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I had no idea that this project even existed, but I've been waiting for this day nonetheless. Why? Because I finally have an excuse to write about the greatest television drama ever made on a movie site, The Wire. Fans of David Simon's complex breakdown of the (fictional) drug scene in Baltimore and its effect on every layer of society in the city know the name Avon Barksdale, but for the uninitiated: Barksdale, played by Wood Harris, was the west side drug kingpin whose organization was the initial focus of the show.

What some may not know, however, is that The Wire's Barksdale is based on a real drug dealer named, well, Nathan Avon Barksdale. Now E1 Music has put together a documentary (out on DVD this March) on the gangster , freshly released from prison, titled The Avon Barksdale Story - Legends of the Unwired:

"During the drug wars of the '80s, long before The Wire's drug kingpin Avon Barksdale entered the mind of David Simon, a young man (named Nathan Avon "Bodie" Barksdale) was in the belly of one of the most violent neighborhoods on Baltimore's Westside. The Lexington Terrace Projects was one of the most notorious areas in the city making it the perfect backdrop for HBO's The Wire. But unlike David Simon, an admitted outsider, this story possesses the intimate detailing which can only come from an insider's view."

If you thought Avon Barksdale from HBO's The Wire was bad, you haven't heard about the real life person the story is based on.

this is a documentary hosted by the actor who played Avon in the show (Wood Harris) as he interviews the real life Avon Barksdale as they walk through Baltimore's ghettos where the show was shot as well as other locations where you see just how real the show really was.

I had a chance to preview this, and i must admit it is excellent. one of the best documentaries on the topic all together and an absolute must watch for fans of The Wire.


                    20% Herstelblocks Aanwezig
                     Run Time: 72 minutes