It is impossible for us to stop talking about Al Pacino, the method actor, who has delivered a number of masterpieces, including Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather. The Oscar-winning actor, 83, has had an illustrious career spanning five decades and counting, earning him millions of dollars and making him one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars.
Well, any actor would eventually encounter some level of controversy in the course of their career, and Pacino is by no means an exception. Even though the acclaimed actor has starred in some challenging roles in the past, nothing compares to the 1980 flick Cruising, since the entire movie was controversial.
Al Pacino in The Godfather II [Credit: Paramount Pictures]Famous for his work on The Exorcist, William Friedkin directed Cruising, which was loosely based on Gerald Walker’s novel of the same name. Despite working on the film, Pacino left such a negative impression on...
Well, any actor would eventually encounter some level of controversy in the course of their career, and Pacino is by no means an exception. Even though the acclaimed actor has starred in some challenging roles in the past, nothing compares to the 1980 flick Cruising, since the entire movie was controversial.
Al Pacino in The Godfather II [Credit: Paramount Pictures]Famous for his work on The Exorcist, William Friedkin directed Cruising, which was loosely based on Gerald Walker’s novel of the same name. Despite working on the film, Pacino left such a negative impression on...
- 4/24/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
While looking for a project to follow the success of his films The French Connection and The Exorcist, director William Friedkin came across a book he found to be fascinating: Cruising by Gerald Walker, about “a series of murders in the gay bars of New York, and a detective assigned to go undercover to find the killer”. But Friedkin had already made a movie that centered on gay characters, The Boys in the Band, so he let the Cruising adaptation go by. For a while, Steven Spielberg was attached to direct the film, but wasn’t able to get it into production. In his memoir The Friedkin Connection, Friedkin revealed that it wasn’t until someone he worked with on The Exorcist turned out to be a real-life serial killer that he thought of the way to approach Cruising.
Friedkin wrote in The Friedkin Connection that in 1979 he started seeing...
Friedkin wrote in The Friedkin Connection that in 1979 he started seeing...
- 10/23/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Stars: Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Karen Allen, Richard Cox, Richard Cox, Don Scardino, Joe Spinelli, Jay Acovone, Randy Jurgensen, Barton Heyman, Gene Davis | Written by William Friedkin, Gerald Walker | Directed by William Friedkin
Within the filmography of the late William Friedkin, one of the most controversial works he delivered was Cruising. Set during a hot summer in New York City, the story sees a serial killer murdering and dismembering several gay men within the world of S&m and leather bars. Assigned to this case is Steve Burns (Al Pacino), an officer whose physical similarities to the victims makes him perfect to go undercover, with the prospect of rapidly advancing his career by doing so.
Poorly received upon release, this film was protested by New York’s gay community under the belief that it stigmatised them. This reviewer admittedly may not be the best judge as an outsider, although I...
Within the filmography of the late William Friedkin, one of the most controversial works he delivered was Cruising. Set during a hot summer in New York City, the story sees a serial killer murdering and dismembering several gay men within the world of S&m and leather bars. Assigned to this case is Steve Burns (Al Pacino), an officer whose physical similarities to the victims makes him perfect to go undercover, with the prospect of rapidly advancing his career by doing so.
Poorly received upon release, this film was protested by New York’s gay community under the belief that it stigmatised them. This reviewer admittedly may not be the best judge as an outsider, although I...
- 10/4/2023
- by James Rodrigues
- Nerdly
The recently departed William Friedkin has a fascinating relationship with the gay community, not only as the infamous director of "Cruising," but also as the director of the film adaption of "The Boys in the Band" a decade prior, a monumental work of mainstream American queer cinema (and the first Hollywood-made film to use the word "c***" on screen). It's nothing short of a miracle that a director of Friedkin's caliber is responsible for two of the most impactful queer films in history, both continually debated. But "Cruising" is on another level. Depending on who you ask, the film is either a remarkable feat or irredeemable trash, and the controversy started before Friedkin ever called "action."
Loosely based on the novel of the same name by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker about a serial killer targeting gay men in the 1970s, predominantly those in the leather scene, "Cruising" stars...
Loosely based on the novel of the same name by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker about a serial killer targeting gay men in the 1970s, predominantly those in the leather scene, "Cruising" stars...
