The Deadly Art of Survival (1979)

Starring:

• Arthur Abrams
• Beth B.
• Rosetta Campbell

IMDB.com
Before transgressive poseurs overran the scene, this "No Wave" feature from writer-director Charlie Ahearn was one of NYC's earliest, most entertaining blasts of underground, do-it-yourself filmmaking. It's raw, unpretentious and also delivers loads of badass craziness on a food-stamp-level budget. Inspired by old school Deuce martial arts flicks, Ahearn grabbed a home movie camera, rounded up a bunch of black and Puerto Rican amateurs from the nearby projects and made his own threadbare kung fu feature! Once finished, he trucked the movie and his Super-8 projector to South Bronx and Lower East Side venues, occasionally preceded by a live karate or wrestling performance. A couple years later, Ahearn (a white dude) produced and directed the groundbreaking rap/graffiti feature WILD STYLE. ....read more.