Downtown 81, formerly known as New York Beat, is a cinéma-vérité style film that follows the legendary NY painter Jean Michel Basquiat around Lower Manhattan in 1980-81. The film is an excellent slice of life from the early 80's NYC art/music scene, featuring appearances by the great art rock band DNA, as well as Debbie Harry, Clem Burke (Blondie), Kid Creole & the Coconuts and The Plastics. A great piece of NY art history.
