It’s easy to be romanced by notions of the gritty Lower East Side of old if you’re solely looking through the prism of, say, Jim Jarmusch films and Richard Hell records, but it’s once again prudent to remember that the hardships of those eras were unrelentingly genuine.
Sure, they afforded an influx of artists, musicians, bohemians and risk-takers, but that’s only because the neighborhood in question was largely considered inhospitable. The same hotbed of shrill nightlife and real estate opportunity today was once deemed by many a “no-go zone.” There were reasons for that.
“L.E.S.” is a short film written and directed by one Coleen Fitzgibbon at some point in the mid-70’s. In the filmmaker's own words….
Super 8mm transfer to digital, color, sound, 16:31 minutes. Documentary style critique of the Island of Manhattan’s fiscal state of affairs and the John Dough Cult. Written and directed by C. Fitzgibbon. Narrated by Robin Winters. Cast: Tom Sigal, Diego Cortez and Robin Winters. NYC Lower East Side Island of Mahattan mid-1970's punk rock burned out living on the streets.
Over the course of the film, there’s a deadpan voice-over that recounts a surreal, apocalyptic and dystopian description of Manhattan life. Suffice to say, that description is in sharp contrast to the reality of today, where the same avenues depicted are now dotted with bespoke wine bars and artisinal bakeries.
Check it out….
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