New York Beat Movie (1981)

Director:

Edo Bertoglio

Writer:

Glenn O'Brien (writer)

Release Date:

14 March 2001 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

The film is a day in the life of a young artist, Jean Michel Basquiat, who needs to raise money to reclaim...

Plot Keywords:

Artist | Graffiti | 1980s | Street Life | New York City

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ted Bafaloukos	...	Junk Dealer
Tom Baker	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Eszter Balint	...	Herself
Jean Michel Basquiat	...	Himself
Roberta Bayley	...	Street Girl
Snooky Bellomo	...	Manic Panic Girl
Tish Bellomo	...	Manic Panic Girl
Bemshi	...	Dancer
Victor Bockris	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Byron Bowie	...	Himself
Joe Bowie	...	Himself - Trombonist, James White & The Blacks
Diane Brill	...	Kid Creole Announcer
John Browner	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Steven Brown	...	Himself
Clem Burke	...	The Felons band member
Anne Carlisle	...	Fashion Show Model (as Ann Carlyle)
James Chance	...	James White
Ma Chang	...	Himself
Marshall Chess	...	Thief
Mickey Clean	...	Pot Dealer
Carol Coleman	...	Herself
Diego Cortez	...	Fist-fighter at the Mudd Club
Kid Creole		(as August Darnell)
Ronnie Cutrone	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Jimmy Destri	...	Taxi Driver
Tomas Doncker	...	Himself - Guitarist, James White & The Blacks
George Dubose	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Lori Eastside	...	Herself
Barbara Egan	...	Fashion Show Model
Fab 5 Freddy	...	Graffiti Artist
Tav Falco	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Lenny Ferrari	...	Himself
Bradley Field	...	Studio Manager
Vincent Gallo	...	Himself
Karen Geniece	...	Herself - Guitarist, Walter Steding & The Dragon People
Patrick Geooffrois	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Giorgio Gomelsky	...	The Landlord
Winston Grennan	...	Himself - Drummer, Kid Creole & The Coconuts
Ronnie Griffith	...	Herself
Bobby Grossman	...	East Village Junkie
Vinnie Grouppi	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Richie Harrison	...	Himself
Deborah Harry	...	Fairy Godmother
Kristian Hoffman	...	A&R Person
Michael Holman	...	Michael
Adriana Kaegi	...	Herself
Patrice Kamins	...	Fashion Show Model
Arto Lindsay	...	Himself
Andrew Lloyd	...	Himself
Lucille	...	Fashion Show Model
Hal Ludacer	...	Fashion Show Model
John Lurie	...	Himself
Compton Maddux	...	Limo Driver
Cherie Marilyn	...	Dancer
Maripol	...	Fashion Designer
Steve Mass	...	Drunk at the Go-Go Bar
Debi Mazar	...	Peppermint Lounge Dancer
Mark Mazur	...	Himself
David McDermott
Mitsuru	...	Make-up Artist
Haoui Montaug	...	Club Doorman
Daniela Morera	...	Mrs. Cavalcanti
Ikue Mori	...	Herself
John Morton	...	Peppermint Lounge Doorman
Olivier Mosset	...	Bike Rider
Cookie Mueller	...	2nd Go-Go Dancer
Coati Mundi	...	Himself
Elliott Murphy	...	Rock Star
Chica Nakanishi	...	Herself - Vocalist, The Plastics
Toshio Nakanishi	...	Himself
Bern Nix	...	Himself
Glenn O'Brien	...	Neil Barlowe
Vicki Pedersen	...	Dresser
Amos Poe	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Cheryl Poirier	...	Herself
Peter Principle	...	Himself
'Lee' George Quinones	...	Graffiti Artist
Catherine Rebennack	...	1st Go-Go Dancer
Blaine Reininger	...	Himself
Danny Rosen	...	Danny
Lisa Rosen	...	The Maid
Steve Sabato	...	Car Seller
Anita Sarko	...	D.J.
Ernest Scaglione	...	Go-Go Bar Manager
Cyndy Schneidau	...	Nurse
Millie Schneidau	...	Nurse
Peter Schott	...	Himself
Anna Schroeder	...	The Love Interest
Takemi Shima	...	Himself - Drummer, The Plastics
Benedicte Siroux	...	Fashion Show Model
Larry 'Ratso' Sloman	...	Go-Go Bar Patron
Lindzee Smith	...	Club Owner
Steven Z. Soszynski	...	Grocer
Walter Steding	...	Himself
Chris Stein	...	The Felons band member
Dave Street	...	Musician
Michael Sullivan	...	Himself - Maracasist, The Felons
Claudia Summers	...	Friend in Park
Betsy Sussler	...	Conversationalist at Mudd Club
Hajime Tachibana	...	Himself
Snuky Tate	...	Himself
Marty Thau	...	Record Mogul
Colin Wade	...	Himself
Richard Weigand	...	Doctor
Saul Williams	...	Jean-Michel Basquiat (voice)
Tim Wright	...	Himself
Kool Kyle	...	Himself - Rapper (uncredited)

Directed by
Edo Bertoglio

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Glenn O'Brien		writer

Produced by
Maripol	....	producer
Patrick Montgomery	....	co-producer
Glenn O'Brien	....	co-producer
Michael Zilkha	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Vincent Gallo

Cinematography by
John McNulty

Film Editing by
Pamela French

Art Direction by
Maripol

Makeup Department
Claudia Porcelli	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Claire Barnier	....	post-production supervisor
Pamela French	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Sabato	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jo Cunningham	....	foley artist
Jo Cunningham	....	sound designer
Steve French	....	foley artist
Steve French	....	sound designer
Michael Jordan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert Maier	....	sound mixer
Alan Treadwell	....	sound assistant

