Like it or hate it graffiti is a part of our world now and it has become a huge subculture among today's youth. I grew up in a small town and not a big city so I never got into that whole scene when I was younger. I'll take it one step further and say that I have never actually used a spray can on anything other than in art class back in high school and that was for only one project. That being said I'm fairly biased against vandalism in any form and have never appreciated that form of art.

Inherently I just feel that there's something wrong about defacing someone's property or the sanctity of a neighborhood but as they say; beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Despite all of these feelings I do have to admit that in my travels I have seen the very impressive murals that made me stop and appreciate the handiwork. I have often wondered what it is that drives people to vandalize their surroundings and leave their mark everywhere they go (beyond signing in a bathroom stall that is). It was this curiosity that led me to Infamy.

Directed by Doug Pray Infamy is a documentary that depicts many of the most popular graffiti artists across the country. Rather than feature these artists making their marks and putting together a portfolio of sorts this documentary takes a different approach. It not only focuses on the graffiti but the people behind it and the lengths they go to do what they love to do. It shows why they do it, how they got into it, and the way it has affected their lives. Infamy came across as a deeply personal look into this subculture and as an outsider looking in I felt that I came to understand these things more than I had.

Throughout the documentary there are about a handful of writers that are featured. With aliases like Ear Snot, Saber, Jase, Claw, Toomer, and Enem it's all about the name recognition when it comes to graffiti. Despite the dramatic differences between each of these people the common thread seems to be just that; getting recognized. On the street there is a certainly level of infamy that comes to the artist who makes a difficult or prominent tag. Getting your writing out there is one of the best ways to get noticed and earn respect among your peers.

In most every case here each of these people got started at a young age and came from a broken home. Their options were join a gang and probably get shot or grab a can of paint instead of a gun... and probably get shot. They put themselves on the front lines every night and wind up in dangerous neighborhoods, on gang turf, or often times behind bars. There's a certain commonality among these artists where graffiti and tagging borders on obsession.

In a case like Ear Snot's he walks around NYC all day writing his name on whatever he can find. Whether it's a street sign, mail box, wall, window, or trash can, it probably has his tag on it. His addiction has brought him to the point that instead of buying the supplies that he needs he often steals them. In one instance the camera follows him into a store were he pockets some markers and walks out feeling like king of the world. That's another common thread between many of the artists featured here; theft.

Because graffiti is a form of vandalism one crime eventually leads into another. Disrespect of the law becomes something that is second nature and in many cases in order for your supply to meet your demand you have to use the five finger discount. Vandalizing a street sign is one thing but when that pastime turns into an even serious crime that's where it becomes an even more dangerous area.

Infamy also does a decent job of showing the negative side of this particular subculture. Joe Connolly the "Graffiti Guerilla" has taken a dislike for tagging to the extreme. He spends his days driving around with a truck full of paint and cleaning solution to clean up his neighborhood. You have to respect his frustration over seeing his surroundings defaced but with the way he behaves it almost borders on psychosis; kind of like he's been pushed too far. On the other side of that coin there is also some testimony from the family members of the aforementioned artists. This really helps flesh them out as people and sheds light on the steps that were taken in life to bring them to the point of acting out with vandalism.

I didn't know what to expect with Infamy but Doug Pray really put together a thoughtful and insightful documentary about the subculture of graffiti. It hasn't changed my feelings about vandalism but it certainly gave me something to think about the next time I see a tag on the street. Showcasing the lives of these artists and how they got to be the way they are was the right way to handle this documentary. Even if you have no interest in graffiti this is a solid rental if you're looking for an informative and thought provoking documentary.

Released in 2005 Infamy is presented with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio but it hasn't been enhanced for anamorphic playback. The video quality ranges greatly throughout this feature but that's mostly because of the style of camera used for filming and not technical flaws with the transfer. Due to the amount of nighttime shots there is a ton of grain and lighting issues. There are also some bouts of edge enhancement and a few spots where some speckle is noticeable. Then again this is an urban picture and not really something with Hollywood style production behind it. It should be gritty and for better or worse it is.

Two English audio tracks are featured on this release. The 5.1 surround selection is obviously the preferred one though a 2.0 stereo track is available as well. Both perform well though the 5.1 option wins out in terms of presentation value. The dialogue remains on the front channel for the most part and the music kicks in on the rear. The effect isn't as strong as one would hope for but for the quality of sound that was shot it's pretty decent. French subtitles are available but there are no English ones.

In the bonus section of the disc there is a total of nine extra topics that appear to have been cut out of the documentary. These range in subjects from stereotyping of graffiti artists to Joe Connolly's crusade and the dangers of the train yard. These snippets provide an even more in depth look into the world of graffiti. Their run time was a little too long to be included in the documentary but it's nice that they were included on the side.

After watching Infamy I feel like I have a better understand about the world of graffiti artists. I always thought when I saw a tag that it was just some punk kid with too much time on his hands but seeing the troubles that these folks went through in their lives it helps to bring things into perspective. I don't condone it and quite honestly I don't appreciate seeing someone's tag plastered all over the place when I go into the city. It's a part of life though and now that I have seen this documentary I at least appreciate it a little more. Doug Pray did a great job at showcasing the subculture and giving the viewer a better grasp at that part of urban life.

It's worth at least a rental unless you are a "writer" yourself. If that's the case then you'll probably want to pick this one up.

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