Customer Reviews

Dog Day Afternoon [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(93)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Al Pacino burns up the screen in Dog Day Afternoon which is based on a true story and confirms that fact that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. Mr. Pacino plays Sonny who teams up with the dullard Sal (John Cazale) to rob a Brooklyn bank on a sweltering summer afternoon. Sonny was a one-time bank employee, so he knows all the tricks of the trade to thwart bank robbers. Unfortunately for the robbers, the bank virtual has no money do to having made a deposit only hours before the robbery attempt. A shopworker across the street from the bank notices the strange proceedings and calls the cops. Before you know it, the bank is completely surrounded by cops. The cops (led by Charles Durning & James Broderick) start a hostage negotiation with Sonny. Even though Sonny's a crook, he isn't all bad and he, Sal and the hostage bank workers form a strange kinship. The story is shown on TV and a crowd gathers in the streets as well and Sonny becomes something of a cult hero. His scenes on the street outside the bank are scintillating including his famous Attica chant. Sonny is married with kids, but it turns out that he was robbing a bank to pay for a sex change operation for his gay lover, Leon (Chris Sarandon). The movie closes out at night at the airport in dramatic fashion. Sidney Lumet does a fine job translating the heat and humidity of the day and you can feel yourself sweating along with the characters. Mr. Pacino has been more heralded for his Godfather roles, Scarface, Serpico and Scent Of A woman, but in my book, he was never finer than he was in this movie.

Without showing a trace of his icy performance as Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" parts 1 & 2, Al Pacino made a radical departure by playing a bisexual bank robber in "Dog Day Afternoon." Here's a hilarious (but apparently true) story about Sonny (Pacino) who stages a bank robbery to finance his lover's sex change operation. Within minutes, the attempted robbery heads for disaster, as the police and media surround the bank while Sonny holds the employees hostage for the entire day. Even after nearly 30 years, "Dog Day Afternoon" is a marvel to see. This film won a well-deserved 1975 Academy Award for its witty screenplay, and Pacino's performance ranks among his best. Unfortunately, those who are looking for a deluxe-edition DVD will be sorely disappointed with this release. The picture is incredibly grainy, with spots, hairs, and marks. The sound is 1-channel mono, instead of a 5.1 surround remix. But the biggest slap on the face is the virtual lack of features on this DVD: we don't even get a trailer. All we get are production notes. Movie buffs and Pacino diehards will pick this up, but everyone else should hold off, rent the film, and hope that Warner Bros. will release a special edition of this great movie.

I bought Dog Day Afternoon on DVD completly at random, just based on the actors, and the synopsis. On the back of the case, this movie is branded as a "boisterous comedy" that is "Bitingly Funny". And while the movie certainly has its funny parts, it never has one-liner jokes, or much situational humor. It is more of a comedy as a whole, and just about how the whole bank robbery got screwed up. Accually, it is really quite serious in tone.

So once you get past the aboslutly false statements that this is a comedy, you start to see the magic of this film. It is a very static movie, and the everything takes place in or around the bank throughout the entire movie until the very end. The story isn't driven through action sequences, rather it is driven by the brilliant dialoge between characters.

When watching this movie, you will feel like you are right there, inside this movie. You will progress right along with the main character, Sonny. You watch his attitude change from being very optimistic and hopeful, into a more frustrated, disjointed, and confused character. Al Pacino does a brilliant job showing the many changes that Sonny goes through. You can literally see the preasure on Sonny's face as time is running out, and as his plans keep getting more and more screwed up.

Not only does Al Pacino do a brilliant job, but the other characters are amazingly protrayed as well. Other notable performances are Leon (Sonny's disconnected boyfriend), Sal (Sonn'y partner), and even Detective Moretti. Every character is so believable and real that you will truly feel like you have met them all first hand.

One thing that I have noticed about Dog Day Afternoon is its influences on more modern movies. As I was watching it, I couldn't help but recognize modern movies in it. Two examples that came to mind the most are Mad City, and Airheads. In Mad City, John Travoltra's character is also faced with a media circus as he holds a group of school kids and their teacher hostage in a meauseam. The frenzy of media coverage, the public reaction, and the way that the main character becomes friendly with the hostages all give a very big nod to Dog Day Afternoon. In Airheads, I noticed that the way one of the guys who had taken the radio station hostage would come outside to talk to the cops, and while he was out there, he would incite the crowd and start different chants. In Airheads, one of the hostage takers started the crowd in a "Rodney King" chant, while in Dog Day Afternoon, Al Pacino started the crowed in an "Attica" chant. These sequences are so familiar that I am convinced the screen writers had Dog Day Afternoon in mind when writing them.

