must see

When I saw the film in Mass. I thought it was a great piece of work. I'm not sure what you were talking about D (aka little siddie) but the film had no techno music what so ever (sorry D shot your credibility). In fact it was an in-depth look at the underground like never before. The profoundness of the music was on point, specifically the melodic keys during the poetic voice over when Mancuso was first introduced is amazing, got goose bumps.

This doc explores the evolution of the club scene from its roots in the late 60's, to it's height with the Paradise Garage and Larry Levan in the seventies, then on to it's depths with the AIDS crisis in the 80's. It is a story that outlines the genus of a now global musical movement and is told by the people who created it, the dancers who witnessed it and the pioneers who survived to tell the tale.

From the opening shots along the street from the train, to the entry of the club then on into it's inner sanctum, viewers will be sucked into the screen until the final credits roll, and glued to their seat long after that. It is powerful, sincere and an accurate representation of "What is House 101", and required viewing for those who want to know. Audience members testified along with the soundtrack, hollered as their hero DJs appeared on-screen and cried as they were reminded of all we've lost. Yes, it was worth the wait and it will be large.

The movie finds its strength in the gritty video footage of David Mancuso's Loft, Nicky Siano's Gallery and of course the final weekend at the Garage. Never widely seen, these priceless nuggets of history offer a spine-tingling visual of the dancers in their hallowed rooms, while showing the youthful exuberance of the DJs as they blazed their musical trails. It also excels in the presentation of uncommonly heard voices of the movement like the Sanctuary's Francis Grasso, Tony Humphries and Alex Rosner who spoke about aural pioneer, Richard Long. Josell augments the overall impact of all this by employing interesting camera angles, slow motion replay and the effective use of silence. Calling each viewers individual Theater of the Mind into full-effect, and capturing the tacit truth of just how powerful this all really is. It's greatest weakness is that it can't tell every story, recall every influential party during this period and beyond, name every name, or reflect every partier's experience but for what it does explore, specifically Larry and those around him, it paints a realistic picture from an excellent starting point.

I think all those people in the public that wonder about studio 54 or disco or house or the underground should witness this great piece of work. It worked for me and many of my friends.

the beauty of film
C\
undaground