Cruising (1980) Al Pacino - when??? (2 Viewers)

[Jon Hertzberg]

A friend of mine pointed me in the direction of this most in-depth article on Cruising by Bill Krohn. I thought it would be worth posting the link here:

Krohn on Cruising

 

[Mattias_ka]

No news about a DVD release somewhere??

 

[JohnMor]

It's in the pipeline, as Friedkin recorded a commentary a few months ago. I'm willing to bet sometime in 2007.

 

[Bob Cashill]

CRUISING certainly gives Friedkin a lot to talk about.

 

[Mattias_ka]

Where did you read that? Any links?

 

[JohnMor]

I didn't read it anywhere. I got it right from Friedkin's office. (There are benefits to working in the industry)

 

[Mattias_ka]

That sounds nice.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

It's great to hear that Friedkin has recorded a commentary. Now the question is whether this phantom DVD will also contain the infamous scenes of "cops" DiSimone (Joe Spinell) and Dresher (Mike Starr) partaking in an off-duty s & m session. I'd also be interested to see some more of the barely-there Karen Allen.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

A link to a rather humorous retrospective review. Apparently Al has little love for Cruising:
Al Pacino Took 1980 Off

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

Since it's buried in another thread and may not have been seen by everyone, I thought it worth an extra mention that Cruising is coming to DVD from WB in Fall '07.

Via HTF's Andrew Wickliffe and Army Archerd:

The article indicates that Laurent Bouzereau is working on supplements, but the release will only include the original R-rated cut--perhaps some extra scenes will appear in supplements.

 

[Mattias_ka]

Only R-rated? Was the VHS unrated or the Japanese LD?

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

Can't speak for the Japanese LD, but the American VHS releases were R-rated.

Friedkin did, however, insert several frames of hardcore pornography into the film for the original theatrical release, which were retained in most video versions.

I have read that either the MGM or CBS/Fox VHS issues omitted these shots, but I cannot confirm these reports. However, I can confirm that the WB VHS retains this footage, which appears during the first murder of the film.

 

[John Gilmore]

This is good news....will be glad to see "Cruising" make its DVD debut.

Now, where is Friedkin's OTHER gay-themed film. "The Boys in the Band"??

 

[PopBodhi]

I was pleasantly surprised to read in the WB chat transcript that this film is "in the works". Thank you Warner Brothers.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

NY Post's Lou Lumenick on the impending DVD release of Cruising with information gleaned from the Army Archerd column:

Here Comes Cruising

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

Just got back from the one-time Directors' Fortnight screening of William Friedkin's newly restored version of CRUISING at Cannes. The film was presented in HD as part of the promotion for the Warner Bros. DVD to be released in mid-October. The image looked very crisp. Skin tones looked a little pale in the night and club sequences, but colors really popped for the most part, in particular, the yellow NYC cabs. Sound, in particular, the separation between the various songs and ambient noises, was excellent throughout.

The film attracted a packed house, including Quentin Tarantino. Friedkin appeared to introduce the film and was spirited and appeared quite appreciative of the film's positive reception and the Directors' Fortnight selection committee's decision to screen the film in this year's program. Producer, Jerry Weintraub was also on-hand as he is in Cannes to promote his latest film, OCEANS 13.

The crowd was enthusiastic from start to finish and gave a rapturous applause at the conclusion.

The film is not really much longer than the original cut.

Friedkin has added bits of explicit club footage and digitally tweaked several existing scenes. The film opens with the new WB logo over the familiar creepy Barre Phillips/Jack Nitzsche underscore. Friedkin has eliminated the disclaimer which attempted to placate the gay community. He has added a scrolling ROCKY-style title credit, which announces CRUISING in bold white on black.

The opening club sequence in which the killer picks up his first on-screen victim has a few extra shots of jock-strap clad dancing patrons.

The "precinct night" sequence features much more explicit footage in the club, intercut with Al Pacino's reactions.

The killing in the park is punctuated by a digital effect which makes the film appear in reverse, negative form at the end of the scene.

When Pacino spys on suspect Stuart Richards as he enters a Columbia University building, the image goes black except for a spotlight around Pacino; the entire image then fades to black.

The sequence in which Pacino dances in the club in front of a flashing, lit-up American flag sign has also been digitally altered in what appears to be an attempt to mimic Pacino's reaction to the amyl nitrate he has just inhaled. There are more cuts to the image of the American flag and more shots of the club patrons and explicit acts going on.

A scene that is often omitted from video and tv prints has been reinstated: this is the scene in which Stuart Richards' friend is interviewed by police about Richards' father; the friend reveals that the father has been dead for ten years, but that Stuart still talks of him being alive.

End credits featured an addendum with credits for the restored version.

 

[SteveJKo]

Good question. Does anyone know who owns the rights to TBITB and if they have any plans for it's release on DVD?

 

[WilliamMcK]

Perhaps a DVD release of "Boys in the Band" is imminent. TCM is airing it on June 25 at 2:15 am.

At least those of us who get TCM and have DVD recorders will be able to make our own copies.

 

[Mark-W]

FYI, the explicit intercuts of the anal sex during the literal "back stabbing" were
there on the DVD of "The Celluloid Closet" as well.

I remember thinking, "Did I just see what I thought I saw?"

It was idendetical in the IFC showing from a while back, which I also recorded.

Since WB had issues originally releasing the unrated cuts of Gia and Kubrick's Eye's Wide Shut to DVD, it seems to be their policy not to release unrated material.

I will be interested to see how this release is handled. I would hate to have to buy an import, but, heck, my region-free DVD player is being underutilized at this point anyway.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

As yesterday's screening was, for all intents & purposes, a promotion for the new WB DVD, it is quite safe to say that what was screened last night is what we will see on DVD in October. Warner Home Video was the presenting company of the screening. The program catalog features a sell-sheet (en francais) for the DVD with a mock-up of the Cruising DVD cover and box. When I get back to the States, I will scan it in and post it.

I don't know what the plans are for resubmission to the MPAA. The newly inserted snippets, IMHO, are not any more explicit than the footage that has always been in the original R-rated cut. It's just a little more of things that were already there.

Certainly, there is nothing more extreme than the hardcore frames that Friedkin edited into the film prior to its original release.