Streetwise / Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Streetwise / Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 24, 2021

The Criterion Collection offers a different take on the “Up” film series with the double feature release of 1984’s “Streetwise” and 2016’s “Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell.” While initially a project about homeless kids and their ways of urban survival, director Martin Bell and photographer Mary Ellen Mark elected to keep following the development of Erin, charting her fight for maturity and responsibility, with two short movies and “Tiny” exploring the experience of a woman trying to conjure love in a life where she’s rarely received it.

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Streetwise / Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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Streetwise / Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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Streetwise / Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (26 pages) offers essays by Andrew Hedden and Mary Ellen Clark, and the original Life Magazine article, "Streets of the Lost," but Cheryl McCall.

Streetwise

• Commentary features director Martin Bell.

• Interview (10:22, HD) with director Martin Bell examines his initial interest in the story of "Streetwise," finding inspiration from Mary Ellen Mark's photography, originally showcased in Life Magazine. The couple was offered monetary support from Willie Nelson, embarking on a quest to capture the "unfamous," hunting for the right street kids to follow. Bell shares how Tiny's tale grew into the dominate subplot of the feature, with Mark especially fascinated by the girl and her dangerous life. The interviewee also goes into Mark's personal history and her love of photography.

• Interview (17:27, HD) sits down with editor Nancy Baker (it's a high-end video conference chat) to examine her early impressions of Martin Bell and Mary Ellen Mark, learning to share their passion for the "Streetwise" project. Shooting the feature on film, expenses were monitored, forcing Bell to create his moments carefully, learning which kids to track during their time in Seattle. Piecing together the picture, Baker was tasked with finding narratives, getting into the lives of the subjects, also working without interview sequences. While choosing an ending proved to be difficult for Baker, her real challenge was whittling down a seven-hour-long initial cut of "Streetwise," admitting she was initially overwhelmed by the work.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:42, HD) is included.

Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell

• "Tiny at 20" (13:43) and "Erin" (23:30) are two short films (shot in 1993 and 2005) that focus on the development of Erin Blackwell as she grows into adulthood, trying to keep her head above water as drugs, children, and issues with her mother, Pat, keep her in a state of confusion. It's best to watch these pictures before a viewing of "Erin: The Life of Erin Blackwell," helping to gain a deeper understanding of the subject's personal habits and life choices.

• "Rat" (14:13, HD) is a reunion with Rich, one of the subjects from 1984's "Streetwise." The short, from Mary Ellen Mark and Martin Bell, mostly consists of the former "Rat" watching footage from "Streetwise," also providing an update on his once turbulent life.

• "The Amazing Plastic Lady" (21:55, SD) is a 1995 short film from Martin Bell and Mary Ellen Mark, which explores the world of circus performers in India.

• And a Trailer (2:25, HD) is included.

Streetwise / Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

With excellent A/V presentations and informative supplements, the one-two punch of "Streetwise" and "Tiny: The Life of Erin Blackwell" delivers almost everything there is to know about these productions, along with Bell and Mark's quest to turn a simple documentary idea into a story that's now lasted for decades.