Breakin'

This article is about the 1983 film. For other uses, see Breaking (disambiguation).

Breakin'
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoel Silberg
Screenplay by
  • Charles Parker
  • Allen DeBevoise
Story by
  • Charles Parker
  • Allen DeBevoise
  • Gerald Scaife
Produced by
  • Allen DeBevoise
  • David Zito
Starring
CinematographyHanania Baer
Edited by
  • Larry Bock
  • Gib Jaffe
  • Vincent Sklena
Music by
  • Michael Boyd
  • Gary Remal
Production
companies
Distributed byMGM/UA Entertainment Company
Release date
  • May 4, 1984 (1984-05-04)
Running time
87 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.2 million[2]
Box office$38.7 million[2][3]

Breakin' (also known as Breakdance in the United Kingdom and Break Street '84 in other regions[4]) is a 1983 American breakdancing-themed musical film directed by Joel Silberg and written by Charles Parker and Allen DeBevoise based on a story by Parker, DeBevoise and Gerald Scaife.

The film's setting was inspired by a 1983 documentary titled Breakin' 'n' Enterin', set in the multi-racial hip hop club Radio-Tron, based out of MacArthur Park in Los Angeles.[5] Many of the artists and dancers from said documentary, including Ice-T (who makes his film debut as a club MC), and Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers, went straight from Breakin' 'n' Enterin' to star in Breakin'.

The film's soundtrack featured the hits "Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us" by Ollie & Jerry, "Freakshow on the Dance Floor" by The Bar-Kays and the UK Top 20 hit "Body Work" by Hot Streak.[6][7]

Breakin' was one of the final Cannon film productions released by MGM/UA. After release, MGM and Cannon dissolved their distribution deal, reportedly over the potentially X-rated content in John Derek's film Bolero and MGM's then-policy of not theatrically releasing X-rated material, forcing Cannon to become an in-house distribution company once again. Because of this, Breakin' is considered to be the final financially profitable film released by Cannon.

Breakin' was released to theaters on May 4, 1984, and despite receiving negative reviews from critics, it was a box office success. A theatrical sequel entitled Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo was released later in the same year.

  1. ^ "BREAKDANCE (PG)". British Board of Film Classification. May 4, 1984. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Andrew Yule, Hollywood a Go-Go: The True Story of the Cannon Film Empire, Sphere Books, 1987 p47
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Silberg, Joel (April 6, 2009), Breakdance - The Movie, Second Sight Films Ltd., retrieved October 28, 2017
  5. ^ "Breakin' N Enterin' Documentary (Video)". Ambrosia For Heads. August 10, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  6. ^ "BBC Radio 2 - Pick of the Pops, 1983".
  7. ^ "HOT STREAK | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com.