Scenes From KCRW’s Style Wars Screening ~ Hollywood

Piece by MEAR ONE

Last night, KCRW dropped a party on Hollywood celebrating the seminal New York graffiti flick Style Wars, working up to a screening of a restored print of the film with live art by L.A.'s own treacherous three, D-CYPHER, MEAR, and RISK, live b-boying by a crew from Long Beach, t-shirt printing from Hit 'n Run (choice bits taken from the film for prints included "Just a Kid Growing Up" and "Art Is Not a Crime") and a panel discussion between the film's co-director, Henry Chalfaunt, actress Catherine Keener (who helped score the funding for the movie's restoration), and SKEME, whose scenes between him and his mother in Style Wars are as legendary as his bombs. It was a nice night capped off by a big screen showing of the movie, which is as vital as ever even 30 years after it first came out. Maybe even more so now that it look so good and won't just be available on some shitty VHS tape your brother's friend's cousin has to lend you. Check out some shots of the night, held at Oscars Outdoors, which offers film screenings every week. (Born in East L.A. on August 16!).

The panel consisted of SKEME, Catherine Keener, and Henry Chalfaunt, moderated by DJ ANthony Valadez. While Chalfaunt compared scouting spots for the film to "hunting game," SKEME stood by the statements he'd made in the movie as a youth regarding graffiti, and revealed that his mother sent him to the army just a few weeks after filming, which led to a thirty year career. He also thanked his mother for her support of his imagination and creativity. And doodling.

DCYPHER at work.

Hit n Run made us this dope shirt of New York's MIN ONE.

RISK at work.

RISK's finished piece.

Anothny Valadez got ill with it for two hours, playing straight golden age hip-hop spiced up with some mean cuts. Look at those hands move.

MEAR ONE at work