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October 16, 2006

Video: Broken Angel Clips from 'Block Party'


With the fate of Cynthia and Arthur Wood hanging in the balance, we thought this would be a good time for everyone who hasn't seen Dave Chappelle's 2003 movie Block Party to check out this excerpt that provides a close-up of the idiosyncratic building and its unique owners. According to a Daily News article today, the couple was ordered out of the building by DOB but the order has not been enforced yet."This has put my wife into a distraught state and also myself because this is like Nazi Germany as far as I'm concerned," said Wood, 75. "It's emotional terrorism."
The Broken Angel [YouTube]
'Angel' owners may be cast out [NY Daily News]
BREAKING: Broken Angel on Fire! [Brooklyn Record]
An Appeal from Owners of Broken Angel [Brownstoner]




Posted by Brownstoner at 10:02 AM | Comments (19)
Categories: Architecture

Comments

Arthur is such a character. What would Brooklyn be without Broken Angel. I shudder to think.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at October 16, 2006 10:19 AM

oh, that's right ... it was the National Socialist party that developed the first building code that was later, like Eisenhower's recreating the Autobahn in the form of the Interstate highway system, spread to America.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 10:25 AM

I hope Dave Chappelle helps them. He obviously appreciates their creativity, as we all do.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 10:48 AM

We don't all appreciate this form of creativity. I for one think that they should be taken out of this deathtrap.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 12:02 PM

If CBGB was not able to get the funds to stay in business - these two freaks will for sure not be able to get enough dough.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 12:11 PM

Building issues aside, you just don't find too many eccentric characters left in NYC these days. Where have they all gone?

Posted by: Yente at October 16, 2006 12:14 PM

I must admit I couldn't care less about this building and its owners until I saw the dave chappelle docu on Saturday and my heart broke for them they were so sweet and passionate about the what has to be one of the ugliest most decrepit buildings ever but it was theirs and they LOVED it. I have to change my original stand on this issue I really hope they find some help to repair it and make it safer to live in because I was so afraid for them when I saw the inside it looked as though it was a light wind from being a stack of wood on the corner.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 12:22 PM

The building should definitely be preserved. These two let their freak flag fly high over Clinton Hill. Rock on!

Posted by: clinton hillbilly at October 16, 2006 12:30 PM

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STRUCTURE. YOU ALL WOULD BE SCREAMING YOUR HEADS OFF IF SOME DEVELOPER BUILT ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY UNSTABLE AND YET EVERYONE'S GOT THEIR VIOLINS OUT.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 12:42 PM

hey junior building inspectors, why don't we wait for somebody who actually knows what they're talking about to determine the stability of the building? they've proven the building safe in the past, they'll do it again now.

Posted by: Jimmy Legs at October 16, 2006 12:58 PM

I've loved this places for years- it's a brilliant blast of imagination in a city that sorely needs it. It's an artwork that needs to be saved- I'm personally sick of the bland, pretentious crap that's passed off as "art" these days. How wonderful to be given a glimpse into the workings of artistic imaginations - vision, passion, dedication- all too rare today. Art doesn't have to be pretty- but at the very least you know with this building, what you see is what you get. That's an artistic honesty I think we need more of.

Posted by: Bx2Bklyn at October 16, 2006 4:03 PM

any money spent by the city or anyone else to bring the broken angel up to building code regulations would be much better spent on real people in need. i dont cry for the owners. they bought this building in the early seventies from the city for under $5,000 and even if they are forced to sell and move they will be walking away with millions. why dont they get a reverse mortgage or any other kind of mortgage, and invest there own money back into bringing the house up to code. eventhough i like the building and hope it can be preserved i won't shed a tear for millionaires crying broke. get a mortgage - use part of it to pay for bringing the building up to code, and the other part to pay for the monthly cost of the entire mortgage itself. otherwise move out. if that building falls down on someone everyone will be screaming at the DOB for just letting that dangerous piece of junk sit there while they knew exactly how dangerous it was.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 5:53 PM

These people are 75 years old. And could lose the only home they've known for decades. And just experienced a fire in that home (no matter what you think of it). Please people, have some heart. Show them some of the love they have shown this neighborhood for so many years.

If there is anyone who can organize some fundraiser where we can contribute to bringing their building up to code, I'm happy to contribute. That is, if Dave Chappelle doesn't come to their rescue first, which I would be wonderful.

Posted by: renogirl at October 16, 2006 5:58 PM

how exactly have they shown the neighborhood love?

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 6:09 PM

the land and the building that they own are worth millions. why can't they take out a mortgage of, say a half million dollars, and use half of it to bring the building up to code and the other half to carry the cost of the mortgage for the rest of their lives.
if they use their brains they can come up with a way to pay for this problem, which is their own creation, themselves.

give your money to real charity.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 6:12 PM

and for Wood to compare anything going on in relation to his house with nazi germany is offensive and ignorant.

Posted by: Anonymous at October 16, 2006 6:14 PM

Nazi Germany? Yes, I think we all remember clearly that the Third Reich was mostly concerned with proper building codes and not trying to brutally exterminate and entire group of people off the earth.

The Wood family seem like characters, for sure, but if they own this property (am I missing something here?) as a previous poster noted, why can't they just get a loan based on the value of the land alone? That should be worth plenty.

Posted by: cat at October 16, 2006 7:40 PM

"an entire group of people"

Boy cat, I sure am glad only ONE group of people were the target of the Nazis. Those lucky gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses and Catholic Priests in Poland were sure luckey they were never targeted.

Posted by: Meryckawick at October 16, 2006 8:50 PM

this house is a work of art and although Arthur's execution may be less professional, his ideas are no different than Frank Gehry's.

Posted by: seth at October 18, 2006 11:10 AM

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