So after first reading about it in Nick Rombes' excellent "Cultural Dictionary of Punk" several weeks back, I finally got to see Amos Poe's "The Foreigner" in its oft-somnambulistic entirety this evening. While it boasts more of a discernible narrative than the similarly inclined "Downtown `81," the acting in the former makes the acting in the latter look Oscar-worthy. Regardless, "The Foreigner" does retain a strange, haunting quality. To the layperson, it might seem boring, amateurish and bordering on the unwatchable, but for someone like myself -- hopelessly intrigued by both the then-thriving bohemian culture of downtown NYC circa 1977 and the gradual erosion of the very landscape its filmed on -- there is a riveting aspect to "The Foreigner." Several scenes were filmed on streets I regularly walk on (although most bear only passing resemblance to their current incarnations). Some landmarks that appear in the film are still there, notably The Chelsea Hotel and Fanelli's bar in Soho. Others, like CBGB and, well, the World Trade Center, obviously, are not.
While admittedly laborious at points, the film is undeniably a crucial precursor to later films like the afore-mentioned "Downtown `81," Martin Scorsese's brilliant (and inexplicably unsung) "After Hours" and even "Desperately Seeking Susan." For fans of Punk Rock, the film is rife with cameos from folks like Debbie Harry, The Cramps and The Erasers (both in the video clip below) and even Robin Crutchfield of seminal No Wave trio D.N.A. has a small speaking part. Coincidentally enough, D.N.A. themselves perform in "Downtown `81" (albeit after Robin had left the band) and D.N.A. vocalist Arto Lindsay has a fleeting cameo himself in "Desperately Seeking Susan," further linking these films. Erstwhile Patti Smith collaborator Ivan Kral also provides some atmospheric music.
If you manage to track down the DVD of "The Foreigner," it comes appended with a great directorial voice-over feature from Amos Poe who helpfully provides some intriguing context. Again, don't expect an action-packed thriller. "The Foreigner" is often stupefyingly meandering, but that's part of the whole point. If you love glimpses of a since-vanished side of New York City, however, it's well worth checking out.
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"We Love You, Mr. Zig-Zag"
So after first reading about it in Nick Rombes' excellent "Cultural Dictionary of Punk" several weeks back, I finally got to see Amos Poe's "The Foreigner" in its oft-somnambulistic entirety this evening. While it boasts more of a discernible narrative than the similarly inclined "Downtown `81," the acting in the former makes the acting in the latter look Oscar-worthy. Regardless, "The Foreigner" does retain a strange, haunting quality. To the layperson, it might seem boring, amateurish and bordering on the unwatchable, but for someone like myself -- hopelessly intrigued by both the then-thriving bohemian culture of downtown NYC circa 1977 and the gradual erosion of the very landscape its filmed on -- there is a riveting aspect to "The Foreigner." Several scenes were filmed on streets I regularly walk on (although most bear only passing resemblance to their current incarnations). Some landmarks that appear in the film are still there, notably The Chelsea Hotel and Fanelli's bar in Soho. Others, like CBGB and, well, the World Trade Center, obviously, are not.
While admittedly laborious at points, the film is undeniably a crucial precursor to later films like the afore-mentioned "Downtown `81," Martin Scorsese's brilliant (and inexplicably unsung) "After Hours" and even "Desperately Seeking Susan." For fans of Punk Rock, the film is rife with cameos from folks like Debbie Harry, The Cramps and The Erasers (both in the video clip below) and even Robin Crutchfield of seminal No Wave trio D.N.A. has a small speaking part. Coincidentally enough, D.N.A. themselves perform in "Downtown `81" (albeit after Robin had left the band) and D.N.A. vocalist Arto Lindsay has a fleeting cameo himself in "Desperately Seeking Susan," further linking these films. Erstwhile Patti Smith collaborator Ivan Kral also provides some atmospheric music.
If you manage to track down the DVD of "The Foreigner," it comes appended with a great directorial voice-over feature from Amos Poe who helpfully provides some intriguing context. Again, don't expect an action-packed thriller. "The Foreigner" is often stupefyingly meandering, but that's part of the whole point. If you love glimpses of a since-vanished side of New York City, however, it's well worth checking out.
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