[3] Jarmusch came to New York City from Akron, Ohio to study at Columbia University and NYU's film school.

[4] He aimlessly wanders around the dingy Downtown of New York City[5] and is confronted by a number of intriguing characters as he ponders the questions of life and searches for a better place[6][7]—always keeping just ahead of whatever it is that seems to be chasing him.

[9] Eric Eidelstein of IndieWire called it "a touching vision of what it was like to be head over heels with art, love, and oneself in late 1970s New York".

[10] The film was released by the Criterion Collection as a special feature on the DVD for Jarmusch's Stranger than Paradise on September 4, 2007.

[12] The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray formats in the United Kingdom via Soda Pictures on March 23, 2015.