Camera and Electrical Department
Dwane Arthur	....	grip (as Dwayne Arthur)
Stephen Barrow	....	grip (as Steve Barrow)
Mike Edwards	....	assistant camera
Joseph Keller	....	second camera operator
Jeff Wayman	....	assistant camera (as Jeff Weyman)

Casting Department
Maripol	....	casting
Glenn O'Brien	....	casting

Editorial Department
Seth Anderson	....	assistant editor
Franck Goldberg	....	rough cut editor
Mia Lee	....	assistant editor
Kent McGrew	....	color timer
Dan O'Grady	....	negative conformist
Julie O'Grady	....	negative conformist
Jean-Pierre Roland-Levy	....	assistant editor (as J.P. Roland Levy)
Kristen Worrell	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Michael Fossenkemper	....	music mixer
Pamela French	....	music editor
Lynn Geller	....	music consultant
Arto Lindsay	....	composer: song "Detached"
Arto Lindsay	....	musician: "Detached" (as DNA)
Maripol	....	musical director
Glenn O'Brien	....	musical director

Transportation Department
Todd MacNicholl	....	driver

Other crew
Denise Keating	....	intern
Pamela Page	....	script supervisor
Cyndy Schneidau	....	production coordinator (as Cindy Schneidau)
Jason Stoff	....	titles

Thanks
Robert Aaron	....	thanks
Charlie Ahearn	....	thanks
Jojo Americo	....	thanks
Joseph Arias	....	thanks (as Joey Arias)
Gerard Basquiat	....	thanks
Jean Michel Basquiat	....	film dedicated to
Steven Bernstein	....	thanks
Giancarlo Bertoni	....	thanks
Max Blagg	....	thanks
Bob Blank	....	thanks
Reza Blue	....	thanks
Victor Bockris	....	thanks
Duane Boute	....	thanks
Dominic Chianese	....	thanks
Sophie Comet	....	thanks
Diego Cortez	....	thanks
Johnny Dynell	....	thanks
Richard Ende	....	thanks
Fab 5 Freddy	....	thanks
Nacho Fagalde	....	thanks
Suzanne Fenn	....	thanks
Bradley Field	....	in memory of
Elio Fiorucci	....	thanks
Jim Fouratt	....	thanks
Vincent Gallo	....	thanks
Patrick Geooffrois	....	in memory of
Eric Goode	....	thanks
Bobby Grossman	....	thanks
Anthony Haden-Guest	....	thanks
Scot Hamlin	....	thanks
Deborah Harry	....	thanks
Jonas Herbsman	....	thanks
Karri Jinkins	....	thanks
Bob Krasnow	....	thanks
John Lurie	....	thanks
Hooman Majd	....	thanks
Raul Marti	....	thanks
Steve Mass	....	thanks
Debi Mazar	....	thanks
Melle Mel	....	thanks
Lino Meoli	....	thanks
Carla Milesi	....	thanks
Paul Miller	....	thanks
Haoui Montaug	....	in memory of
Lovey Moreno	....	thanks
Cookie Mueller	....	in memory of
Coati Mundi	....	thanks (as Andy Hernandez)
Gina Nanni	....	thanks
Gianni Nunnari	....	thanks
Pat Oleszko	....	thanks
Suzana Peric	....	thanks
Anya Phillips	....	in memory of (as Anya Philips)
Amos Poe	....	thanks
Nick Porcelli	....	thanks
Nile Rodgers	....	thanks
J.P. Roland-Levy	....	in memory of
Jo Shane	....	thanks
Peter Shukat	....	thanks
Kate Simon	....	thanks
Gib Smith	....	thanks
Richard Sohl	....	thanks
Chris Stein	....	thanks
Gordon Stevenson	....	in memory of
Betsy Sussler	....	thanks
Chi Chi Valenti	....	thanks
Françoise Vallée	....	thanks (as François Vallèe)
Dorothy Weber	....	thanks
Arthur Weinstein	....	thanks
Wendy Whitelaw	....	thanks

Distributors

• Kinetique
• Sagittaire Films (France)
• Zeitgeist Films (2001) (re-release)

Also Known As:

Downtown 81 (USA) (recut version)
Glenn O'Brien's New York Beat Movie (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

France:73 min | Japan:75 min | USA:72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

France:U

Trivia:

In 1981, financial problems prevented the post-production and release of the film. Subsequently, parts of the film became lost over the years. After much searching, the missing materials were located in 1998. Finally, post production began in 1999 and the film was released in 2000.

Quotes:

Jean Michel Basquiat: I'm an artist. When you tell people that they usually say, 'what's your medium?' I usually say, 'extra large.'

Movie Connections:

Featured in Basquiat (1996)

Soundtrack:

Palabras Con Ritmo

Bad narrative film...Great Performance Film

Has some really good music and performances; Kid Creole and the Coconuts, James White and the Blacks, DNA, Tuxedo Moon, the Plastics, Melle Mel, Vincent Gallo, Lydia Lunch...etc, but aside from this there isn't much more to it. The dialog, especially the narration(by Saul Williams), is actually pretty good, but the performances are all pretty bland or outright bad, no matter how many hipsters are thrown in; Debbie Harry and Jean Micheal Basquit(the latter being the leading role) both still don't have enough cultural cred to keep this film from being a novelty item. It goes for the a Jack Kerouac style roving spontaneity, but doesn't have the insight to keep it moving along, which is where the band performances come in. I guess its pretty balanced in that regard between great music and bad acting, and I did enjoy it, but I just expected more. Though it does have a fairy tale ending.