Overall, this is a fantastic movie that is full of brilliant performances. But for some, it may seem way to static, and slow moving.

As far as DVD features go, the picture quality is superb, considering that the original film is from the mid 70's. The audio is Dolby Mono tracked, but nothing else is neccesary. There are no sound effects to speak of - it is all pretty much dialogue - so the mono track is sufficient. As far as extras, if you consider Scene Selections and Interactive Menus to be "extras", then you will be happy, but I would say that this DVD is as bare as they get. I can't stand when DVD Case designers try and pass off these standard 'features' as extras. That is like a CD advertising its ability to change tracks with the touch of a button.

Great movie - decent DVD transfer.

Sidney Lumet's "Dog Day Afternoon" reminds us that films once upon a time made it a point to properly develop the individuals within their stories. Younger filmgoers who grew up in later eras may not realize it, but cinematic works from decades past actually were inhabited by characters and not caricatures.

Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino), Sal (John Cazale) and Stevie (Gary Springer) attempt to rob a Brooklyn bank just before closing time. The robbery turns into a debacle as Stevie immediately flees the scene and Sonny and Sal discover that the bank virtually has no money at its location. The police arrive to arrest the would-be robbers but Sonny soon starts to gain the support of the bystanders outside and uses the press at the scene to make the most of his time in the spotlight. Just when it appears matters cannot get any more odd, Sonny's new "wife" (Chris Sarandon) is brought to the scene and the reason for the bank robbery is revealed.

"Dog Day Afternoon" is in a class of its own when one is talking about bank robbery films. There are so many unconventional elements to the story - from the clumsily-planned heist to the amusing rapport between the robbers and the hostages to the role Leon Shermer plays in the proceedings - that it truly stands alone when compared to other entries in the genre. One might think that it would be easy to lose sight of the fine performances in "Dog Day Afternoon" with all of these elements vying for your attention but the efforts turned in by Pacino, Cazale, Sarandon, Charles Durning, and the rest of the cast is so good that their characters will not promptly fade from memory. Lumet also does an amazing job of creating a specific time and place with his directing. He infuses "Dog Day Afternoon" with such realism that you can literally feel the heat rising from sidewalks. Take out your scorecard and mark down this jewel as one of the essential films of the Seventies.

Al Pacino's glorious little film about a couple of would be bank robbers who simply have a really bad day. Brought to you by the same team that would also bring us Serpico, Pacino is simply electrifying in this film about a bank robbery in New York City that simply turned into a media circus on live television. Filmed soon after Pacino's stunning entry into the hollywood lights as Michael Corleone in Coppola's Godfather, Dog Day Afternoon cemented Pacino as a legitimate star in his own right. With a rivetting performance Pacino simply oozes panic and sheer hysteria.

The film begins when Pacino and two friends enter a bank and begin the heist. The film makes little effort to set things up, prefering to get right into the action. Once it starts it never stops. Just moments after the bank robbery begins one of the would be thieves simply loses his nerve and walks out. Things get worse from there. From a little homemade fire to snipey cops ready to blow his brains out on the tarmac this movie simply screams tension. It was one of the very first Bank robbery movies which were rather popular for a long time. Pacino is simply terrific in this film as an on the edge psychopath who simply wants to pull the job off. But he's clearly in over his head and sinking fast.

This movie isn't for everyone. It's not one of the best movies ever, and it's simply not for all tastes. But if you are a Pacino fan or love high tension drama's you may enjoy this. There's never a dull moment and it's beautifully scripted. The weirdest part of the whole thing is that it's largely based on a true story, if for no other reason than that, this movie should be seen. If you are an Al Pacino fan, this is a brilliant must have.

"Dog Day Afternoon" still feels fresh to me. Maybe because Lumet packed so much talent and so many unforgettable moments into it. Why should you watch it?

It's the best Pacino has ever been. (I thought the Oscar belonged to him and not to Nicholson that year.) Want to see how far into a character a good actor can delve? Watch his face after he hangs up the phone from talking to his wife (no, not Chris Sarandon -- the other wife).

It's not only the late John Cazale in another of his brilliant 70s performances, but it's Pacino and Cazale together again after the two "Godfathers."

It's the quintessential New York location movie.

