Customer Reviews

Cruising (Encrucijadas) aka (A La Caza) [NTSC/REGION 1 & 4 DVD. Import-Latin America]

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I've always enjoyed "Cruising", Billy Friedkin's opus on violence, male homosexuality, leather and all things bizarre. Right from that great line, "Have you ever been porked?" between stars Paul Sorvino and a fresh-faced Al Pacino, this film draws me in like few others.

While the police action and the chase mystery are interesting, what I enjoy most about this film is Pacino's transformation from all-American boy cop to undercover cop to feigning homosexuality in the leather underground of New York and the changes he goes through to get there. The script suggests he and girlfriend Karen Allen lose their love life in the process; how could they not? Try chaning your sexual orientation sometime for the focus of your job.

The scene between investigative chieftain Sorvino and his boss, who makes it clear to Paul that he either catches the killer by the time of the upcoming 1980 political convention or "I'll put someone in your seat who can do just that" adds an element or reality to the film, which straddles the line between fantasy and reality much of the time.

After being given the ultimatum, Sorvino turns up the heat on his undercover cop turning gay man, Pacino. In a touching and dramatic scene, Sorvino not only turns down Pacino's request to be released from the case, he hands him potential new leads and in effect says, "Catch this guy."

So, for me, this film is full of human realities and conflicts that make it a great film. This transcends the somewhat mundane material -- the norish police drama focused on catching a serial killer in the gay leather underground -- that makes it a compelling film about people and situations and how the two come together in art.

One thing I've never understood -- the ending. All seems well afterward, but is it? Does the tug in the harbor signal some rumbling beneath the surface? Or does this signal a return to normalcy for everyone. This is the kind of emotion Friedkin generated in all his films. Since no sequel was produced, I may go to my grave wondering about this. If so, I'll be pleased to watch this film another half-dozen or dozen times trying to piece this together.

The CRUISING (DELUXE EDITITON) dvd has restored the movie and soundtrack, but doesn't add anything new. According to the film's director, William Friedkin, over 40-minutes of additional footage was cut from the original movie and has since disappeared. And though he would have liked to include the 40+-minutes on this dvd, Friedkin says that he feels that the movie is complete as is.

For those who aren't familiar with this movie, it's about a New York city cop (Pacino) who goes undercover in the S&M(Sado-masochism)/Leather subculture of the gay community looking for a serial killer who's targeting gay men. Even though he's a rookie, the cop is chosen for this assignment because he looks like most of the victims. The film is a gritty whodunnit and exposes an aspect of gay life that most will never see, and raises more questions than it answers. It can be very confusing at times and you never really know if the actual killer is caught; if the guy caught is the actual killer or if there's more than one.

For those who are familiar with CRUISING, I just like to say that the porn frames are still in it. I thought that they would take them out because of the dvd transfer, but they didn't, which is good. The film looks sharp and there are some graphic enhancements that I don't remember being on the original video, but it doesn't take away anything from the movie.

***Bonus Material***

***Friedkin's commentary

***Two featurettes that total about 45-minutes and include interviews with some of the actors from "Cruising," along with Friedkin (Pacino is not on it), which also talks about the controversy and backlash from the gay commmunity

***Theatrical trailer

It's not hard to tell that Cruising is from the director of The French Connection and The Exorcist. On the French Connection side of the cinematic coin, Cruising has the same documentary like and gritty, urban noir texture. On the other it has The Exorcist's blunt edged shock tactics, shoving unsettling imagery in the viewers face at every opportunity to do so.

Body parts are found in the rivers around NYC while a serial killer is hacking up men that frequent hardcore S&M gay leather bars. Desperate to close two unsavory cases (and not caring whether they are truly linked or not) top cop Paul Sorvino sends in rookie Al Pacino (who fits the victim profile) to lure the killer out of the shadows. The case seems to have an effect on Pacino's character, but director William Friedkin is far too objective, letting the unsavory events unfold without allowing the viewer to become emotionally involved in them, so it all seems shock for shock's sake. This movie was extremely controverisal when first released and (judging from the polarized reviews here) still packs a powerful and unnerving punch. Recommended for those that want a dark and disturbing ride.