- 8/8/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Few major Hollywood pictures have developed the kind of infernal reputation that "The Exorcist" has since its release in 1973. The audience reaction to its shocking scenes is the stuff of legend and religious figures have widely deplored it. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Office of Film and Broadcasting (Usccb-ofb) condemned the film; The Christian Century labeled it "hardcore pornography;" and evangelist Billy Graham also had plenty to say (via Sage Journals). He stated that watching the film was like "exposing oneself to the Devil" and that "there is a power of evil in the film, in the fabric of the film itself" (via True Crime Edition).
Was Graham right? If the myth is to be believed, "The Exorcist" was surrounded by malevolent forces from Day One; William Friedkin's production was apparently beset by a series of mishaps, bad omens, accidents, injuries, illnesses, and even deaths, with nine...
Was Graham right? If the myth is to be believed, "The Exorcist" was surrounded by malevolent forces from Day One; William Friedkin's production was apparently beset by a series of mishaps, bad omens, accidents, injuries, illnesses, and even deaths, with nine...
- 1/26/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Why not kick off the new year with a new movie? January can be a bit of a slow month for new releases, but a number of noteworthy titles are newly streaming over the next few weeks to keep you plenty occupied. Below, we’ve put together a curated list of some of the best new movies to stream in January 2023, including brand new films like Prime Video’s Jennifer Lopez rom-com “Shotgun Wedding” and Netflix’s Jonah Hill/Eddie Murphy comedy “You People” to excellent library titles worth watching (or rewatching). There’s a little something for everyone, so take a look and dig in below.
Also Read:
The Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now “Minority Report” 20th Century Fox
Netflix – Jan. 1
One of Steven Spielberg’s very best films, 2002’s “Minority Report” offered a more gritty, more dystopian version of a sci-fi future than he had tackled before,...
Also Read:
The Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now “Minority Report” 20th Century Fox
Netflix – Jan. 1
One of Steven Spielberg’s very best films, 2002’s “Minority Report” offered a more gritty, more dystopian version of a sci-fi future than he had tackled before,...
- 1/20/2023
- by Drew Taylor and Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
In a very sad development, Carly Simon lost both of her sisters this week, with Broadway composer Lucy Simon dying of breast cancer Thursday and former opera singer Joanna Simon passing from thyroid cancer on Wednesday.
Both deaths were confirmed by a source close to pop superstar Carly. Lucy Simon was 82, Joanna Simon was 84.
Born into wealth and a rarified atmosphere of celebrity and literati to Simon & Schuster publisher Richard Simon and wife Andrea, the Simon sisters – their brother Peter was the youngest sibling – would all find their ways to success in professional music careers.
Lucy entered show business in the early 1960s when she and Carly formed the folk singing duo The Simon Sisters, performing in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and New York City’s Greenwich Village. In 1964, the sisters recorded and released the song “Wynken, Blynken & Nod” to moderate success.
Within 10 years Carly Simon would become one of pop music...
Both deaths were confirmed by a source close to pop superstar Carly. Lucy Simon was 82, Joanna Simon was 84.
Born into wealth and a rarified atmosphere of celebrity and literati to Simon & Schuster publisher Richard Simon and wife Andrea, the Simon sisters – their brother Peter was the youngest sibling – would all find their ways to success in professional music careers.
Lucy entered show business in the early 1960s when she and Carly formed the folk singing duo The Simon Sisters, performing in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and New York City’s Greenwich Village. In 1964, the sisters recorded and released the song “Wynken, Blynken & Nod” to moderate success.
Within 10 years Carly Simon would become one of pop music...
- 10/21/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
On this episode of Daily Dead's official podcast, Heather Wixson is joined by film historian, journalist, and author Eugenio Ercolani to discuss filmmaker William Friedkin and his 1980 movie, Cruising (starring Al Pacino and based on Gerald Walker's novel of the same name), which is the subject of a new book that Eugenio co-wrote with Marcus Stiglegger in the Devil's Advocates horror cinema literature series. An aficionado of Italian cinema, Eugenio also talks about his other recent book, Darkening the Italian Screen: Interviews with Genre and Exploitation Directors Who Debuted in the 1950s and 1960s.
You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.
As a special treat for Daily Dead readers, we have officially launched our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up...
You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud.
As a special treat for Daily Dead readers, we have officially launched our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up...
- 11/13/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Al Pacino in William Friedkin’s Cruising (1980) will be available on Blu-ray August 20th From Arrow Video
Academy Award-winner William Friedkin directs Al Pacino as an undercover cop pitched into New York s seedy underbelly in Cruising available for the first time on Blu-ray in a brand new director-approved transfer.
