Until the Real Thing Comes Along

Beat Street (1984)
directed by Stan Lathan
rating: 2 out of 5 cravats
on DVD from Netflix

Wild Style (1983)
directed by Charlie Ahearn
rating: 3 out of 5 cravats
on DVD from Netflix

Let's be honest; when it comes to hip-hop, I'm about thirty years behind schedule. The good news is I'm trying not to be, but no one's going to notice that in this review. It might be dismissive to post Beat Street and Wild Style together, but I watched them as a double feature and I'll embarrass myself less the fewer opportunities I have to talk about Lee Quiñones or the Treacherous Three in writing.

It wasn't any surprise that Beat Street, with its West Side Story overtones, includes at least one romance, but Wild Style didn't have to, and I like that Ahearn did. I guess both of these movies are about kids trying to figure out who they are and how to protect that in a world that is not looking out for them, but I appreciate how inarticulate Rose and Raymond are around each other. It's a lot more effective than Ramon giving speeches about his father in Beat Street, or even Double K's mother saying things like, "I've already lost one son out there."

Beat Street switches the action to winter, at least. Which means no basketball gets played. And again, I like that basketball is something the same guys who rap and dance in Wild Style take part in. My favorite performance was Grandmaster Flash in someone's kitchen; there's a closeness in that scene that Kenny making music in his bedroom on a big set just can't approximate.

And Rae Dawn Chong is Tommy Chong's daughter? Who knew? Anyway, I'm off to take my vitamins and walk the mall!