80 Blocks From Tiffany's Released On DVD

12 Oct 2010

80 Blocks From Tiffany's is a film that documents South Bronx gang culture in the late 70s. Available commercially for the first time in 25 years, 80 Blocks... finally gets to see the light of day on DVD in the UK on November 21st.

The history of cinema includes countless films that have remained, for a variety of reasons, in total obscurity. Sadly, many of the films that get lost are the ones that really need to be found and 80 Blocks from Tiffany's is one such film. Here is a film that has been marooned in an archive for 30 years and, despite a brief educational VHS release in 1985, it has gone largely unseen. Until now.

Inspired by journalist Jon Bradshaw's Esquire Magazine article, Savage Skulls, Gary Weis, a filmmaker for Saturday Night Live, convinced SNL creator Lorne Michaels to help turn the concept into a feature-length documentary. Weis gets on the inside of two South Bronx street gangs, the Savage Nomads and the Savage Skulls, and exposes their illegal activities, their techniques, their reasons, their girls, and the cops who interact with them.

The 80 Blocks from Tiffany's DVD is beautifully packaged, housed in a 40-page hard cover book within a slip case. DVD bonus materials include brand new never-before-seen interviews with Weis and director of photography Joan Churchill, while the accompanying book contains all new liner notes and Jon Bradshaw's Savage Skulls article in its entirety.

In recent years, the rich visual history of New York City street culture circa 1979 has come to light, mostly restricted to images only. 80 Blocks from Tiffany's might be some of the only motion picture footage that exists to describe a culture that has all but vanished. The South Bronx of today is a much different place than it was 30 years ago, a world that has long since vanished. 80 Blocks... is a compelling and one-of-a-kind look into this time seen through the eyes of those trapped in a domestic warzone.

Like it? Share it!
Sign up for more with the Kmag weekly newsletter.

Latest

Safire Interview
Aussie drum & bass producer Safire drops by for a chat and reveals where to download his Innerspace Audio track for free!
Check The Foundation With David Heartbreak
Brooklynite David Heartbreak is launching the Foundation EP on OWSLA, and reception has been hot so far. Blending hip hop with dance vibes, we wanted to investigate from the man himself.
Philth Pours Out His Heart Songs
More well known for his, well, filth, Philth has gone all romantic on us for his new EP. We chat basslines, waistlines and inspirations right here.
Goodlooking Meets Spotify
One of the most groundbreaking labels in the history of UK dance music has teamed up with one of the leading streaming services online. We bring you the info right here.
Digital Soundboy Set Sail For Boat Party
Digital Soundboy are at it again. Ship ahoy for a summer boat party, we've got the details here.
Emissions Festival 2013 Review
We check out 'West Coast Bass Culture' festival Emissions...
Love Saves The Day 2013 Preview Mix
In anticipation of what promises to be an awesome event, Hodge & Shandy have put together a preview mix for Love Saves The Day.
Clima Guest Mix And Free Track
Spanish production duo Clima have some big releases coming up, and to celebrate, they have a guest mix and a track to give away.
One World Many Cultures With David Boomah
He has gone and done it. The new album from David Boomah is out now, and of course, Kmag wanted to get the lowdown from the man himself.
Empress Guest Mix
Best known for her marathon genre-bending sessions behind the decks, Empress checks in with a heavy-duty guest mix and broad-ranging interview that spans the course of her career.
Swindle Lives For The Jazz
Swindle's new album is coming out on DEEPMEDi on June 16th. We caught up with the bass music jet-setter to discuss his work and the sense of achievement of the album's completion.
Bassclash Meets Dubstar
Leading dubstep label Dubstar is teaming up with Bassclash for a huge compilation album, out now. Find out more here.
Inside InnerSoul
With interest peaking in their upcoming London night, we find out more about the Innersoul crew, and what they are up to.
CM Sounds Competition
CM Sounds have some amazing music technology courses on offer. They are now teaming up with Kmag for a competition. We give you all you need to know right here.
Aural Imbalance Comes Out Of Plato's Cave
Aural Imbalance is one half of Out Of Plato's Cave, who have recently dropped an album on the Greta Cottage Workshop label. We speak to him about it here.