Style Wars

By: Max Olijnyk
Article published: 8th Jul 09

What:
Style Wars

Where:
ACMI Cinemas and check out our HUGE INTERVIEW with Carlos Rodriguez here!

When:
Thurs July 9 - Sun July 12

How much:
Tickets $10/$13 from here

Win:
Thanks to ACMI we have 10 dbls to give away! Email win@threethousand.com.au with subject 'You've seen me, I'm all-city'

People get so uppity about graffiti. They are cool with bovines with pixellated genitals on billboards, but as soon as they see a tag on a bench, it's the end of the world. I always thought I was above all that, until some guy spray-painted my dad's fence and I was confronted with my own hypocrisy.

Style Wars delves into this subject and illuminates it in a well-rounded way that has never been topped since its release in 1983. As well as spending time with New York's subway graffiti elite such as Dondi, Skeme and Seen, the filmmakers interview their families, as well as commuters, public officials and police detectives.

The enthusiasm of the artists is so infectious, you can't help but side with them. Concerns about vandalism seem to pale in comparison to the admirable goal of going ‘all-city', which is to have pieces running simultaneously on all subway lines.

Whether you've seen this film a million times or you have absolutely no interest in graffiti, Style Wars is still essential viewing. It captures the excitement and unexplainable energy of a scene that was really in the middle of something important.