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Downtown 81 ()


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After being released from the hospital, the artist Jean Michel Basquiat wanders around Manhattan trying to sell art to make money and find a place to stay.

Director:
Writer:
Awards:
Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Cast

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...
Jean (archiveFootage)
Richard Weigand ...
Doctor
Cyndy Schneidau ...
Nurse
Millie Schneidau ...
Nurse
Steven Z. Soszynski ...
Grocer
Anna Schroeder ...
Béatrice
Giorgio Gomelsky ...
Landlord (as Giorgio Giomelsky)
Ted Bafaloukos ...
Junk Dealer
Bobby Grossman ...
East Village Junkie
Mickey Clean ...
Pot Dealer
...
Street Girl
Dave Street ...
Musician
Tish Bellomo ...
Manic Panic Girl
Snooky Bellomo ...
Manic Panic Girl
Kool Kyle ...
Rapper
Claudia Summers ...
Friend in Park
Tuxedomoon ...
Themselves
Steven Brown ...
Self / Vocals, Tuxedomoon
Peter Principle ...
Self / Bass, Tuxedomoon
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Self / Keyboard, Tuxedomoon
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Man from the Past (as David MacDermott)
Catherine Rebennack ...
1st Go-Go Dancer
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2nd Go-Go Dancer
Steve Mass ...
Go-Go Bar Patron
Ernest Scaglione ...
Go-Go Bar Manager
George Dubose ...
Go-Go Bar Patron
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Go-Go Bar Patron
John Browner ...
Go-Go Bar Patron
Tom Baker ...
Go-Go Bar Patron
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Go-Go Bar Patron (as Larry Sloman)
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Struggling Musician / Self
Lindzee Smith ...
Club Owner
Kristian Hoffman ...
A&R
Marty Thau ...
Record Executive
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Mrs. Cavalcanti
Lisa Rosen ...
French Maid
Marshall Chess ...
Thief
Jimmy Destri ...
Taxi Driver
D.N.A. ...
Themselves
Arto Lindsay ...
Self / Vocals and Guitar, DNA
Tim Wright ...
Self / Bass, DNA
Ikue Mori ...
Self / Drums, DNA
...
Michael
Olivier Mosset ...
Bike Rider
Bradley Field ...
Studio Manager
The Felons ...
Themselves
...
Self / Guitar, The Felons
...
Self / Drums, The Felons
Snuky Tate ...
Self / Bass, The Felons
Michael Sullivan ...
Self / Maracas, The Felons
Glenn O'Brien ...
Rock Critic
The Plastics ...
Themselves
Chica Nakanishi ...
Self / Vocals, The Plastics
Toshio Nakanishi ...
Self / Vocals and Guitar, The Plastics
Hajime Tachibana ...
Self / Guitar, The Plastics
Ma Chang ...
Self / Keyboard, The Plastics (as Ma-Chang)
Takemi Shima ...
Self / Drums, The Plastics
Mitsuru ...
Chica's Make-up Artist
Maripol ...
Fashion Designer
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Fashion Show Model
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Fashion Show Model (as Ann Carlyle)
Barbara Egan ...
Fashion Show Model
Patrice Kamins ...
Fashion Show Model
Lucille ...
Fashion Show Model
Hal Ludacer ...
Fashion Show Model
Benedicte Siroux ...
Fashion Show Model
Vicki Pedersen ...
Dresser
Haoui Montaug ...
Rock Lounge Doorman
Diane Brill ...
Kid Creole Announcer
Kid Creole and The Coconuts ...
Themselves (as Kid Creole & The Coconuts)
...
Self / Vocals and Guitar, Kid Creole & The Coconuts (as August Darnell)
Adriana Kaegi ...
Self / The Coconuts
Cheryl Poirier ...
Self / The Coconuts
Ronnie Griffith ...
Self / The Coconuts
...
Self / Vocals, Flute and Percussion, The Coconuts (as a different name)
Lori Eastside ...
Self / Vocals, The Coconuts
Andrew Lloyd ...
Self / Percussion, The Coconuts
Winston Grennan ...
Self / Drums, The Coconuts
Carol Coleman ...
Self / Bass, The Coconuts
Mark Mazur ...
Self / Guitar, The Coconuts
Peter Schott ...
Self / Piano, The Coconuts
Danny Rosen ...
Friend in Limousine
...
Rock Star
Compton Maddux ...
Limo Driver
Anita Sarko ...
D.J.
John Morton ...
Peppermint Lounge Doorman
James White and the Blacks ...
Themselves (as James White & The Blacks)
James Chance ...
Self / Sax and Vocals, James White & The Blacks (as James White)
Joe Bowie ...
Self / Trombone, James White & The Blacks
Byron Bowie ...
Self / Sax, James White & The Blacks
Bern Nix ...
Self / Guitar, James White & The Blacks
Tomas Doncker ...
Self / Guitar, James White & The Blacks
Richie Harrison ...
Self / Drums, James White & The Blacks
Colin Wade ...
Self / Bass, James White & The Blacks
Bemshi ...
Dancer
Cherie Marilyn ...
Dancer
Karen Geniece ...
Self / Guitar, Walter Steding & The Dragon People
Lenny Ferrari ...
Self / Drums, Walter Steding & The Dragon People
Victor Bockris ...
Mudd Club Friends
Patrick Geoffrois ...
Mudd Club Friend
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Mudd Club Friend
Betsy Sussler ...
Mudd Club Friend
Vinnie Grouppi ...
Mudd Club Friend
Tav Falco ...
Mudd Club Friend
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Fairy Godmother (as Deborah Harry)
Steve Sabato ...
Car Seller
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jo Shane ...
Club Girl
Diego Cortez ...
Fist-fighter at the Mudd Club (uncredited)
Vanya Edwards ...
Self (uncredited)
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Graffiti Artist (uncredited)
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Vincent Gallo (uncredited)
...
Self (uncredited)
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Peppermint Lounge Dancer (uncredited)
...
Graffiti Artist (uncredited)
Joni Ruth White ...
Helpful Old Woman (uncredited)