New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who is preying on the patrons of the city s underground bars. Captain Edelson (Paul Sorvino) tasks young rookie Steve Burns (Pacino) with infiltrating the S&m subculture to try and lure the killer out of the shadows but as he immerses himself deeper and deeper into the lurid underworld, Steve risks losing his own identity in the process.
Based on reporter Gerald Walker’s novel of the same name, Cruising was the subject of great controversy at the time of its release and remains a challenging and remarkable movie to this day,...
Academy Award-winner William Friedkin directs Al Pacino as an undercover cop pitched into New York s seedy underbelly in Cruising available for the first time on Blu-ray in a brand new director-approved transfer.
New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who is preying on the patrons of the city s underground bars. Captain Edelson (Paul Sorvino) tasks young rookie Steve Burns (Pacino) with infiltrating the S&m subculture to try and lure the killer out of the shadows but as he immerses himself deeper and deeper into the lurid underworld, Steve risks losing his own identity in the process.
Based on reporter Gerald Walker’s novel of the same name, Cruising was the subject of great controversy at the time of its release and remains a challenging and remarkable movie to this day,...
- 8/5/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Back in the early 1970s, while George Lucas was immortalizing the “cruising” culture of teens and their cars in “American Graffiti,” his future frequent collaborator Steven Spielberg was exploring a different kind. Nearly a decade before director William Friedkin created a scandal with the Al Pacino-starring “Cruising” (released 37 years ago today), the wunderkind filmmaker—who has won over generations of audiences by evoking a childlike sense of wonder—almost made his leap from TV to features with the most adult-themed project imaginable.
It all started with producer Philip D’Antoni, who had won an Oscar for the 1971 drug-bust saga “The French Connection” and was looking for a filmmaker to helm another New York City-set crime project. He had just bought the rights to the novel “Cruising,” written by The New York Times feature writer Gerald Walker, in which an undercover cop descends into the leather bars of Greenwich Village as he tracks a homosexual murderer.
It all started with producer Philip D’Antoni, who had won an Oscar for the 1971 drug-bust saga “The French Connection” and was looking for a filmmaker to helm another New York City-set crime project. He had just bought the rights to the novel “Cruising,” written by The New York Times feature writer Gerald Walker, in which an undercover cop descends into the leather bars of Greenwich Village as he tracks a homosexual murderer.
- 2/15/2017
- by Michael Gingold
- Indiewire
Cinelinx enters the dark, lurid world of William Friedkin's Cruising, starring Al Pacino, now on DVD from Warner Archive!
This Warner Archive release is a Manufacture-On-Demand (Mod) DVD. It is made to be played in "play only" DVD devices, and may not play in some DVD recorders or PC drives. This disc, however, played fine in the Toshiba DVD recorder used for this review. This title is available directly from WBShop.com by clicking here.
The Set-up
A New York cop (Al Pacino) goes undercover to catch a serial killer preying on the underground S&M gay clubs of the late 1970s. Also stars Paul Sorvino and Karen Allen.
Directed by William Friedkin
The Delivery
Director William Friedkin's controversial 1980 crime thriller makes a re-appearance on DVD thanks to Warner Archive. It was last released in 2007, and had become hard to find for fans of the film.
Although I consider...
This Warner Archive release is a Manufacture-On-Demand (Mod) DVD. It is made to be played in "play only" DVD devices, and may not play in some DVD recorders or PC drives. This disc, however, played fine in the Toshiba DVD recorder used for this review. This title is available directly from WBShop.com by clicking here.
The Set-up
A New York cop (Al Pacino) goes undercover to catch a serial killer preying on the underground S&M gay clubs of the late 1970s. Also stars Paul Sorvino and Karen Allen.
Directed by William Friedkin
The Delivery
Director William Friedkin's controversial 1980 crime thriller makes a re-appearance on DVD thanks to Warner Archive. It was last released in 2007, and had become hard to find for fans of the film.
Although I consider...
- 7/5/2013
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Victor Medina)
- Cinelinx
Consequence, Outlawz, more join host Sway for all-star celebration of premier hip-hop show's first year in the game.
By Rob Markman
Lloyd Banks and Sway
Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News
It's a party, it's a par-tay! On Wednesday (September 14), "RapFix Live" celebrated its one-year anniversary in all-star fashion. Maino, Lloyd Banks, Diplomats capo Jim Jones, Consequence, the Outlawz and Reek Da Villian all made their way onto the "Rfl" couch to toast to MTV News' premier hip-hop show.
