Double feature

has artistic flair
Take one part groundbreaking Manhattan graffiti artist Jean Michel Basquiat, mix in rocker David Bowie playing artist Andy Warhol, sprinkle with A-listers like Courtney Love, Gary Oldman and Benicio Del Toro, add a documentary flavor — and Friday’s shaping up to be one juicy double feature.
As part of its winter film series, the UO Cultural Forum will show “Downtown ’81” and “Basquiat,” a documentary and a cult indie film, respectively, that explore the 1980s New York City art scene.
Julien Schnabel directs 1996’s “Basquiat,” which explores the artist’s personal and public life. Jeffrey Wright as Basquiat and Dennis Hopper co-star with Love, Del Toro and Bowie. Schnabel received recent acclaim for “Before Night Falls,” another film about an artist: Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas.
“Downtown ’81,” a more obscure film, takes a broader look at the art scene at the time.
The showing starts at 8 p.m. in 180 PLC. Tickets are $2 for students and $3 for the general public. For more information, call 346-0633.

–Jeremy Lang