Sarandon's near-monologue in the barber shop is so convincing, you'll think, "No way was this guy ever married to Susan!"

Sully Boyar's naturalistic approach to his role of the bank manager might have you thinking, if you've never seen him before, that he's not a professional actor.

James Broderick's performance as the FBI agent is a masterpiece of iceberg acting (in which 90% of what's going on is beneath the surface, making the 10% you do see that much more powerful).

Pacino again, this time -- well, not to give anything away -- let's just say the look on his face the last time he sees the bank staff.

Oh, so much more! I guess I'll quit here with two final words. "Attica! Attica!"

"Dog Day Afternoon," an extraordinary movie in its own right, is made even more extraordinary because all of it was true. This is a movie based primarily on character study, more so than the simple plot.

Here's the basic premise: two men set out to rob a bank, for reasons that become clear later in the film. Sonny (Al Pacino, in his best performance to date, imo) is the mastermind of the heist, while Sal (John Cazale, equally brilliant) is the brooding follower. However, the heist goes drastically wrong, and suddenly cops, TV cameras, and crowds surround the bank, and it turns into a circus. It's a fascinating account of the seduction of celebrity, as evidenced by Sonny, the bank tellers (who want to remain inside the bank and give interviews instead of being saved), and, in a nice touch, the pizza man (who, after delivering the pizza while surrounded by the TV cameras, shouts, "I'm a f***ing star!!")

Frank Pierson wrote his Oscar-winning (well-deserved) screenplay around only twelve scenes, and the movie is 124 minutes, so it's pretty obvious from the get-go that the plot, even one as intriguing as this one, can't support this movie on its own. This is where the acting comes in. Al Pacino is wonderful wonderful wonderful as Sonny. He is adorable in his dorkiness, and gets the nervous face tics, shuffle in his steps, and the wonderful boyish, insecure voice down pat. Pacino's Sonny is fresh-faced and enormously likable, even as he is robbing the bank (although I think that Pacino naturally exudes this charm and likeability, even when he's playing less-than-perfect characters). I've seen most of Pacino's films, and I consider this to be his best performance to date, even better than his amazing performance as Michael Corleone in the "Godfather" movies (and that's saying something, because I adore Michael Corleone). It's definitely an Oscar-caliber performance, and he should have won it that year. John Cazale is just as good as the brooding, reserved Sal, who is the perfect counterbalance to Pacino's screaming, wide-eyed, excitable Sonny. Chris Sarandon (Oscar-nominated) is also very good as Leon, Sonny's lover and male "wife". A very strong supporting cast makes the film even more enjoyable.

I said Pierson's Oscar for his screenplay was well-deserved because of the witty dialogue and extremely well thought-out, bitingly funny, and compassionate scenes. Take, for example, the very memorable scene where Sonny tell police captain Moretti, "Kiss me. When I'm being f***ed, I like to get kissed a lot" before shouting, "Attica! Attica! Put those f***ing guns down!" at the police, and wins the crowd's support. The scene is pure adrenaline, and one of the most thrilling and exciting scenes I've ever witnessed on screen. The best scenes in the movie are Sonny's two telephone conversations, one with his male wife Leon and the other with his female wife Angie. Director Sidney Lumet claims that Pacino and Sarandon improvised most of their telephone conversation, which is a testament to the skills of both actors, as that telephone conversation is simultaneously funny ("Algeria? Why are you going to Algeria? There's crazy people who wear things on their heads") and very poignant ("You're warped, you know that?" "I'm warped, I'm warped, I know it"). Sonny's conversation with his wife Angie is just as good, with Pacino getting a chance to let out his trademark volcanic-ash tirade on her: "Will you shut the f*** up and listen to me! Just listen to me!"

These wonderful scenes work v. well together, capturing all the madness, poignancy, and compassion of the events. It's a very well-made movie; the director knows the movie is a superb character-study and wisely sticks to just that, his characters. One of my favorite movies, and a definite must-have for any DVD collection. 5/5

Dog Day Afternoon is my favourite film. But what makes it stand out? A few things. Firstly, there's the acting.

Al Pacino is brilliant - obviously - and he makes Sonny seem really believable. Then there's the *sob* late John Cazale (who tragically died a year or two after Dog Day Afternoon was made,
from bone cancer) who is one of the most underrated actors ever. Then there's Chris Sarandon who is fantastic as Leon. Dog Day Afternoon isn't exactly meant to be a comedy, but I can't help but laugh at the bit when you first see him, and while Sonny is standing outside the bank, smiling and waving and shouting "Leon!", Leon is looking very confused and bewildered and then faints. It shouldn't really be funny, but it is... The rest of the cast are superb as well.

