Underground U.S.A.

Underground U.S.A. is a 1980 American No Wave underground film directed by Eric Mitchell starring Patti Astor, Rene Ricard, Jackie Curtis, Cookie Mueller, Steve Mass, Tom Wright, Ronnie Cutrone, John Lurie, David Armstrong, and Taylor Mead. Tom DiCillo was the director of photography. Set design was by sculptor Jedd Garet. Future director Jim Jarmusch was the sound recordist. The film, made for $25,000 with the assistance of Colab's No wave cinema project, was shot in the Mudd Club (at one point owner Steve Mass is held hostage there) and Lower East Side apartment interiors. Underground U.S.A. was Eric Mitchell's third no wave film and the first to be shot in 16 mm film.

Underground U.S.A. is loosely based on the Billy Wilder’s 1950 black comedy film noir Sunset Boulevard via Andy Warhol’s 1972 film Heat. A general jaded slow pace and camp deadpan acting style is characteristic of the film. Characters exist less for themselves but as general iconic anchoring devices. Underground U.S.A. ran for six months as a midnight movie at St. Marks Cinema and in 2018 was presented twice at The Museum of Modern Art. Influenced by the films of Jean-Luc Godard and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Underground U.S.A. was added in 2018 to MoMA's permanent film collection.