4K Ultra HD Review – Cruising (1980)

      Cruising, 1980.

      Directed by William Friedkin.

      Starring Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, and Karen Allen.

      SYNOPSIS:

      If you’re a fan of William Friedkin’s thriller Cruising from 1980, you’ll want to check out this new 4K Ultra HD release from Arrow, which boasts a fantastic restoration along with three commentary tracks, about six hours of bonus content, and a 120-page booklet. While I find the film to be a mixed experience, your opinion may differ.

      Occasionally, a film appears uncertain of its identity, much like William Friedkin’s ambiguous 1980 release, Cruising. It occupies a space that is neither terrible nor remarkable (or even decent, really).

      Adapted from Gerald Walker's novel, Cruising stars Al Pacino as Steve Burns, a detective presented with a life-changing opportunity to track down a serial killer targeting New York City’s gay community. In particular, the murderer is focusing on the leather sub-culture, choosing victims from bars, peep shows, and various locations in lower Manhattan’s West Village.

      Captain Edelson (Paul Sorvino) assigns Steve to go undercover so thoroughly that he must rent an apartment and cannot disclose his activities to his girlfriend, Nancy (Karen Allen).

      The narrative appears to focus on Steve's quest to capture the killer while he grapples with his own sexual identity and navigates the challenges in his relationship with Nancy, but Cruising ultimately fails to delve deeply into these themes. The story jumps from one scene to another, and Steve's investigation mainly involves pursuing different leads rather than embarking on a journey where solving one clue leads to another.

      Friedkin, who also penned the screenplay, may have hesitated to engage too deeply with the gay community, as Steve primarily visits various clubs and bars. He forms a bond with a gay neighbor, but this friendship does not connect to the main storyline and leads nowhere, even when the neighbor’s boyfriend returns and confronts Steve, believing they are involved.

      Nevertheless, fans of the film will appreciate the meticulous attention that Arrow Video has dedicated to this 4K Ultra HD edition, which competes with Criterion for top-notch home video releases. The release features a new 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative, effectively highlighting the grim atmosphere of lower Manhattan during that era. The transfer looks impressive on my television.

      Additionally, there's a 120-page booklet, which I haven’t seen since Arrow doesn’t provide me with retail copies for review, but it appears to be a valuable complement filled with various articles and essays, an introduction by Friedkin, and an interview with Pacino. I don’t recall any Criterion booklets being that extensive.

      Regarding the on-disc extras, the 4K Ultra HD disc includes a new commentary track featuring several musicians discussing the film’s soundtrack, which uniquely includes music from the punk band Germs, among others. Their drummer, Don Bolles, participates in this conversation.

      The other two commentary tracks are carried over from earlier editions, featuring a solo track with Friedkin from 2007 and a 2019 discussion with film critic Mark Kermode. While some information overlaps between the tracks, Kermode’s moderation effectively steers the dialogue into new areas.

      The first disc also includes an alternate musical score titled "Heavy Leather" by Pentagram Home Video, which I’m not very familiar with. However, I understand that the music was released in 2019 under the title Who’s Here? I’m Here, You’re Here, referencing dialogue from the film.

      The 4K Ultra HD disc concludes with several deleted scenes, alternate cuts, and comparisons between scenes and their censored versions, which Friedkin had to edit multiple times to secure an R rating. Additional features include two archival featurettes, two trailers, three TV spots, and five photo galleries.

      I wouldn’t fault Arrow if they decided to stop here, but the special features extend onto a Blu-ray disc, which does not include a copy of the film either. (Arrow had previously released Cruising on Blu-ray; I don’t possess that version, but I assume this is the second disc from that edition.) Without listing everything included, it’s safe to say that there is over five hours of extra content available, along with a gallery of production stills.

      I believe this release shouldn’t need another home video version unless the 40 minutes of footage Friedkin removed resurfaces. He stated that it was destroyed, and the deleted scenes provided do not come close to that length, so I imagine this is the final home video version of Cruising.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Brad Cook