Product Details

• Actors: Michael Moriarty, Yaphet Kotto, Susan Blakely, Hector Elizondo, Tony King
• Directors: Milton Katselas
• Writers: Abby Mann, Ernest Tidyman, James Mills
• Producers: M.J. Frankovich
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301976088
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #238,343 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting and enjoyable police thriller with a twist!, September 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Report to the Commissioner [VHS] (VHS Tape)

To tell you the truth, the only reason I wanted to see this film was because it had one of the best chase scenes in 70's cinema. After I watched it, it had more than just a thrilling chase scene but a pulse-pounding score and an unbelievable plot. It also has a great beginning! Yaphet Kotto has the most unforgettable performance as "Crunch" Blackstone, a tough and hard-boiled cop who would rather be beating up his felons than to just plain talk to them. Michael Moriarty stars as Bo Lockley, a man with a truly bad 70's hair-do and a squeeky voice, who accidentally kills a female cop while aiming for a big drug dealer (Tony King as "The Stick"). The female cop is Susan Blakely, beautiful as always. She was playing undercover with the department to crack the drug syndicate as playing his live-in-lover. While Bo fires at "The Stick", the bullet enters the heart of Susan Blakely and the two of them end up running after each other over the marquees and car-rooves of Time Square and they both end up in a stuck elevator in the Saks Fifth Avenue department store with the two of them pointing their guns at each other just waiting to pull the trigger, but they can't. If one of them pulls the trigger, the other can be killed, too! This is the most riveting scene I've ever seen in a movie finale topping the chase scene in "The French Connection" or "Bullitt" with Tony King delivering a "speech" about bad guys and good guys ("... there ain't no bad guys and there ain't no good guys, just two people who disagree..") Now the dpartment is making a whole cover-up to the murder of this female cop. So, if you have nothing else to do on a Friday night, get cozy and watch this groundbreaking film. A true highlite of the film is Elmer Bernstein's excellent musical score as it accents the exciting atmosphere and Milton Katselas' superb direction. And don't forget Hector Elizondo's performance as a harried Captain struggling with not giving the police a bad name. Look for a young Richard Gere in his movie debut as a pimp in Times Square. See this movie.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SOLID AND SMOOTH 1970's COP DRAMA., December 2, 2005

By 

Gregory Saffady (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Report to the Commissioner [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I read James Mills novel long before I ever saw the film. When it played in early 1974, it came and went without much notice, being overshadowed that year by (late 1973's) SERPICO and MAGNUM FORCE. Too bad. This is a solid crime drama, written by 2 noteworthy screenwriters, Abby Mann (KOJAK) and Ernest Tidyman (SHAFT)and probably would have gotten raves and Emmey consideration had it been a made for TV pic. REPORT reflects NYPD corruption of the 1970's but the main storyline is men in crisis: a naive cop (Michael Moriarty) and a drug dealer (Tony King in a powerhouse turn)gun barrell to gun barrell in a Saks 5th Ave. elevator; The NYPD brass (played by classic character vets as Dana Elcar, Ed Grover, Hector Elizondo)concocting a high level whitewash; a veteran detective (Yaphet Kotto) who must resort to brutality just to gain nominal acceptance in the precinct. All of it flows smooth against great locations and a first rate Elmer Bernstein score. And yes, look for Richard Gere and William Devane turning in some of their first big screen work.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An early role for a young handsome Richard Gere-1974, September 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Report to the Commissioner [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Report to the Commissioner is the story of an undercover policeman ( Michael Moriarty ) told to go find a pretty homeless girl on drugs ( Susan Blakely of "The Lords of Flatbush" & "Rich Man,Poor Man" mini-series ) & report back to the commissioner but do nothing more about it.Little does he know that the alleged homeless girl is really an undercover policewoman that he will ruin her cover if he brings her in which is why he is only supposed to report back but does he do only that ? Yaphot Kotto ( KGB,Two if by Sea )as one of the policemen who try to teach Michael Moriarty ( Law & Order )the ropes. Richard Gere has 11 minutes in this movie as a handsome young man with a full head of dark hair and flashing dark eyes.Richard Gere is best known for his roles in :"American Gigalo", "An Officer and a Gentleman" and "Pretty Woman".A young William Devane (Bad News Bears in Breaking Training,Knots Landing)also appears along with Hector Elizondo ( Young Doctors in Love). This drama is told in flashback leading up to a murder & who did it and why and how.
Report to the Commissioner is worth seeing for the impressive young cast and a glimpse at Richard Gere in 1974.