Definitive New York Jam / Film

pimlicosquirrelpimlicosquirrel 772 Posts
edited January 2012 in Strut Central
What single film and/or song encapsulates New York city the best?......for you, or by whatever yard stick you choose to measure.

  Comments


  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    "Jay-Z/Alica Keys New York is EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

    Taxi Driver and Rakim New York

    Taxi Driver was the first thing to come to mind but its very questionable.

    Get that Frank Sinatra shit outta here.

  • Downtown 81/take a walk on the wild side

  • JectWonJectWon (@_@) 1,654 Posts
    Movie: 80 Blocks From Tiffany's



    Jam: Take the A Train



    Restaurant: Gray's Papaya (Recession Special)


  • bassiebassie 11,710 Posts
    As far as what most shaped the images in my head before I got there to see it for myself:






  • Wild Style.

  • Fort Apache: The Bronx
    Ace Frehley "Back in the New York Groove"

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Woody Allan's Manhattan. Not gritty, but still.

    He used Gershwin as the quintessential NY melody (Rhapsody in Blue).

    Most or all the music above I think works just as well or better.

    I think Inside Man also did a great job of capturing NY, even though it was just a tiny downtown setting. If you took all of Spike's NY films and all of Woody's NY Films you would get an interesting view of the city.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I think Billy Strayhorn was still a teen when Ellington invited him to NYC and told him to Take The A Train to Duke's Apt in Harlem. Billy wrote the song on the way there but didn't think it would work well for the Ellington band and was hesitant about showing it to Duke. Of course it quickly became the bands new theme song.

  • not defintive but good:






  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,902 Posts
    For me Wall Street, Taxi Driver, Ghostbusters, A Bronx Tale, Beat Street & The Warriors.

    Even Moonstruck gives me a major New York vibe.

    But I would think Manhattan would get the most votes (Cept for Taxi Driver).


    For tracks. I have no idea why. But Summertime (Miles version) always makes me feel NYC. No idea why. It's not like it's NYC related. Just a feeling.

    Recently tho...


  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    I love me some Warriors and they do show The Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn unlike many of the other fllcks mentioned.

    But the cartooning of the gang visuals offsets the realness for me.




  • all encompassing. 2 boroughs, clubs, small hardware shops, short order coffee shops that barely exist anymore, disco, rainstorms, ethnic tension, religious tension, crime, accents, cheeseburgers, the subway, grandma, hospitals, fights, suicide, the 70's. it has it all.

    aside from any woody or spike films which all center here.

    the warriors is fun but it doesn't encapsulate new york, too mythological.

  • Like Bassie, before I'd been there and for many years the one film and track (as cliched as they may be) which really informed my PMG and piqued my interest would have to be Style Wars and The Bridge is Over.

    It's funny, when we were in New York, I was drunk and taking photos on the street. I was shooting a family and they were curious why an Australian was so excited to be in New York and I told them about the diet of dubbed Red Alert, Mr Magic and Latin Rascals tapes, shitty copies of Style Wars and being shook about the bridge wars. They started in on "Manhattan keeps on makin it, Brooklyn keeps on takin it, Bronx keeps creatin it, and Queens keeps on fakin it" and I was drunk so I'm going along word for word and this family is just falling out laughing.

    I'll try and find some of the photo's, cause they are looking at me mad shady in the shots, before we got to talking.




  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,902 Posts
    batmon said:
    I love me some Warriors and they do show The Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn unlike many of the other fllcks mentioned.

    But the cartooning of the gang visuals offsets the realness for me.

    I understand your point. And I agree in part.

    But for me, the plot of the movie and the city are inseparable. And it gives it something unique that most NYC related films are lacking IMO. I must admit the directors cut release took away some love of the film for me with the comic book campiness crap.


    I wonder if Tony Scott is still working on releasing his LA update of the flick...

  • does anybody here ride for scorcese's "after hours"?

  • DOR said:
    batmon said:
    I love me some Warriors and they do show The Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn unlike many of the other fllcks mentioned.

    But the cartooning of the gang visuals offsets the realness for me.

    I understand your point. And I agree in part.

    But for me, the plot of the movie and the city are inseparable. And it gives it something unique that most NYC related films are lacking IMO. I must admit the directors cut release took away some love of the film for me with the comic book campiness crap.


    I wonder if Tony Scott is still working on releasing his LA update of the flick...

