If you have even the slightest interest in street art, graffiti or self expression, do yourself a favor and rent (or buy) Bomb It. Directed by filmmaker John Reiss, the documentary traces the graffiti movement from Cornbread’s first tag in 1967, to the current co-opting of street art style in mainstream advertising and media. Rather than attempt to write a review, watch the trailer and read what others have to say about this brilliant film:
THE NEW YORK TIMES:
“The movie also considers that bombing (the term of choice for graffiti painters), once deemed a subversive act, has inevitably been co-opted over the last decade or so, its influences turning up in video games and marketing campaigns, and the work itself mounted on gallery walls. But if the artists shown here making magic with spray paint are any indication, graffiti will never go out of style. It will continue to move with the times; with luck, the filmmakers there to document it will do it the justice that this one does. ”
VARIETY:
“Beyond the often striking graffiti glimpsed, the docu is full to the brim with global music tracks, amusing film clips (from “Superfly” to cult horror “They Live”), and diverse original animation segs. Lensing varies, as some footage was by necessity shot surreptitiously; editing is dynamic.”
IGN.COM:
“[Bomb It] lays out the history of graffiti art better than any other work that we can remember, and at the core of the film is a poignant social statement about public space and the war being waged for it by major corporations, the forces of gentrification, and the street artist rebels that express themselves on urban surfaces around the world. This makes for a provocative, and entertaining film that deserves to be seen.”
THE HUFFINGTON POST:
“One thing (among many) the new documentary Bomb It accomplishes magnificently is lending a human element to the faceless graffiti anyone walking down the street has seen in any of the cities on the five continents visited by filmmaker Jon Reiss (Better Living Through Circuitry) and his crew.”
Check out the official Bomb It site
