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BLANK CITYMovie Reviews
Documentary about the "No Wave Cinema" and "Cinema of Transgression" movements that came out of the squalor of 1970s New York City. Cast:Steve Buscemi, Lydia Lunch, Jim Jarmusch, Richard Kern, Amos Poe, Ann MagnusonDirector:Celine DanhierRelease Date:April 6, 2011DVD Release:February 21, 2012From:Insurgent ReleasingLength:1 hr 36 min
Blank City played in key cities to good reviews. • Joseph Jon Lanthier wrote for Slant, "To have been surviving amid the squalor and crime of Alphabet City was a fortunate fate too remarkable to go un-catalogued." • And Logan Hill wrote in New York Magazine, "...a banging, bumpy ride... worthy just for its condensed, montage tour through this creative eruption... vital..." More Reviews Below...
Blank City Positive Reviews (21 Reviews, reviews below)
Blank City has not been reviewed by Broad National Press
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "A dogged journalist and a careful, enthusiastic cultural historian, documentarian Céline Danhier illuminates a hectic and fascinating place and time..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 842 words, 04/06/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Anyone who bemoans the gentrification of New York will revel in Celine Danhier's love letter to a long-ago city... it's extra fun to spot familiar faces (hi, Steve Buscemi!)."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 113 words, 04/08/11
V.A. Musetto, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...does a first-rate job of remembering.... combines scenes from the era's rarely shown underground movies with new interviews with the renegade artists..."(See all of V.A. Musetto's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 292 words, 04/06/11
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Céline Danhier's first directing effort is as maddeningly undisciplined as the movie community she's exploring, but it still stands as a worthy historical document..."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 654 words, 07/15/11
Stephen Cole, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a valentine to New York back when it was the Rotten Apple.... the all-night, every-night party was fun while it lasted."(See all of Stephen Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 572 words, 07/15/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Buscemi, Lurie, Harry, Magnuson and Lunch seem quietly amazed that anyone's still talking about the little art projects they made three decades ago.... part of the charm."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 149 words, 07/14/11
KEY CITIES (5 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...evokes someone else's home movies. Watching the documentary may make you think, more than once, 'Fun party, but I guess you had to be there.' "(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 555 words, 06/17/11
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the real reason to see 'Blank City' is to catch snatches of the now-decades-old films - priceless DIY numbers that capture all the wild energy, humor, and rage..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 312 words, 06/10/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...shows vitality from its first seconds, as it re-creates a world and a mind-set, both of which feel very far from America in the 21st century."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 322 words, 06/03/11
Stan Hall, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the many interview subjects include Jim Jarmusch, John Lurie, Amos Poe, Susan Seidelman, Charlie Ahearn, Fab 5 Freddy and Steve Buscemi."(See all of Stan Hall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 115 words, 09/16/11
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...not a great documentary. Too much is covered way too rapidly. Interviews are cut short, making room for samplings from No Wave movies."(See all of Gerald Peary's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 584 words, 05/19/11
Noel Murray, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...not just a salute to the artistic adventurousness of a bygone New York, but a reminder that new strains of creativity keep emerging..."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 423 words, 04/07/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Buscemi, Lurie, Harry, Magnuson and Lunch seem quietly amazed that anyone's still talking about the little art projects they made three decades ago.... part of the charm."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 149 words, 07/14/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "A dogged journalist and a careful, enthusiastic cultural historian, documentarian Céline Danhier illuminates a hectic and fascinating place and time..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 842 words, 04/06/11
Ronnie Scheib, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...often feels as inchoate as the phenomenon under discussion.... The major draw lies in its generous glimpses of rare, virtually lost Super-8 and 16mm films..."(See all of Ronnie Scheib's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 545 words, 05/11/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: VERY GOOD "A dogged journalist and a careful, enthusiastic cultural historian, documentarian Céline Danhier illuminates a hectic and fascinating place and time..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 842 words, 04/06/11
15.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Blank City's reviews are separated by an average 15.0 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Blank City (21 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Blank City's reviews cover 20.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 9,078 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 432 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Blank City Coverage, Volume & Length (21 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 13 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Blank City's reviews on average broke 13 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Blank City's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Blank City (21 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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