    For me the cartoon version is unwatchable but the original version is one of my favorite movies and it's the reason I had to take the trip to Coney Island when I was in NY.

  • crabmongerfunk said:
    does anybody here ride for scorcese's "after hours"?

    Yeah, it's like an 80s version of Taxi Driver. Those two are among my favorite NY films, incidentally.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    DOR said:
    batmon said:
    I love me some Warriors and they do show The Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn unlike many of the other fllcks mentioned.

    But the cartooning of the gang visuals offsets the realness for me.

    I understand your point. And I agree in part.

    But for me, the plot of the movie and the city are inseparable. And it gives it something unique that most NYC related films are lacking IMO. I must admit the directors cut release took away some love of the film for me with the comic book campiness crap.


    I wonder if Tony Scott is still working on releasing his LA update of the flick...

    The plot is cool but gangs just didnt look like that in 79. That the only thing that hampers its definitive nyc rating for me.
    but shit all that subway footage is extra realness points.

    i think brooklyn needs its own thread cause a gang of great nyc films have been shot there.

    summer of sam is honerable mention.

  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,902 Posts
    While nobody was dressing like the Hi-Hats , Furies and Boppers. I thought many of the other gangs outfits could have been legit. Including the Warriors...



    Anyways... I wish there was an HD version of the OG. The bluray was a major letdown for me.


    Agree on Summer of sam. And 25th Hour...

  • asstroasstro 1,754 Posts
    crabmongerfunk said:
    does anybody here ride for scorcese's "after hours"?

    For this NYC native After Hours is way up on the list. The NYC in that movie is the NY that I remember from my young teen years when downtown was this crazy, vibrant, semi dangerous place. Desperately Seeking Susan captures some of that vibe as well, in a less seedy way.

    As far as music, nothing captures the intensity of the city like the Cro-Mags "Age Of Quarrel". That record could have come from nowhere else.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    DOR said:
    While nobody was dressing like the Hi-Hats , Furies and Boppers. I thought many of the other gangs outfits could have been legit. Including the Warriors...



    Anyways... I wish there was an HD version of the OG. The bluray was a major letdown for me.


    Agree on Summer of sam. And 25th Hour...

    Real gangs were recruited for the Van Courtland Summit. They were mixed in with the makeup wearing cats.
    The multi-culti Warriors is a bit of a stretch.

    I own the OG on VHS or DVD and did cop the Directors Cut on bluray. He fucked his own classic up.

  • parallaxparallax no-style-having mf'er 1,266 Posts
    For me, it's.

    Miroslav Vitous - New York City

    Abel Ferrara - Bad Lieutenant

    Kindly,
    parallax

  • AKallDay said:



    all encompassing. 2 boroughs, clubs, small hardware shops, short order coffee shops that barely exist anymore, disco, rainstorms, ethnic tension, religious tension, crime, accents, cheeseburgers, the subway, grandma, hospitals, fights, suicide, the 70's. it has it all.

    aside from any woody or spike films which all center here.

    the warriors is fun but it doesn't encapsulate new york, too mythological.

    Sayin'. Always loved the dialogue in this movie too.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Annie Hall

  • Jspr said:


    Not really, this is a Guiliani era product. IMO the definitive New York movies are Dinkins era and before. Although this is a fine film and it totally captures a part of how it was here at that exact time.

    Cosine on:


    AKallDay said:



    all encompassing. 2 boroughs, clubs, small hardware shops, short order coffee shops that barely exist anymore, disco, rainstorms, ethnic tension, religious tension, crime, accents, cheeseburgers, the subway, grandma, hospitals, fights, suicide, the 70's. it has it all.

    aside from any woody or spike films which all center here.

    the warriors is fun but it doesn't encapsulate new york, too mythological.


    Especially the part about torrential rain. So true. And that opening sequence of him walking under the EL to the beat. Who hasn't walked the streets of NY feeling like Tony Manero?

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Deegreez said:
    Jspr said:


    Not really, this is a Guiliani era product. IMO the definitive New York movies are Dinkins era and before. Although this is a fine film and it totally captures a part of how it was here at that exact time?

    Kids is a very good call. I cant think of a NY film that shows teens that way. Their actions could have been from any post war decade.
    Only the Aids plot marks its date.
    I hear u takin points off from Gulliani, but despite the changes made by his era, this still was on some dirty NY shit.

  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    batmon said:
    Annie Hall
    This is my choice. It takes shots at California and the midwest.
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