Cruising is a film that even after nearly 40 years still can start an argument on various levels. When the movie was being made gay rights activists followed the shoot around Manhattan. They made noise trying to stop the production. But the film featured gay residents of Manhattan showing off what they enjoyed doing at the Mineshaft. They weren’t all straight actors posing in leather. This movie isn’t cut and dry, “Hollywood is misrepresenting” normalcy. Cruising is an undercover cop investigation film that doesn’t give clear answers or a feelgood ending. Now that it’s arrived on 4K UHD, viewers can see deeper into the shadows.
Officer Steve Burns (Scarface‘s Al Pacino) is finally getting his big break into the rank of homicide detective. He gets called into the office of Captain Edelson (Goodfella‘s Paul Sorvino) for a deep undercover assignment. This isn’t the usual infiltrate the mafia gig. The Captain suspects a killer running loose in the gay leather bar scene. Burns is picked because he resembles many of the victims. This is a complete immersion as he moves to the West Village and transforms himself into the type of guy who hangs out in leather bars such as The Ramrod, The Anvil and the Manhole. He no longer lives with his girlfriend Nancy (Raiders of the Lost Ark‘s Karen Allen) since he needs his nights to hang out with a pocketful of colorful handkerchiefs cruising for suspects. And there’s plenty of suspects lurking in the dirty underground clubs loaded with chains, leather and jeans. The cop sees a lot of stuff that he’s never experienced. This is a world of dark carnal pleasures. There’s a bit of comedy one night when he shows up in his usual outfit at a club’s dress like a cop night. He stands in the room looking at men with badges getting freaky. The interesting element of his investigation is discovering that it might not just be one killer lurking in the parks and alleys cruising for fresh meat. There’s even a feeling that Burns has gone over the edge in his undercover time. Could he have also become a leather clad killer in the Big Apple?
Cruising has Al Pacino going even deeper undercover than his time as Serpico. The movie wasn’t a big hit when it came out in 1980. All the debaucheries on the screen scared off the fans of cop flicks. Director William Friedkin went into the actual clubs and allowed the real members of the community to conduct themselves as if it was just another night. This led to the infamous fact that he sliced about 40 minutes out of the original cut because it showed what happened after a guy coated his hand and forearm with Crisco. In a sense, this film is a documentary. We’re not on a Hollywood set with a bunch of performers doing carefully choreographed routines. If you wonder what it was like to be hanging in the Village and deep in the clubs, this part is authentic. This was also the end of this era as AIDS swept the community and made such clubs danger zones. Who knows how many of the extras survived the ’80s.
Cruising works exceptionally well as a cop film. They are serious about the investigation although they use a harsh level of brutality during interrogations that rivals the club action. The cops are constantly roaming the neighborhood for good and bad intentions. Joe Spinell (Rocky & Taxi Driver) is a cop who has quite a few secrets as his patrol car cruises the night streets. Even Ed O’Neil (Married… With Children & Modern Family) gets on the case as a detective. The cops are concerned with tracking down a killer. However they don’t seem eager see there’s more than one person out there preying on the clubgoers. They want to capture a single serial killer and act like it’s “safe” again. The ending reminds us that there’s nothing easy about this world. And that uneasiness can get seen in Pacino’s performance as he has to macho up fast to appear normal in this world. But he also has to retreat to his girlfriend to reassure himself that he’s not getting lost in the scene.
Cruising is not an easy viewing experience. The visuals are harsh. Thanks to it being on 4K UHD, you can frame-by-frame to the murders to see what Friedkin snuck past the MPAA censors. Cruising fills the screen with a story that Hollywood hasn’t since approached on this scale.
The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The new 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative really brings out the black, blue and silvery lighting in the clubs and on the streets outside. It’s otherworldly on the screen. The audio is 5.1 DTS-HD MA, 2.0 DTS MA and Mono track drags you down into the club scene with the punk music and sounds of leather blaring from the speakers. The movie is subtitled.
120-page perfect-bound collector’s book includes articles from The Village Voice and The New York Times, essays from the film’s extras cast, an introduction from William Friedkin, and an archive interview with Al Pacino
Audio Commentary with William Friedkin and Mark Kermode is new. Mark has interviewed Friedkin a few times in the past so the duo are able to have a good conversation. Kermode gets Friedkin to talk about the 40 minutes of leather bar footage he sliced away. The director swears it was a way to let the MPAA feel good snipping away and protecting the elements he needed. The best part was Friedkin talking about how at the leather bars, they were playing disco music. He went out with Jack Nitzsche to find L.A. punk bands like The Germs to create the soundtrack. He also talks about how their isn’t one killer like their wasn’t one killer in the actual homicides. We also get the answer as to why the guy in a jockstrap and cowboy hat shows up during the interrogation scene.
Audio Commentary with William Friedkin is from a DVD release in 2007. He’s at ease giving plenty of stories behind the stories and filling in a few gaps created by the MPAA making him slice so much out of the film.