Back in 1980, this William Friedkin shocker caused such a controversy that it seemed that everyone condemned it. The gay community was in an uproar over "Cruising"'s frank display of male sexuality and what amounted for many to be the generalization of a "lurid" gay lifestyle depicted in the film. The religous community followed with their own uproar over many of the same issues (albeit for different reasons). The movie was further slammed by critics and audiences alike, who either found the film to be homphobic, dull, nasty, and/or overly sensational. Personally, I think that critics, in particular, were disappointed because they found "Cruising" to be a major step down from William Friedkin's previous hits ("The Exorcist" and "The French Connection"). However, after viewing the recently released DVD of the deluxe edition, I have to say that "Cruising" is not nearly as bad as it's reputation might suggest. First of all, as a gay man who was recently out and about in 1980, I don't think that the gay culture of the time is misrepresented here. Friedkin made the film shortly before the spectre of AIDS descended upon the community, and there was a wide open, hedonistic sexuality that seemed to be prevalent in every aspect of gay life. The homosexuality depicted in "Cruising" was in context with the reality of the times, regardless of what revisionists may proclaim. I remember being very disturbed, at the time, by the hypocrisy of gay leaders who wanted to deny the overt sexuality that was a fact of our existence.

Second of all, I don't find "Cruising" to be a dull film. While I don't find it to be erotic, or exciting in the tradition of other detective films of the time--there are no car chases ala "The French Connection"--I do think that it is an effective psychological thriller detailing one man's very dark journey into unknown territory, encompassing both his environment and his very heart and soul. Al Pacino is surprisingly good as Steve Burns, a plucky, green young cop selected by his superior officer (Paul Sorvino) to go undercover and track down a serial killer of gay men frequenting S&M clubs, parks, and sex shops. After his performances in the Godfather films, "Dog Day Afternoon", and "Serpico", among others, it's interesting to note that Pacino was able to bring the depth of believable naivete to his character; it makes the character's transformation all the more shocking. Paul Sorvino also delivers a first-rate performance as Pacino's boss, a longtime cop who always seems to be withholding something (information, concern, money). A pre-"Indiana Jones" Karen Allen is also on hand as Pacino's girlfriend, although her scene of primary impact is reserved for the final seconds of the film.

The quality of the deluxe edition is pristine, with the gorgeously restored cinematography suggesting that the film is of more recent vintage than 1980. Yet, the clothes, hairstyles, scenes of New York street life--all suggest a New York of another time, not so long ago, yet long gone, in so many ways.

I don't have any major problems with "Cruising", certainly not the ambiguous ending nor the fact that not all the loose ends are neatly tied up for the viewer. I actually prefer it that way, and it makes for a more interesting experience that is open to interpretation. And it's interesting that about half the people on the screen actually look like Pacino and there are scenes where you think that you're watching Pacino, only to discover that it's somebody else. And vice versa. And sometimes you're never 100% certain who you're watching. I think it's an interesting idea because it forces the viewer to come to his own conclusions, it doesn't offer easy answers. The same goes for the film's suggestion that there may be multiple killers--again, the viewer is forced (like the police at the end of the film) to draw his or her own conclusions. "Cruising" is, in may ways, a demanding film with characters that many may find disagreeable or downright unlikeable. I like "Cruising" because it does make you think and because it offers no apologies, no easy way out.

I saw this opening weekend amidst the well deserved protests of a community demanding respect. It is a chilly, chilling film with no easy answers. I am glad to see the rerelease to see if we can look at it again in an historical context. It is a technically masterful film and a I think Freidkin both exploited and questioned the damages wrought by homophobia.This is also probably Freidkins Waterloo. Thereafter he seemed to abandon his singular vision that gave raw impulse to BOYS IN THE BAND, FRENCH CONNECTION & EXORCIST to main stream pap like "The Guardian."

I saw this movie when it originally came out

and I was blown away by it.I got sick of waiting

for it to come to dvd so I transferred it onto

a blank disc just so it wouldn't deteriorate any

further.

How do I begin to describe this movie.When it

first came out it shocked both the gay and

straight community.I can understand the shock

of the straight community and the anger of the

gay community.

It was the 1980's and most gays were in and

not out of the closet.They needed positive images

of themselves to be projected to the straights.

So far there had been The Boys in the Band (1970)

and Le Cage Aux Folles ( 1979).So from these two

movies,gays were either suicidally unhappy or

limp wristed fruity tuities.And then along comes

Cruising.To state at the beginning of the movie

that it is not representative of the entire gay

community was a political move engedered to make

the gays less angry about it.It failed miserably.

Here's why.A whack job is knocking off gay men

in leather bars.( straights were probably saying

so what's wrong with that and what's a leather bar).

Al Pacino a straight cop is asked to infiltrate

the gay community posing as a gay leather freak.

The longer Pacino spends time in this sub culture

the stranger he acts with his girlfriend.He also

seems to be losing touch with his own reality.

The scenes in the leather bar are as scary as hell.

