maclock Honestly, Cruising isn't that good of a film. That's it. I guess there's a reason that I never saw this particular Pacino film until yesterday. You can give this one a miss.

grantss Brave and innovative, in that, despite being made in 1980, when gay lifestyles were less accepted, the movie sets a murder-drama against the backdrop of New York's underground gay subculture. Moreover, the gay background is represented in a balanced fashion.With this backdrop, the movie starts out very interesting and intriguingly. However, it seems to run out of new ideas after a point and drifts. There are some silly interludes and scenes, and the plot gets confusing.There is a great twist at the end, but this doesn't make up for the disappointment of an opportunity wasted to make a thoughtful and telling movie.

Danny Blankenship After many years finally watched the little talked about but known 1980 thriller "Cruising" which was directed by the legend William Friedkin("The Exorcist" and "The French Connection"). And for a film of 1980 which it's focus is that of a gay culture before the years of AIDS even though many scenes were graphic with blood and gore pushing the limits the film held up as a good suspense thriller as you the viewer ask questions after each and every murder as like who done it? Set in New York city on the streets it's a tale of a serial killer who's on the prowl killing off gay men and his methods are entrapment of stalking them from gay bars to their apartments with a fetish of S&M while finishing each off with a knife in a very bloody way. In the lead role is Al Pacino(who was already a star)as detective Burns a young and up and coming investigator who's assigned to go undercover at the local gay clubs to try and crack the case. All along this changes and affects the life of Burns both personal and job wise. Thru it all this film entertains with suspense drama all while it's a showcase of a subculture that's in a different world from the norm of society, which true from 1980 standards might be more acceptable in today's world still this film was an underrated centerpiece of thrill and suspense one film that a thriller fan should see, for the fact that it's a tease and that it's murders are still a mystery leaving the viewer asking who done it?

Get_your_azz_to_Mars William Friedkin's controversial 'Cruising' is a challenging and oftentimes frustrating film. The story centers around Al Pacino going undercover to find a serial killer in the gay BDSM culture of late 70's NYC. The story seems simply enough, right? Well, it's deceiving as what Friedkin does is take the audience into a dark abyss of sordid sex, extreme debauchery, and brutal violence. It is, quite honestly, one of the more uncomfortable American films of the period to sit through.The problem with the picture are the character motivations are vague for virtually all involved (Pacino, the killer, and the police chief). Why is the killer doing this? Why is Pacino starting to lose it? What is the deal with the police chief? Does he care about Pacino or not? Everything is so opaque and mysterious that the film is both fascinating and aggravating at the same time. And perhaps that was done on purpose, but considering reportedly 40 minutes was cut from the film I would imagine that many of those questions I posed were more clear. The ending itself is even more strange and confusing and I would suspect that while the ending wouldn't have been wrapped up in a nice little bow for the audience (nor would I expect that in a Friedkin film), the viewer could at least attempt to make more sense of it.