Inside PBS Blog

Stacy ,

I come from the old neighborhood. West LA/Palms . Did You have personal experience getting Jumped like I did?When I went to Palms Jr. it happened to Me on the last day of 8th grade. Raquepo and the rest of the "Surfer Boys" were my pals ,and they warned me NOT to take the Tunnel under Palms Blvd. ,I did it anyway, and had the Bruises to show for it! Do You remember the Brims ? The Pirou Crips ,I know they made our daily lives at Palms a little more "Interesting" ,and scares the Heck out of Anyone that payed attention. Most Everyone Payed LOTS of attention. Kids should NOT have memories of seeing their First 38 Nickel Plated Special flashing in the Sun on their PlayGround ,You Know?! Thanks for telling the Story ,and I hope to hear from You.
Norm Ramsey

How did a middle class white guy like you gain the trust of the tough guys in the 'hood?

I grew up in L.A. in the 70's and 80's and my neighborhood was the Crenshaw - Adams area. We had Black P. Stone (BPS) in our neighborhood and they looked after us. I remember them not letting anyone bother the kids in the neighborhood and there was never a gun involved as far as I remember. Outside our parameters I don't know but what I do know is Sudlong, Victor, Bob, Dirty Red (R.I.P. killed riding his bike on Adams) and others I can't remember always told us to stay out of trouble and go to school and we did because we looked up to them. I saw Victor in 1992 or 1993 and he remembered me, I asked what he was doing these days and he said he was an elevator mechanic in the West L.A. area. It's not bad for all, some do get out and go the right way.

What's next for you and your involvement with the people you filmed?

What was it like getting access to current and former gang members? Were they very skeptical to allow a filmmaker come in and document their lives?

I would like to hear more about the mothers of these kids, and efforts to help single moms in South L.A. to create a safe environment for their children before they become gang members. I'm also interested in hearing about changes in the schools and if they're helping. The New Yorker just did an article of school takeovers in south L.A. by Green Dot charter schools, and I wanted to see if you see this as a positive change.

http://www.newamerica.net/publications/articles/2009/instigator_13230

(online copy of article)

I caught this program by accident the other evening. Fascinating camera work and interviews. I am also interested in hearing about the process of making this film. How on earth did it happen? The subject is fraught with danger and judgment, but Peralta found a way to simply bring us the history and the stories.

Thanks PBS for airing this!

I was both inspired and disturbed watching this film last week. Growing up, gangs were only something that I saw on TV or in the cinema. Yet it was surprising to me how much I felt connected with the people in this film. What surprised you the most or was the most unexpected discovery during your time filming this documentary?

This was great. It broke my heart to see all those young, black and dead. We spend the money to save Iraq but what about our own? Great job!

I'd like to know why you chose the title, since the scope of the documentary is so much more than two gangs and their histories.

Was it to grab attention?
I would like the title to be changed to something that reflects the social and cultural issues and the history of the area... which you conveyed so well in the film.

thank you

Hi there
Please make it easier to figure out what time this is on in my area.
Thanks

I'd like to make a musical comedy, starring real Crips and Bloods, dancing, rapping, singing, acting-up a storm in a story about an Illuminati wimp who seeks to boost his ego by playing "The Most Dangerous Game" with a vulnerable-seeming young Blood. The Illuminati doesn't realize that the short Blood makes up for his size with his brain-power. The Blood figures out that he's being hunted by an Illuminati, and he realizes that actually all Bloods and Crips are targeted. He decides to get the two gangs working together to eliminate their mutual enemy. Much hilarity ensues, as the Bloods and Crips discover just how sick and retarded their true foes really are.

I can;t say that I'm new to gangs and the gand life. It has been a part of society no one wanted to talk about. Thanks for sharing this movie with all those not exposed to that first hand violence here in America.

growing up in the Pasadena area we would often avoid wearing a lot of blue or red when at school unless you wanted to get noticed by some of the gangsters, pretty scary. Its interesting that you can grow up in the middle of that but not hardly know anything about what goes on there. Nice work.

I have been following Stacey Peralta since before “Search for Animal Chin”. His love for humanity, his community, and digging up subject matter that seems to have been lost in the shuffle is daunting. To me this film depicts a problem that America refuses to address. Los Angeles has been a virtual battle zone for half of a century. Every decade or so it boils over into neighboring communities and then we stand up take notice. Shortly after we all turn the TV back to The Hills. It is typical but sad that this film has not been shown in mainstream venues.

Awesome. I definitely will pass this information to my friends.

I'm from Australia and we don't have gangs so much here in Sydney where I live. But I remember in the early and mid 90s all the gang movies had come out here and were very popular. I don't mean to be rude but it just looks like a war zone over there in LA. I have been to Chicago for holidays and been to all Latin and all African American neighborhoods and I have to say I didn't feel threatened there at all.
So do you feel the gang problem will get better over there and if so how long before this happens.

What was it like getting access to current and former gang members? Were they very skeptical to allow a filmmaker come in and document their lives?

a powerful film
BUT- without a framework- i.e. class struggle (and here is where you turn off) (once i said that)

without the framework of historical struggle against imperialism, colonialism, capitalism- all those isms (u just turned off again didn't you?)

but here is where u may not turn off- this film is bool sheet- and u can't make a real film becuz u wld get no funding- no audience- and wld b shut down-

but i give u credit where credit is due- u raise more questions than most

and i think yr film is really good- but, seriously- it takes us no where in the end-

invite u to get real- like george jackson or like martin king- the rest is tittillation- take a gang- the black guerilla family- it has descended into criminality- has no relation to the founder and revolution- be it violent or non- violent

the nation of islam spokesman came closest- and yet- their message is in the end- defeatist-nationalism is defeatist-

has nothing to do w race

If you have the chance dont must be let go all the work from him are pretty good specially the wish ones where he shows his feelings about his old life on skating.

Peraltas work is pretty good with this vision of an ex champion of skateboarding the thematic on the films are great.

Gangs are stupid. Anyone who joins your an idot. You are fighting for neighborhoods that dont even belong to you. Think about you are figthing for nothing.

Thanks for the post. I live in LA and always wanted to watch a documentary about the two gangs. Thanks again.