Something else that's good about Dog Day Afternoon is the lack of soundtrack (except for the cheesy Elton John song that plays at the start). The good thing about not having a soundtrack, is that it doesn't ruin the suprise. For example, when something scary is about to happen you don't know (unless, like me, you have rewatched Dog Day Afternoon a million times) because there is no creepy music playing, which it makes it all more exciting and shocking when it does happen.

The fact that Dog Day Afternoon is based on a true story also helps, because it adds another dimension to the film. At the end, in the airport scene (which is the only scene in a film that has ever made my cry), you see text at the bottom of the screen, telling you what happened to all the characters afterwards. I walked away thinking to myself "I'd love to meet the real Sonny..." Of course, I would probably be very disappointed - not all bank robbers look like Al Pacino.

The final thing that is great about Dog Day Afternoon is that it's very emotional, especially at the end but it's also funny in some places. Just looking at Sal makes me laugh (and cry when I think about what happens to him later) and there are some funny lines as well "Sal, Wyoming's not a country."

Please, please, please buy this film. You won't regret it.

"Dog Day Afternoon" is a great film that wowed me the first time I saw it and continues to be a great film that I enjoy even after my 4th time watching it. We all know what a fine actor Al Pacino is; he usually gets the most raves for his performances in "The Godfather" and "Scarface"
but I think that this film features the best Pacino performance. Nothing against Tony Montana, but Pacino's Sonny is such a great character that could've been played so many ways and Pacino does it just right. Sonny is naive, nervous, flamboyant, tough, and, occasionally, smart. The movie also happens to feature one of the most famous one-word lines of dialogue in cinema..."Attica!" The movie is directed by Sidney Lumet, a fine director whose credits include 'Serpico,' 'Network,' '12 Angry Men,' and more recently 'Find Me Guilty.' DDA is, in my opinion, his masterpiece. An energetic thrill-ride that truly deserves to be ranked as one of the finest movies ever made. Sonny, his friend Sal (John Cazale, who was killed Pacino in "The Godfather Pt.II"), and another accomplice barge into a small New York bank and try to rob it. It's established quickly how naive and unprepared the men are, especially after the third accomplice leaves right after the guns are revealed. Pretty soon, there's a phone call at the bank for Sonny and he realizes there are already police across the street. Within minutes, the scene becomes a media circus. Hundreds of cops, the FBI, the media, and onlookers have crowded around the bank leaving Sonny and Sal to hold the female bank tellers and the manager hostage. As Sonny desperately tries to get out of the jam and the cops slowly move in on him we, as the audience, realize...We're going to be in this bank for 124 minutes of film. I'm not fond of movies like this, movies that are set up almost as a stage play because it has only one setting. Oddly enough though, "Dog Day Afternoon" is incredibly entertaining throughout. Now, I'm willing to bet, most of the detailed reviews on this site reveal why Sonny is actually robbing the bank. I, myself, knew this little tidbit before watching it the first time. Watching the film with a friend recently (a friend who had never heard of the film), when the not-so-big revelation came he was shocked and surprised. He basically has the same reaction the cops, the media, and the onlookers have. Having said that, I highly recommend that you try not to know Sonny's reason for robbing the bank before you watch this. If Al Pacino had not already made his name with other films, "Dog Day Afternoon" would have made him a star. He proves here (especially when you look at his other performances) what a complete and total actor this man is. Never for a second is Sonny not completely believable in every aspect of the word. It's not a one-man show and there is a lot of great supporting work here, especially by Cazale and a brief appearance by Chris Sarandon. I also think that I wouldn't be saying anything new or saying anything false when I say this very well could be the best, most unique, bank robbery movie ever made. Even the hostages aren't cardboard cliches. Have there ever been cooler bank robbery hostages in a movie? Do yourself a favor, as a lover of cinema, and see "Dog Day Afternoon." You will not be disappointed.

GRADE: A

Though brilliant in The Godfather (I and II), Pacino's best performance of his career was in this film. In the Godfather films, there was a lot of talent all around him. In Dog Day Afternoon, Pacino carried the movie. Admittedly, he did have some help from John Cazale, who was terrific though understated.

It's a great movie; a true classic. There have been lots of other movies about bank heists and hostage situations, but this is the king of them all.