Scenes with f*** F****** and every one taking poppers,

along with the coloured hankerchief signals is enough

to turn most straights into anti-gays if they weren't

already.( I must say however that Pacino trying to

dance in the leather bar scene is hysterically funny)

In the end Pacino really loses it and kills someone.

I guess that's what happens to straights when they

try to enter the gay community. ( I'm joking)

Why did I like this movie?Because it did give a

true portrayal of the leather scene sub culture.

It wasn't one of those black water melon movies

that make todays black people cringe at.

Al Pacino does give a compelling performance of

a man who is losing himself in this sub culture

life style.

Is this movie worth seeing ? DEFINATELY

BRING IT OUT ON DVD !!!

This review is about the actual features contained on the Deluxe Edition that is due for release in September 2007. This marks the long overdue release of this controversial film on DVD, and it is good to see that there shall be plenty of extra features, since I have been arguing with other people about the meaning of this film's ending since its release in 1980. Cruising stars Al Pacino as a cop who infiltrates the homosexual S&M night life scene in order to solve a murder. Unable to just leave his work at the office in this case, the experience begins to affect his whole life - his outlook, his relationship with his girlfriend, everything. This is one of those love-it-or-hate-it movies. Few people come out on the fence on this one. It is a shocking dark film any way you approach it, but it is also just about the first major motion picture to portray homosexual men as strong masculine types, not just as the effeminite stereotypes that had been characteristic of the role since the birth of motion pictures. The soundtrack for this film has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and includes the following extra features:

Commentary by Director William Friedkin

2 New Featurettes: "The History of Cruising" and "Exorcising Cruising"

Original Theatrical trailer

Languages: English & Spanish

Subtitles: English, French, and Spanish (feature film only)

Director William Friedkin has personally supervised the creation of an all new high-definition master and new 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track for the release with the new director's commentary. Eminent documentarian Laurent Bouzerou is the creator of the included featurettes which contain interviews with actors and filmmakers who provide thorough perspective on the incidents surrounding the production. In addition to Friedkin and producer Jerry Weintraub, participants include editor Bud Smith, actors Don Scardino (Ted Bailey) and James Remar (Gregory), and real-life cops Randy Jurgensen (Det. Lefransky) and Sonny Grosso (Det. Blasio). The bad news is that the 40 minutes of deleted scenes that were removed from Cruising 26 years ago at the behest of the MPAA have not been restored in this release. The information on these special features is from a press release from Warner Home Video.

I snuck into the theater when I was 13 years old to see this and was disturbed to say the least - as a young gay teen, Friedkin's own brand of "horrorshow" made me (wrongly) assume that all gay men were leather-clad, freaky serial killers! Still, when you look at the f*d-up film now, you see many of the same techniques the director used for his earlier hits like "Exorcist," most notably shock tactics and in-your-face blunt sexually violent imagery to get a reaction out of conservative critics and audiences alike. In fact, in retrospect, I'd say all the negative press coverage and gay rights protests that met "Cruising" upon its initial 1982 theatrical release were a bit overkill - sure this movie decidedly portrays (some) gays in a negative, one-note light, but this isn't a documentary (even if it feels like one), but a fictional murder-mystery thriller with a gay angle as thematic hook. Oddly, I actually wish Friedkin would have gone further - funny, he doesn't shy away from showing seedy, explicit, severely cruel gay murders (*the scene where the killer knifes the cute Columbia professor in the back saying "You made me do that!" ranks as one of the most disturbing death scenes ever!), Friedkin doesn't have the BALLS to show male-on-male affection - this explains why Pacino in the lead role seems so UNCOMFORTABLE at doing his P.I. work - he's willing to go underground, but he's NOT willing to GO DOWN! And what are we to make of the notoriously "ambivalent" final shot - to me, it feels more like a COP-OUT than a genuine mystery - is Pacino's cop gay? the killer? in denial? Is it all a dream? Who knows - the film itself looks like it was SEVERELY EDITED prior to release - so here's hoping when and IF it ever re-surfaces on DVD we will be treated to DELETED SCENES which censors cut out that might finally explain it all? Or at least an indepth documentary illuminating the process behind the camera? As it is, CRUISING remains a flawed, but undeniable ground-breaking, ahead-of-its-time movie - do you think a major studio movie covering gay sexuality would ever be THIS unflinching in its depicting or honesty of some segements of extreme gay sex culture? Hell NO! At times, it looks like a bleak, sad glimpse at another world - and it was to my eyes: a decadent 70s idyll in NYC that we've all heard about, but now post-AIDS seems like centuries ago, the Roman era if you will. At least we have this sordid little flick as a kind of document of that long lost Mappelthorpe-esque era. **FINAL NOTE: During the graphic gay murder scenes, if you look VERY close, you can tell that Friedkin has INSERTED SUBLIMINAL XXX GAY PORNO SCENES in the midst of the violence, equating gay intercourse with the act of murder? Aside from the fact I am AMAZED this got past the censors in the 80s, this kind of directorial decision is very very upsetting to say the least - what is Friedkin trying to say in these sequences - or just get us all collectively off with homophobic violence? Not everyone's cup of tea, but you'll have to rent the film to decide.

