hip Hop culture. All the "true-school" legends are here (i.e., The Rocksteady Crew, Dondi, Seen, Dez a.k.a. DJ Kay Slay, etc.) equipped with a vintage NY backdrop and killa soundtrack. As "fresh" as it was back in '84 when PBS "broke" it, Style Wars works because it not only deals with the creative forces behind it's subject matter, but those effected by it as well. From the linoleum kitchen of famed graffiti artist Skeme to the B-boy battlegrounds of the U.S.A. skating rink, Style Wars is there. With unforgettable scenes like dopey Mayor Ed Koch screwing-up at a press conference to graffiti legend Duro mispronouncing the word "negotiate", Style Wars captures it all. Celebrating it's 20th anniversary, Style Wars' recent double DVD release only adds to it's greatness. Packed with 4 hours of nothing but flavor, this double delight doesn't dissappoint. It would've been great to have seen graffiti great Kase 2 (or Noc) make the DVD, but the revisiting of Skeme and Mom Barbara (minus the kitchen) definitely makes up for it. So, if you're thinking of spending your hard earned on anything boasting unadulterated Hip Hop, Style Wars is a sure-shot. In the immortal words of Iz The Wiz: "This is it!" --James "Koe" Rodriguez.

Style Wars (1983) from directors Henry Chalfant and Tony Silver,
is a grass roots, street-level documentary that is easily
digested, as it's pleasing to the eyes.

It offers a glimpse of 10 to 16 year olds, in the inner cities of
Brooklyn, Bronx back in the 1970's and 1980's, who are surrounded
by high rises, who brainstormed for ideas back in the 1970's to
have fun and pass the time.

In this particular instance, it involves dance competitions, art
competitions, music competitions, expressed in various
recreational halls through the break-dance styles, DJ-ing and
rapping, free-styling with rhymes as well as by using up 15 to 20
canisters per subway train in color painting them.

This subculture, comprising the "personal lives" of dozens of
youths (in contrast to school, or professional endeavors) is
specialized to the point that various youths' aliases become
"stars" in their own right, with verbal histories or accounts
being told and passed down to other joining this movement, who
are pigeon holed in this ghetto.

The psych of those taking part, is underpinned by a sense of peer
pressure in the group for the best art, dance moves and ability
to rhyme, coupled with a sense of ego gratification by somehow
having become world-class, as their assigned names or tags are
seen on trains crossing the city. Perhaps a sensitive point for
the undertrodden in the inner cities, housing projects,
accustomed to poverty, yet crossing all background and cultural
lines.

The images taken are numerous, well chosen, and the narrative
well planned, the testimonies frequent, the educational aspects
to the masses very understandable. Underground terminology such
as "bombing" (meaning to deface a train for the first time),
breaking and rocking (meaning, doing a style of dance), are a few
explained.

Some locations are reminiscent of those seen in Escape from the
Bronx, by Enzo Castellari or Warriors by Walter Hill, such as the
manhole entrance, or the underground warehouse, etc.

Inevitably the idea is taken from the ephemeral, to amateur, to
professional, as viewers see graffitists sketching ideas back
home, planning out missions on trains, organizing themselves in
time and space, approprating 15 paint cans at a time, from
stores, in their competition. To the point that 8 year olds are
given an apprenticeship of sorts into become accomplished
graffittists.

All sides of the story are told, with messages from the mayor of
the city, police detectives, concerned parents, outraged public
transit users, keeping in mind that these deeds against property
pale in comparison to behaviors against people also processed in
the justice system (murders. etc) or even, the 3-card-Monte,
pickpockets, shoplifts, etc.

The movie redeems itself, by calling attention to art galleries,
school programs for those with a talent in visual art, by
suggesting that the "big time" is possible into the mass media.
It also underlines sensitivity campaigns against graffiti, by
boxers Hector Camacho and Alex Ramos.

you get so much bang for the buck with this DVD. Not only is the documentary fantastic, but the supplemental DVD has recent interviews with lots of the superstar graffiti artists, breakdancers, and rappers. Well worth the money!!!!!

The very fact that in the special features section there is an entire segment of photos of the cars that have been tagged with graffiti and the fact that the individuals who tagged the trains are presented, interviewed and paid homage to tells what a phenomenal slice of history this documentary is.

It was filmed during the time that these artists were doing their work and the ones still living are followed up with many years later. It really dives into the history and development of the phenomenon. Who can forget images of dirty big cities with the trains riding along with huge works of graffiti art on them? Someone was there to document it all. This film is a result of that work.

This is the story of it all. Interesting is the documenting of the lengths the authorities had to go to in order to control the "problem" (which, of course, is a matter of perspective). One of the artist is shown years later with his mother gleaming with pride and his mother, interviewed earlier in the film as well, still rolls her eyes at his pride.

