70s New York/big cities in films

[famethrowa]

Best representation of Sydney so far:

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

Escape From New York? (somebody will probably pop up and tell me it was actually filmed in Burnley now).

[dr beat]

That thing about Toronto pretending to be NY - is that a relatively recent development? And does it really happen that often?

The bits of King of Comedy where they film De Niro and Berhnhard out in the street in actual NY maybe deserve a mention.

[willbo]

That thing about Toronto pretending to be NY - is that a relatively recent development? And does it really happen that often?

The bits of King of Comedy where they film De Niro and Berhnhard out in the street in actual NY maybe deserve a mention.

I know a lot of filming happens in Canada because its cheaper. "Monk" and "X Files" both used Vancouver a lot (despite being set in San Fran and Washington)

[phantom_power]

That New York City doesn't exist any more, but After Hours has an incredible sense of place and time.

I would put early Jarmusch films in that as well, and to go to a completely different sort of film, Street Trash

[willbo]

this low budget trash movie has a good NYC feel

[phantom_power]

Low budget trash often has the best snapshots of their era as they have to shoot guerrilla style rather than using sets or blocking off streets

[Sebastian Cobb]

I know a lot of filming happens in Canada because its cheaper. "Monk" and "X Files" both used Vancouver a lot (despite being set in San Fran and Washington)

Due South too, "Chicago" with the CN tower proudly in the background.

[steveh]

Low budget trash often has the best snapshots of their era as they have to shoot guerrilla style rather than using sets or blocking off streets

Reminded me of The Bronx Warriors which is a terrible movie but has very much of-their-time outside shots in Brooklyn (maybe they considered the actual Bronx too dangerous). There's a bunch of other Italian produced films with shots of NYC that don't regularly feature elsewhere and that give the impression they were quietly made with no permits.

Mubi currently has Born in Flames for more gritty 1980s NYC dystopias.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Low budget trash often has the best snapshots of their era as they have to shoot guerrilla style rather than using sets or blocking off streets

Yeah I was going to say Blaxploitation has some nice bits of 70's street life for similar reasons, but don't consider it trash.

[phantom_power]

I meant trash more as an aesthetic rather than qualitative idea, although lots are both

[Sebastian Cobb]

Ah fair enough, I love schlock anyway tbf, not sure why I picked up on it really.

[greenman]

Escape From New York? (somebody will probably pop up and tell me it was actually filmed in Burnley now).

St Louis.

[zomgmouse]

I know a lot of filming happens in Canada because its cheaper. "Monk" and "X Files" both used Vancouver a lot (despite being set in San Fran and Washington)

Also apparently NYC has only one publicly-available alleyway so maybe they go to Canada to film alleyways

[notjosh]

Die Hard with a Vengeance has a bit of a 70s/Taking of Pelham One Two Three vibe to it, in its preoccupation with grimy underground infrastructure, congested streets and colourful New York characters.

[Sebastian Cobb]

This isn't bad.



Well it's kind of miserable, but there's some good location stuff and it's got Paul Newman and Pam Grier in it.

[zomgmouse]

thanks...I've never even been to the US but I love LA films like Paris Texas and To Live and Die in..

Just also remembered Miracle Mile for a great LA film.

[phantom_power]

PTA films are good for the more scuzzy side of LA, like in Boogie Nights, Inherent Vice or Magnolia

[Dr Rock]

Also apparently NYC has only one publicly-available alleyway so maybe they go to Canada to film alleyways

Yeah I went to New York and I didn't see any alleyways. Comics and movies lied to me.

[notjosh]

Yeah I went to New York and I didn't see any alleyways. Comics and movies lied to me.

Conversely, I was amazed to discover that those cool clouds of mysterious steam emanating from manholes are actually a real thing.

[Dr Rock]

Yeah they are real and very cool. Also there are loads of water towers on top of buildings like in Spider-Man comics.

[jonnycuba]

Not quite NYC, but 1970's "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" set in Boston has that proper grime. Mitcham & Boyle add the dirt.

[Gurke and Hare]

Yeah they are real and very cool. Also there are loads of water towers on top of buildings like in Spider-Man comics.

New York is absolutely the city where when you go there for the first time you think "Wow! I'm on TV!"

[willbo]

New York is absolutely the city where when you go there for the first time you think "Wow! I'm on TV!"

I remember being excited as a kid just going to Birmingham (west midlands) and how Blade Runner/cop film/disco film/Marvel Comics ish it looked...

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

New York is absolutely the city where when you go there for the first time you think "Wow! I'm on TV!"

Or, if you visit the Upper East Side of Manhattan, "Wow! I'm in a Woody Allen film!"

The only Allen film in which he depicts the grungier side of NYC is Bananas. His character in that is, for once, a blue collar worker who lives in a shitty apartment, so the early scenes feature lots of nice early '70s New York grime. Plus a pre-fame Sylvester Stallone as a menacing Subway Punk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blOUfHFaNvs

[Emma Raducanu]

Great idea for a thread. I really love that big city feel, where the location comes alive. I felt it in Joker. I could almost smell New York in Taxi driver. Sorry but loved Tokyo in lost in translation.

He's been mentioned already but Jim Jarmusch's night on earth captured New York in a way that rooted firmly in my mind for years. Just the shots of run down bronx and boarded up shop fronts, mysterious buildings illuminated in the dead of night. It's haunting.

[Cuntbeaks]

Driller Killer has some fantastically grim New York footage.

[zomgmouse]

Driller Killer has some fantastically grim New York footage.

That whole era of 70s/80s grimy New York stuff, like Maniac, God Told Me To, CHUD... excellent

[famethrowa]

Driller Killer has some fantastically grim New York footage.

Wow, I had no idea that was a US film! Always assumed it was a UK thing, due to it being a video nasty and all that.

[Dr Rock]

I don't think any 'video nasties' were UK made films (feel free to correct me horror fans).