The colossal failure of "Cruising" in 1980 should have been easy to predict. When you make a story about extreme taboo topics (Gay SM murders) and couple it with a bizarre, disjointed script, then outright refuse to make a linear story out of it (I could never figure out why the killer always seemed to be a different person with the same creepy voice), then you arrive with a film that hardly anyone in 1980 would sit through.

Ironically enough, one of the most controversial points to the movie now seems almost nostalgic. The seedy SM underground bars like The Cellblock or The Anvil that used to inhabit lower Manhattan's Meat Packing district are a memory now, replaced by nightclubs, condos, yuppies and the locations of a bunch of "Sex in the City" shoots. The notorious Lure Bar, the final and long gone holdout of this era, was even used as a "Sex in the City" backdrop - with little or no controversy attached. How things have changed.

That makes the "shocking" hyper-sexuality of the bar scenes somewhat bemusing. Yes, in the "Boogie Nights" mania of the late 70's, prior to AIDS, skyrocketing property values and Rudy Giuliani, these playspaces and these activities did happen. It was underground, wild, crazy...and as William Friedkin saw it, a perfect backdrop for a crime mystery. Al Pacino (who has professed his distaste for the final cut of "Cruising" and is conspicuous in his absence from the DVD extras) was keen on taking a part that would be unconventional and nonconformist. So he donned a leather jacket and took the role of Steve Burns, a young undercover cop who fits a "common victim" profile.

Thus begins a peculiar game of cat and mouse, with Pacino trying to pass as a gay leather daddy and showing all the signs of a conflict with his inner closet. Which, in the bizarre ending to this movie, is left a hanging question...especially with the little piece of business concerning Karen Allen. There are some bits of unintended humor, like when Powers Boothe attempts to explain the Hankie Code to Pacino and when an irritated bar patron snaps at Pacino about flagging the wrong color. But for the most part, the focus on seediness and the disconnected pacing of the script keep most of "Cruising" at a level where the suspense is at a minimum.

In fact, the most revealing thing about this "deluxe" DVD (hard to define it as such, since there has never been a "basic" edition) is the pair of featurettes. In "The History of Cruising" and "Exorcising Cruising," Friedkin and others dissect what they were trying to accomplish with "Cruising" and why they didn't look at it as a gay movie. They also partially explain the ambiguity with the killer's many faces/one voice trick (giving it an almost horror/supernatural bent, and considering The Exorcist, hardly a stretch). A former detective who was a consultant for the movie explains the presence of the musclebound cop in the jock-strap, among other plot points. The interviews with minor cast members almost 30 years later are interesting as well.

The features (in particular, "Exorcizing Cruising") also address the controversy. While I can see the point that there was a dearth of gay characters in the movies and therefore a gay serial killer made lots of folks virulently uneasy, I was personally more insulted by The Boys in the Band than "Cruising." Even with the backdrop a serial killer movie, the men in the bar scenes are looking like they are hitting the bars because they belong there and are enjoying themselves; as opposed to the bitter, regretful losers of TBITB cast of closet queens.

What the commentaries don't address is why "Cruising," which is a dynamite movie for atmosphere and grit, was ultimately such an incoherent mess. There's a great soundtrack featuring The Germs, Mink DeVille and John Hiatt when he was punky, a twist from the usual disco-drenched music of any movie tagged as "gay." And finally, there is Pacino. Looking for all the world like a damaged and conflicted man, the ambiguity of the final third of "Cruising" (Is he gay or not? Is Burns maybe a killer, too? Who is that leatherman going into the bar at the end?) made for an unsatisfying finale. More a curiosity now than a controversy, "Cruising" is now a strange look into a time long passed.

Incidentally, given the notorious bent to "Cruising's" history, it is interesting to think about some of the movies after that bear a resemblance. Hard, 8MM and even modern horror movies like Hostel or the Saw movies owe a debt to "Cruising."

interesting film. saw it letterboxed on IFC and it looks even better. PLEASE put it out on DVD with lots of cruising extras.

great untidy ending.