The artists are interviewed, both then and now, and the connection of graffiti to hip-hop and B-boy culture is touched upon, although this is probably the weakest link in the film. Wild Style and The Freshest Kids take you deeper into the world of B-boys and Scratch takes you deeper into the world of hip-hop and the emergence of rap from it. But this is a great film on graffiti in its heyday.

In 1983; director Tony Silver, and producer Henry Chalfant dropped this bomb upon the unsuspecting (except for those lucky enough to live in NYC at the time) populus via PBS. The world was exposed to true urban art, and it's unlikely Picasso's- the bombers and taggers of NYC's resilient subway system. Not only that, but also to 'acrobatic body dances like breaking', and to rocking the mic. This is so much more than just a documentary about the evolution of graffiti. It is truly a time capsule, full of unforgettable characters, stuffy bureaucrats, and the chaotic urban landscape of early 80's NYC. There are so many memorable lines and incredible characters indelibly etched in my brain from this film. Just writing this review makes me want to run over to the DVD player and watch it over and over again. I would gladly pay the price of admission (approximately $25) just for the film. However, our good friends at Plexifilm have once again delivered the goods, including a staggering 3.5 hours of bonus footage to accompany this one-of-kind historical document. The bouns footage includes 32 artist galleries, interviews, trains, and ultra-rare photos from the best-of-the best, including: Skeme, Seen, Frosty Freeze, Dondi, Blade, Rammellzee, and many others. This is a must have document for Hip-Hop heads, historians, social anthropologists, and cool people. Buy this now and support good art.

I still have the recording of the PBS airing. The video spawned Beat Street, Style Wars had Cap, Beat Street had Spit. It also goes into TAKI 183 the guy who made "tagging" famous, google or wiki his name and learn! This is a must see.

As a pre-teen youngster growing up in a rural community outside of Pittsburgh, PA, how I got into hip-hop music in the 80's is anybody's guess. With so little access to any type of urban culture, I scoured every TV channel, magazine and record store for the smallest glimpse of what the kids in the city were doing, and what the rappers, DJs, and breakdancers I idolized were like. No doubt, there must be others out there like me who were born in another place or time, but feel a connection to the ultimate youth culture of creativity that is hip-hop. It is from this perspective that my review is written.

Style Wars immerses the viewer in the lives of real New York City characters, who's stories actually took place. Creative, energetic, rebellious kids looking for an outlet for their ideas, and a way to belong to something, they turned the New York City subway into their battleground and art gallery. The look, the sound, the feel of the environment... all perfectly documented. You feel as though you're in the yard circa 1981, breathing paint fumes and lookin' over your shoulder for the cops, or at the writer's bench, talkin' up your next big "burner".

If you're an avid fan of the hip-hop culture, and want to vicariously live (or re-live) the life of a New York City teen in the early 80's for an hour, this film is for you. The DVD extras are dope as well!

It's hard to deny, or well argumented break down this movie. Simply because it was shot at the right time, at the right place, by the right people and thus formed the main source on a world wide level up till this day for any hip hop enthousiast, wheter you're a b-boy, graffer, rapper, fashion designer, dj, whatever.
It captured hip hop culture and life style in the most entertaining way, performed by a great cast of names who became legends. The discussion on who shouldn't and wouldn't've been in the movie totally miisses the point.

You get a cast that was hardcore involved in the movement at that certain time. And it turned out time less.

An absolute must see, for every single soul likes to learn, witness passion, dedication, overall creativity right at the base hip hop culture!
Style Wars

From the Amazon review: "Some call it tagging, others called it writing, still others call it "bombing" yo--but it's all graffiti.
Whether it's art or not is another matter (some of it is), but it's undeniably illegal (that's why I like it especially).
Tony Silver and Henry Chalfant's world historic Public BS documentary STYLE WARS tracks the rise and fall of subway graffiti in New York City in the late 1970s and early 1980s before hip hop culture's decline.
At the peak of its popularity, graffiti was as much a part of B-boy culture as rapping, smoking marijuana, Nike basketball shoes, gangbangin', scratching, and breaking.
The filmmakers present a sympathetic, but well-rounded portrait of their subject through extensive interviews with taggers(graffiti artistes)--most notably Seen, Kase, and Dondi--art collectors, transit authorities, and even Mayor Ed Koch, who would eventually put "the hammer down" hard.
Many would be persecuted and prosecuted by the State and sent to work camps, prisons and group therapy sessions.
Along the way, they documented the burgeoning breakdance scene (the greatest form of dancing ever invented), with a focus on the world-famous Rock Steady Crew.
The soundtrack features selections from Grandmaster Flash, the Treacherous Three, and other *tagger-approved* icons of the old-school.
This doc ain't just cool, it's ice cold. I suggest you see and educate yourself."