The Panic in Needle Park (1971)

This movie is a stark portrayal of life among a group of heroin addicts who hang out in "Needle Park" in New York City. Played against this setting is a low-key love story between Bobby, a ... See full summary »

Director:

Jerry Schatzberg

Writers:

James Mills (book), Joan Didion (screenplay),

Stars:

Al Pacino, Kitty Winn, Alan Vint

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Al Pacino	...	Bobby
Kitty Winn	...	Helen
Alan Vint	...	Hotch
Richard Bright	...	Hank
Kiel Martin	...	Chico
Michael McClanathan	...	Sonny
Warren Finnerty	...	Sammy
Marcia Jean Kurtz	...	Marcie
Raul Julia	...	Marco
Angie Ortega	...	Irene
Larry Marshall	...	Mickey
Paul Mace	...	Whitey
Nancy MacKay	...	Penny
Gil Rogers	...	Robins
Joe Santos	...	DiBono

Storyline

This movie is a stark portrayal of life among a group of heroin addicts who hang out in "Needle Park" in New York City. Played against this setting is a low-key love story between Bobby, a young addict and small-time hustler, and Helen, a homeless girl who finds in her relationship with Bobby the stability she craves. She becomes addicted too, and life goes downhill for them both as their addiction deepens, eventually leading to a series of betrayals. But, in spite of it all, the relationship between Bobby and Helen endures.

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Plot Keywords:

heroin | new york city | city | betrayal | love | 

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Taglines:

God help Bobby and Helen. They're in love in Needle Park.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 1971 (France)

Also Known As:

Panique à Needle Park

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gadd Productions Corp., Didion-Dunne

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Francis Ford Coppola showed a screening of this film to Paramount executives in order to convince them that Al Pacino was suitable for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather.

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Goofs

[45:50] Boom microphone (and camera) visible in the upper right hand corner near the end of the stick ball game.

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Quotes

Bobby: I was gonna marry you! You think I'd marry a whore?

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Connections

Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994)

User Reviews

Great first performance

When I first saw this film, Al Pacino was an unknown actor, yet to play in the Godfather. I usually just enjoy the movie, but I was surprised by how fine an actor the star was. I wondered why I had never seen this guy before.

Pacino has made many fine films, but this one is actually one of his best..and very few people have ever heard of it. It used to be available on VHS, but has been out of print now for about twenty years. I was finally able to get a very expensive used copy from an internet vendor specializing in hard to get film.

I just hope that this comes out in DVD.