| Boomer Media Review |
CRUISING
5.1 DVD
Letterboxed
Warner
All right, I admit I was one of the few
who actually saw this highly
misunderstood and under-rated
murder mystery directed by William
Freidkin when it was at the theaters for
a short time in early 1980.
Hey, it was an Al Pacino movie, and I
admire his work. And besides, the hype
surrounding the film was enticing.
And besides the hype, there was near
hysteria over the film's subject matter,
which was protested by gay groups as
being akin to hate propaganda.
Because the film-with a screenplay
adapted from a novel-dealt with a
series of grotesque dismemberment
murders in the gay village of New York
City, and featured the sub-culture of
heavy leather sadomasochistic
homosexual life, it was condemned by
the mainstream gay alliances as a
misrepresentation of their community.
In fact, in the excellent featurettes that
appear as special features on the DVD,
Freidkin reveals that he needed up to
200 police officers to control
demonstrators who vowed to shut
down the movie's production in 1979.
The director also recounts how much
of the dialogue had to be re-dubbed
in- studio, due to the protectors
constant use of whistles and other
noise makers to disrupt the shoot.
Yes, this movie deals with situations
that many would consider to be
distasteful, including nasty and graphic
violence, extreme sexual practices
and rough language.
But if you can get past the above, you
will experience an amazing
performance by Pacino who plays a
undercover policeman, sent out into
the netherworld of gay leather bars, in
search of a serial killer.
Paul Sorvino, who plays Pacino's police
boss, is also a stand-out as well.
Freidkin provides a useful commentary
track and the original 35m film transfer
is excellent, with good use made of the
5.1 mix, for its first ever appearance on
DVD.
And speaking of sound, many may not
know that this movie has one of the
best soundtracks of any film from the
80s, with Rough Trade, Willy Deville,
and John Hiatt, to name a few rocking
up atmosphere.
On the downside, this edition of
Cruising does not contain about 40
minutes of extra footage that Freidkin
shot, but apparently was not able to
get past the censors. (Make sure to
watch closely in several murder
scenes wherein Freidkin inserts
subliminal images, which apparently
did fool the censor board.)
Yet the way things go in the DVD issue,
re-issue, re-re-issue world, perhaps
we will later see an edition with the
missing footage, and maybe even a
bonus of the original soundtrack
recording, that has not been available
for over 20 years.
Finally, if you enjoy murder-mystery
that can make you squirm, give this
DVD a shot.
5.1 DVD
Letterboxed
Warner
All right, I admit I was one of the few
who actually saw this highly
misunderstood and under-rated
murder mystery directed by William
Freidkin when it was at the theaters for
a short time in early 1980.
Hey, it was an Al Pacino movie, and I
admire his work. And besides, the hype
surrounding the film was enticing.
And besides the hype, there was near
hysteria over the film's subject matter,
which was protested by gay groups as
being akin to hate propaganda.
Because the film-with a screenplay
adapted from a novel-dealt with a
series of grotesque dismemberment
murders in the gay village of New York
City, and featured the sub-culture of
heavy leather sadomasochistic
homosexual life, it was condemned by
the mainstream gay alliances as a
misrepresentation of their community.
In fact, in the excellent featurettes that
appear as special features on the DVD,
Freidkin reveals that he needed up to
200 police officers to control
demonstrators who vowed to shut
down the movie's production in 1979.
The director also recounts how much
of the dialogue had to be re-dubbed
in- studio, due to the protectors
constant use of whistles and other
noise makers to disrupt the shoot.
Yes, this movie deals with situations
that many would consider to be
distasteful, including nasty and graphic
violence, extreme sexual practices
and rough language.
But if you can get past the above, you
will experience an amazing
performance by Pacino who plays a
undercover policeman, sent out into
the netherworld of gay leather bars, in
search of a serial killer.
Paul Sorvino, who plays Pacino's police
boss, is also a stand-out as well.
Freidkin provides a useful commentary
track and the original 35m film transfer
is excellent, with good use made of the
5.1 mix, for its first ever appearance on
DVD.
And speaking of sound, many may not
know that this movie has one of the
best soundtracks of any film from the
80s, with Rough Trade, Willy Deville,
and John Hiatt, to name a few rocking
up atmosphere.
On the downside, this edition of
Cruising does not contain about 40
minutes of extra footage that Freidkin
shot, but apparently was not able to
get past the censors. (Make sure to
watch closely in several murder
scenes wherein Freidkin inserts
subliminal images, which apparently
did fool the censor board.)
Yet the way things go in the DVD issue,
re-issue, re-re-issue world, perhaps
we will later see an edition with the
missing footage, and maybe even a
bonus of the original soundtrack
recording, that has not been available
for over 20 years.
Finally, if you enjoy murder-mystery
that can make you squirm, give this
DVD a shot.
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