Reek set things off with a spirited "RapFix"-themed freestyle, making way for the show's first guest, Maino, who chopped it up with Sway about his favorite show moments. The hard-nosed Brooklyn rapper recounted some of his more memorable ones, including Ja Rule appearing just before he turned himself in for his jail bid, and Nicki Minaj's and Lil Kim's separate appearances.
G-Unit's Lloyd Banks came in to rep for Queens,...
By Rob Markman
Lloyd Banks and Sway
Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News
It's a party, it's a par-tay! On Wednesday (September 14), "RapFix Live" celebrated its one-year anniversary in all-star fashion. Maino, Lloyd Banks, Diplomats capo Jim Jones, Consequence, the Outlawz and Reek Da Villian all made their way onto the "Rfl" couch to toast to MTV News' premier hip-hop show.
Reek set things off with a spirited "RapFix"-themed freestyle, making way for the show's first guest, Maino, who chopped it up with Sway about his favorite show moments. The hard-nosed Brooklyn rapper recounted some of his more memorable ones, including Ja Rule appearing just before he turned himself in for his jail bid, and Nicki Minaj's and Lil Kim's separate appearances.
G-Unit's Lloyd Banks came in to rep for Queens,...
- 9/14/2011
- MTV Music News
Consequence, Lloyd Banks, Trina, Maino and the Outlawz will also join Sway at 4 p.m. on MTV.com for anniversary show.
By Rob Markman
The Diplomats appear on "RapFix Live" in January
Photo: MTV News
It's party time! "RapFix Live" is celebrating its one-year anniversary today at 4 p.m. on MTV.com with special guests Lloyd Banks, Trina, Maino and the Outlawz. That's not all: Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and Freekey Zekey of the Diplomats will also grace the "RapFix Live" couch, as well as Consequence and Reek Da Villain.
Hosted by hip-hop aficionado and MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway, "RapFix Live" has earned its reputation as the ultimate destination for all things hip-hop — including exclusive interviews with Lil Wayne, Bad Meets Evil cohorts Eminem and Royce Da 5'9", Dr. Dre, Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose, the Game, Diddy and Beanie Sigel, among others — and has served up more than...
By Rob Markman
The Diplomats appear on "RapFix Live" in January
Photo: MTV News
It's party time! "RapFix Live" is celebrating its one-year anniversary today at 4 p.m. on MTV.com with special guests Lloyd Banks, Trina, Maino and the Outlawz. That's not all: Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and Freekey Zekey of the Diplomats will also grace the "RapFix Live" couch, as well as Consequence and Reek Da Villain.
Hosted by hip-hop aficionado and MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway, "RapFix Live" has earned its reputation as the ultimate destination for all things hip-hop — including exclusive interviews with Lil Wayne, Bad Meets Evil cohorts Eminem and Royce Da 5'9", Dr. Dre, Wiz Khalifa and Amber Rose, the Game, Diddy and Beanie Sigel, among others — and has served up more than...
- 9/14/2011
- MTV Music News
Oscar-winning director William Friedkin.
In July of 1997, I conducted the first of two lengthy interviews with director William Friedkin, regarded by many as the "enfant terrible" of the so-called "Easy Riders and Raging Bulls" generation of filmmakers who, for one brief, shining moment, seemed to reinvent American cinema in the late '60s thru the late '70s. Meeting Friedkin was something of a milestone for me at the time: I was still in my 20s, had been writing for Venice Magazine less than a year, and "Billy," as he likes people to call him, was the first person I interviewed who was one of my childhood heroes--a filmmaker whose one-sheets hung on my bedroom walls when I was growing up.
Below are the two interviews, conducted a decade apart from one another, and posted in reverse chronology. In both, Billy reveals a cunning intellect, a sometimes abrasive personal style,...
In July of 1997, I conducted the first of two lengthy interviews with director William Friedkin, regarded by many as the "enfant terrible" of the so-called "Easy Riders and Raging Bulls" generation of filmmakers who, for one brief, shining moment, seemed to reinvent American cinema in the late '60s thru the late '70s. Meeting Friedkin was something of a milestone for me at the time: I was still in my 20s, had been writing for Venice Magazine less than a year, and "Billy," as he likes people to call him, was the first person I interviewed who was one of my childhood heroes--a filmmaker whose one-sheets hung on my bedroom walls when I was growing up.
Below are the two interviews, conducted a decade apart from one another, and posted in reverse chronology. In both, Billy reveals a cunning intellect, a sometimes abrasive personal style,...
- 2/24/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
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