After decades out of the print, Gary Weis’ 1979 documentary on South Bronx’s gang culture will be introduced to a new generation with a feature-loaded DVD.
Weis originally came up with the film idea after reading a 1977 Esquire Magazine article from Jon Bradshaw on the Savage Nomads and Savage Skulls, two gangs that warred with each other in the South Bronx. At the time, Weis worked as short film developer on Saturday Night Live, and was able to convince producer Lorne Michaels to sign on for the project.
The pair brought in a camera crew, and interviewed prominent figures in the community. Their subjects ranged from activists and civilians, to the actual gang members and police officers.
Even with the film’s importance in documenting New York’s gangs and the beginnings of Hip-Hop culture, the documentary remained very obscure and confined to hardcore collectors. Recently, original copies of the film fetched up to $300 on Ebay.
The new DVD will place the documentary into historical context for those who didn’t live the era via interviews, a 40 page book that includes the original “Savage Skulls” Esquire article, and artwork from Julian Allen.
80 Blocks From Tiffany’s will be released through Five Day Weekend and Traffic Entertainment. At press time, the project is expected to be released by the end of this year.
The new trailer can be viewed below.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 