Style Wars/Style Wars: Revisited

What is there to say about a 21-year-old documenty about vandals? Sorry, not vandals - artists.

Even today, they spread their joy and wisdom throughout the land, with slogans like "Gator Woz 'Ere", rudely scrawled across children's playgrounds and the wall outside the chippie.

Style Wars is supposed to tell their story and be on their side. It doesn't exactly achieve that. What these kids do is steal spraypaint and use the New York subway system as some sort of colouring-in book.

They want their vandalism to travel all over town and be seen by everybody. It works. But who cares? Their parents aren't convinced and neither are the city officials. And neither is the Gator.

It's hard to watch the dated hairdos and ugly early Eighties fashion and side with these kids. They may not be dealing smack, or smoking rocks, but the movie doesn't dig into their creative energy at all. Instead, it details how they break into train yards and map out the subway tunnels. Pretty uninteresting stuff.

The revisited part of the title means this is a new print of the film, with a remastered soundtrack. If you dig early Eighties songs - and why would you? - then the re-release might appeal.