There Were Cops, a dark bar… and Al Pacino is commentary track that interviews people about the soundtrack. The conversation includes Don Bolles, Kenny Margolis, Louis X, Carole Pope, Madelynn Von Ritz and more.
“Heavy Leather” Alternate Score is the music score from Pentagram Home Video.
The Backroom – Cut, Alternate and Deleted Scenes includes three Deleted Scenes, Original On-Set Audio so you can hear the killer’s voice and protests, Alternate Elements including French and Spanish disclaimer card, French credits and alternate introductions from previous editions.
Censored Scenes compares two sequences that were snipped for the original release of the film. It’s not the missing 40 minutes.
Trailers include the Teaser (1:13) and Theatrical Trailer (3:29).
TV Spots includes the 4 TV Spots (2:13), 5 Test TV Spots (2:38) and TV Spot Optical Tests (2:35) shows how Friedkin wanted to mark the film as a cop who disappears into a different world.
Photo Galleries includes Promotional Items from around the world, press kit, press book, Key Art, Musical Releases, Jane Wechsler On-set Sketch Gallery and Set Items Gallery. You can see Randy Jurgenson’s contract. There’s also a protest the filming flier.
I Want to be the Curator (38:29) is a new interview with Karen Allen. She remembers that there wasn’t a full script. During the movie, she was not given a full script just the scenes that featured her character. This was true for all the other actors beside Al Pacino. She did audition with Al for Friedkin.
Walking the Line (71:13) lets Randy Jurgensen talk about being both an actor and the police advisor on the film. During an airplane flight with Friedkin, the director told him about wanting to make the movie. Part of it was based on how Jurgensen was an undercover cop that worked in the gay community in 1963. He learned about the leather world. There were parts of his life that ended up in the film. There’s a story of crooked cops kidnapping and shaking down gay guys. We also learn how he hung out with Barbra Streisand and Tiny Tim during this time. Randy’s talk is as fascinating as the film itself.
Cut Offs (55:00) is an interview from 2017 with Bud S. Smith, who also edited The Exorcist for Friedkin. He talks about making Sorcerer and how Friedkin reacted to the film’s box office failure. Smith remembers how Cruising came about for him. Smith was involved more than just cutting 35mm in the editing room.
Who’s That Guy (13:42) catches up with actor Jay Acovone. Cruising was his first major role. He enjoyed that after his reading, Friedkin said, ‘That’s my guy.’ He wasn’t nervous about the character since he was thrilled to get a SAG card. He never got the script normally. He just had his scenes. The interrogation scene gets broken down. He’d go on to being in the cast of Beauty and the Beast and numerous film and TV shows.
Pounding The Beat (46:57) lets Mike Starr share a few Joe Spinell stories. The two played the crooked cops in a police cruiser. He talks about acting with the protesters around the location. This was his first big movie role and Friedkin wanted him immediately for the role.
The Boys On the Bus (37:30) has actor Mark Zecca talk about hanging out in the West Village during this time. He gets into the various clubs’ atmosphere. He talks about the dirty dog clubs. Zecca had a small role as a Boy on bus. But he provides quite a bit of background on what was happening. He explains “truck parties” and the Meat Packing District. He heard that the notorious gay bars in the Village were mob owned.
Mineshaft Memories (33:41) has Wally Wallach, the former manager of the Mineshaft nightclub recounts his life and what went down in the subterranean club. He worked for J.C. Penney on their catalog. The bar was originally a disco.
BeyondFest Q&A (41:10) has William Friedkin talking about a screening of Cruising in 2022. He gets into how he bought the book Cruising and he wanted the title so he optioned it. He had read about a series of murders tied to gay bars in New York City. He points out that the film is based on reality, but it’s not a real film. He talks about the 40 minutes that were cut out of Cruising to appease the MPAA ratings board.
Breaking the Codes (13:02) has David McGillivray explain the Hanky Codes. He talks about how the gay community had been using codes over the decades when their lifestyle was considered criminal. We get a hanky code chart although there’s even more colors provided by the Golan Globus Theater podcast.
Production Stills is over a hundred images including production photos and press photos.
Stop the Movie (11:51) is a silent film shot in Super8 by Jim Hubbard of the protesters. There were huge crowds of people coming out to shout during the location shooting in New York City. There is a commentary track so Hubbard can explain what was happening. During this time before group chats, the protestors used phone trees. He talks about his feelings on the movie now. He does have an issue with Al Pacino’s dancing.
The History of Cruising (21:05) is an archival featurette on the film’s origins. Director William Friedkin discusses how he didn’t use much of the book in his adaptation and based it more on real cases happening in New York City.
Exorcizing Cruising (22:31) archival featurette looking at the controversy surrounding the film and its enduring legacy. There’s talk about the club scene.
Original Theatrical Trailer (3:29) lets you know that this isn’t Al Pacino doing his usual mobster stuff.
Arrow Video presents Cruising. Directed by William Friedkin. Screenplay by William Friedkin. Starring Al Pacino, Karen Allen, Joe Spinell, Paul Sorvino & Ed O’Neil. Rated: R. Running Time: 102 minutes. Released: February 25, 2025.
