via Groovement: "Director Gary Weis’ 1979 documentary about the South Bronx and its gang culture, previously unavailable on DVD, will be released in the Autumn of 2010, the first time it has been offered to the public in decades, and will be accompanied by a handful of exciting bonus features.
Gary Weis was still working as a short film creator for Saturday Night Live when he came up with the idea for 80 Blocks after reading a Jon Bradshaw article, “Savage Skulls.” Published in a 1977 issue of Esquire Magazine, the piece centered on two gangs based in the South Bronx at the time — the Savage Nomads and the Savage Skulls. Weis became infatuated with the story and, soon after striking up a dialogue with Bradshaw, he convinced SNL producer Lorne Michaels to help him produce the film. Just two years later, in 1979, Weis and Bradshaw brought a camera crew to speak with members of both gangs, along with police officers, community activists, and civilians."
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