A police detective goes undercover in the underground S&M gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer who is preying on gay men.
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Title: Cruising (1980)
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5 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Al Pacino | ... | ||
| Paul Sorvino | ... | ||
| Karen Allen | ... | ||
| Richard Cox | ... | ||
| Don Scardino | ... | ||
| Joe Spinell | ... | ||
| Jay Acovone | ... | ||
| Randy Jurgensen | ... | ||
| Barton Heyman | ... |
Dr. Rifkin
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| Gene Davis | ... | ||
 |
Arnaldo Santana | ... | |
|
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Larry Atlas | ... | |
| Allan Miller | ... |
Chief of Detectives
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Sonny Grosso | ... |
Det. Blasio
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| Ed O'Neill | ... |
Det. Schreiber
(as Edward O'Neil)
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Edit
Plot Summary
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Plot Synopsis
See All (114) »
Storyline
A serial killer brutally slays and dismembers several gay men in New York's S&M and leather districts. The young police officer Steve Burns is sent undercover onto the streets as decoy for the murderer. Working almost completely isolated from his department, he has to learn and practice the complex rules and signals of this little society. While barely seeing his girlfriend Nancy anymore, the work starts changing him. Written by Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
Plot Keywords:
jock strap | male objectification | man wearing a tank top | gay | subculture |Taglines:
Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer.Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
15 February 1980 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
William Friedkin's Cruising See more »Filming Locations:
Hotel St. James, 109 West 45th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$11,000,000 (estimated)Gross USA:
$19,798,718, 31 December 1995Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Performed by Rough Trade
Words by Carole Pope
Music by Kevan Staples (as Kevin Staples)
Produced by Jack Nitzsche
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Karen Allen was never shown a complete script before she worked on this film. Director William Friedkin deliberately kept her in the dark, since her character Nancy wasn't supposed to be aware of what was happening to Al Pacino's cop as he explored the gay underworld. See more »Goofs
When the first victim gets stabbed blood is shown running off his shoulder but the knife is spotless. See more »Crazy Credits
The film only opens with the title in large letters, across the screen. It is only at the end where the filmmakers are credited. See more »Soundtracks
ShakedownPerformed by Rough Trade
Words by Carole Pope
Music by Kevan Staples (as Kevin Staples)
Produced by Jack Nitzsche
See more »
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This is a FRIEDKIN movie. Consequently, it is soulless, dark and physical. There are no heroes, the range goes from unclear/mixed up/tortured souls/loonies to the dephts of hell. It is also highly interpretative, you can not expect a logical script and a "I did it" smile or a "walk towards the sun" type of ending. So, it's a question of taste if you like his movies or not. I DO. I very much doubt that Pacino or Sorvino regret making this film. It is riveting. For one, characters are not even gray, they are a mystery. Sorvino's character, for instance is so blank, that you even wonder if he cares about anything, including Burns' fate. Pacino's character is pretty ambitious, but other than that he is completely controversial. Although he shows some kind of goodness (towards his neighbor, for instance), the ending even kinda questions that (was it because he had sexual intentions with the guy or that he just wanted to do some good?). Also, he sometimes feels overwhelmed by the undercover job ("I don't know if I can do this") but then he starts to adapt. One of the possible ideas of this movie is: you dance with the devil and then you start to like it. In any case, it leaves conclusions to the viewer. The atmosphere and especially the music are truly amazing and original. 9/10