The Panic In Needle Park [DVD]

Like many people I bought this DVD as an Al Pacino completist. For that, you get everything you want for your money - he is on top form, playing an absolute black sheep of a character who you still root for. But he's not just affable and sympathetic, he also effortlessly gives what could have been a very difficult role a kind of emotional weight and resonance that you feel long after watching it. The other actors are solid and convincing without ever trying to upstage him (few actors can do that anyway). I felt myself genuinely feeling for the characters (and their poor little puppy).Without Pacino this would be a decent 3 star sort of movie. But Pacino gives it aggro and intensity, the like of which you just don't see often enough in movies these days. He's one of those rarities, just shining his very unique light wherever he goes. And I really enjoy this sub-sub-genre sort of movie, a character movie inside a drugs movie inside a New-York-story kind of movie. Despite the fact that it deals with some pretty serious and heavy 'problems in society' I like watching it for the look and feel of the time. The clothes, styles, hairdo's and most of all gritty old New York during the 1970's, shown here for all it actually was rather than the sanitised and very often glamourous false image it is still often given. If you're looking for a disco-era weren't-the-seventies-funny movie look elsewhere!

As an intimate observer of the junkie scene (but not a participant) back in the late 60s and early 70s I rate this film as pretty authentic. The lack of glamour, the paranoia, the squalor and futility is all captured here. This was one of the early method acting productions and a fine example of cinema's attempt to relinquish the clichéd norms of the Hollywood era.

Purchased from UK as title was not available in the US at the time. This movie has always been a favorite of mine. The performances are excellent but what draws me to this movie in the New York scene. I grew up on the upper west side and seeing NY then compared to how the neighborhood has changed, especially what was "needle park" then makes this movie even more special for me.

Amerika what is Amerika. A world of the poor dispossessed who via the CIA and the FBI are ruled by a White Middle Class. Great film. Not for the White middle Class Bourgeois Nay-sayers.

Not a bad film, one more for the guys. My boyfriend wanted it as it's one of his favourites ... Too many needles for my liking

After watching this, I was left to wonder how more people don't know about this film. This was shot before Pacino's huge turn in The Godfather and includes great performances by the entire cast.

This was one of Pacino's first movies. He dominates the screen and the manic characters he has played in later movies was honed in Needle Park. There have been a lot of junkie movies since, but I don't recall any better or more realistic. If you haven't seen this film, it's one you must add to the list.

Al Pacino is outstanding portraying a down and out druggie in Manhattan. Very realistic and authentic. 1970s New York at its grittiest.

an excellent performance by a very young al pacino.....based on a book that was considered fiction but the author did his research so that much of what you see actually did happen in real life

My DVD player checked a "region code" and refused to play this disc, citing "licensing." Watch for non-US companies selling to American households.

Purchased this movie thinking it was the Region 1 version. Unfortunately, it is the Region 2 (European Version). This was not specified on buy page info. I did manage to get a "shareware" program online to watch on my PC. This movie is awesome and well worth the purchase, as long as you get the correct region version.

I am a huge fan of Pacino's work. Don't expect alot of muscle and action from this film. It's more of the directors view of drug addicts. Keep in mind, this film was before Al go into "The Godfather". Still worth to watch if you are a fan of Pacino.

DVD arrived in good condition. However, I tried playing it in two different DVD players the dvd did not play. DVD was damaged in the way that it didn’t play