Warner Brothers will release a special DVD edition of director William Friedkin's controversial 1980 thriller, Cruising starring Al Pacino in the most controversial role of his career. At the time of its initial release, gay rights groups protested that the film was homophobic. The plot centers on a heterosexual New York City detective who, in the course of going under cover to solve a gruesome murder, infiltrates the city's gay S&M scene. Some gays protested that the script implied that homosexuality was not only deviant but could cause straight men to adopt the lifestyle simply by being in the presence of gay men. The film also caused a firestorm because of its boundry-breaking sequences of sexual activity in the underbelly of the S&M clubs. The DVD will be released on September 18 and feature a remastered version of the film, commentary by William Friedkin and new behind-the-scenes featurettes. Intriguingly, the film will have a limited theatrical run immediately prior to its home video release. It will be interesting to see how the gay community evaluates the film after the passage of time. Look for a full review on Cinema Retro. To see WB's official press release, continue reading.
CRUISING DELUXE EDITION
William Friedkin’s Landmark Film Finally Debuts on DVD September 18 -- Newly Remastered, with Revealing New Featurettes and Director Commentary
Burbank, Calif., June 18, 2007 -- Cruising – the murder thriller that is set against the gay S & M subculture of the late ‘70s and prompted widespread community protests when it opened in 1980 – makes its long-awaited DVD debut September 18 as a Deluxe Edition DVD from Warner Home Video (WHV). Acknowledging years of consumer requests, Cruising will receive a limited theatrical release in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco the first week of September, prior to its DVD release at $19.97 SRP.
Directed by Academy Award® winner William Friedkin (The French Connection) from his own screenplay adaptation of Gerald Walker’s novel, the film has as its magnetic centerpiece Academy Award®-winner Al Pacino’s (Scent of a Woman) performance as an undercover cop who infiltrates New York City’s leather bar scene, and whose identity and relationships are hauntingly affected by his assignment. Pacino, no stranger to tough cop roles (Heat, Serpico and Sea of Love), currently can be seen in Warner Bros.’ Oceans 13 and recently received an AFI Lifetime Achievement Award.
Mr. 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 new director commentary. Also included are eminent documentarian Laurent Bouzerou’s two new featurettes containing interviews with actors and filmmakers who provide thorough perspective on the incidents surrounding the production. In addition to Friedkin and producer Jerry Weintraub (Oceans 11 series, Diner The Firm), participants include editor Bud Smith (The Exorcist, Flashdance, Ladder 49) , actors Don Scardino (now a top TV director) and James Remar (48 Hours, TV’s Sex in the City) and real-life cops Randy Jurgensen and Sonny Grosso.
Special Features
· Commentary by Director William Friedkin
· Soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1
· 2 New Featurettes: The History of Cruising and Exorcising Cruising
· Original Theatrical trailer
· Languages: English & Español
· Subtitles: English, Français & Español (feature film only).