Directed by

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Edo Bertoglio

Written by

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Glenn O'Brien ... ()

Produced by

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

Music by

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Vincent Gallo

Cinematography by

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John McNulty

Editing by

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Pamela French

Editorial Department

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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

Art Direction by

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Maripol

Set Decoration by

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Jo Shane ... (sculpture on fashion show set)

Makeup Department

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Claudia Porcelli ... makeup artist

Production Management

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

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Steve Sabato ... assistant director

Sound Department

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

Camera and Electrical Department

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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

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Maripol ... casting
Glenn O'Brien ... casting

Music Department

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Michael Fossenkemper ... music mixer
Pamela French ... music editor
Lynn Geller ... music consultant
Maripol ... musical director
Glenn O'Brien ... musical director

Script and Continuity Department

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Pamela Page ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

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Todd MacNicholl ... driver

Additional Crew

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Denise Keating ... intern
Richard Lormand ... press: international
Cyndy Schneidau ... production coordinator (as Cindy Schneidau)
Jason Stoff ... titles
Saul Williams ... voice dubbing: Jean-Michel Basquiat

Thanks

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Robert Aaron ... thanks
Charlie Ahearn ... thanks
Jojo Americo ... thanks
Joey Arias ... thanks
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 Geoffrois ... in memory of (as Patrick Geooffrois)
Eric Goode ... thanks
Bobby Grossman ... thanks
Anthony Haden-Guest ... thanks
Scot Hamlin ... thanks
Debbie Harry ... thanks (as Deborah Harry)
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 a different name)
Gina Nanni ... thanks
Gianni Nunnari ... thanks
Pat Oleszko ... thanks
Suzana Peric ... thanks
Anya Phillips ... in memory of (as Anya Philips)
Amos Poe ... thanks
Nicolas Porcelli ... thanks (as Nick Porcelli)
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

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

The film is a day in the life of a young artist, Jean Michel Basquiat, who needs to raise money to reclaim the apartment from which he has been evicted. He wanders the downtown streets carrying a painting he hopes to sell, encountering friends, whose lives (and performances) we peek into. He finally manages to sell his painting to a wealthy female admirer, but he's paid by check. Low on cash, he spends the evening wandering from club to club, looking for a beautiful girl he had met earlier, so he'll have a place to spend the night. Downtown 81 not only captures one of the most interesting and lively artists of the twentieth century as he is poised for fame, but it is a slice of life from one of the most exciting periods in American culture, with the emergence of new wave music, new painting, hip hop and graffiti. Written by Sujit R. Varma

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Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Glenn O'Brien's New York Beat Movie (United States)
  • New York Beat (United States)
  • Jean-Michel Basquiat in Downtown '81 (France)
  • Ритм большого города (Russia)
  • DOWNTOWN81 (Japan, Japanese title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 72 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix

Box Office

Opening Weekend United States $11,436, 15 Jul 2001

Did You Know?

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Trivia Since 1981, Glenn O'Brien had possession of all of the live musical performance recordings. Unfortunately, the original voice soundtrack was lost in Italy by the film storage vault. The producers were able to get most of the original cast to re-dub their dialogue. But Jean Michel Basquiat died in 1988. So Saul Williams was hired to dub Basquiat's dialogue. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Basquiat (1996). See more »
Soundtracks Palabras Con Ritmo See more »
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.'
See more »

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