The New York underground director brilliantly captured the punk spirit in New York through his films
Amos Poe, the director behind The Blank Generation and Alphabet City, has died. On Thursday, Poe’s wife, Claudia Summers, confirmed that the director died on Christmas Day following a years-long battle with cancer. He was 76.
“Amos took his last breath today at 3:33 pm, surrounded by loved ones. ‘Adios’ — AP,” Summers wrote on Instagram. Poe was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2022, and Summers regularly shared updates on the director’s health via his social media.
Poe, who was born in Tel Aviv in September 1949, got his start directing the music short film Night Lunch with Roxy Music and David Bowie. His second film, The Blank Generation, was co-directed with guitarist Ivan Kral, capturing the punk rock scene in New York. Rolling Stone ranked the 1976 film as one of the 25 greatest punk rock movies of all time.
The review called The Blank Generation “a home movie of the moment, with bands hanging out, palling around and occasionally playing, albeit without sync sound — which just makes it more punk.” The film featured stars such as Patti Smith, Talking Heads, and Wayne County.
The New York Times reported in 2020 that the director had lost ownership of the film following a dispute with Král and a lawsuit over licensing fees. “I’m trying to be grown up about it,” Poe told the Times. “But they’re trying to rewrite history.” The film was reedited and Poe’s name was removed.
Among the additional movies in his filmography are Unmade Beds in 1976, TV Party in 1978, Frogs for Snakes in 1998, and Ladies & Gentlemen in 2015. Poe was also in charge of several music videos for artists such as Anthrax and Run-DMC.
