Al Pacino Movie:

		List Price: $14.98		Label: 20th Century Fox Salesrank: 25709 Released: June 19, 2007
		Our Price: $7.52
		Used Price: $6.15
		MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
Studio: Tcfhe Release Date: 06/19/2007

The Panic in Needle Park Reviews:
RAW, HUNGRY, LEAN, UNPOLISHED PACINO!!--PRE-GODFATHER!!
2009-11-11 - This movie was originally released in 1971, a year before Al Pacino would soar
to superstardom in the now iconic GODFATHER and it's sequels.
This movie, "Panic In Needle Park" was actually based on an off-broadway play
in which Pacino played this character along with his then girlfriend, Kitty Winn,
who also plays in this movie as his love interest as well.
By the time Pacino did this, his first film, he had already did plenty of plays and
recieved a few prestigious theatre accolades, so he was already known as a very special
up & coming talent in New York City film circles.
What you get here is a raw, hungry, lean and unpolished Pacino playing
a small time theif/hustler and heroin junkie who eeks his way out in the
rough & tumble streets of dirty early 70's NYC by any means he can!
He meets and befreind's a woman, played by his then girlfriend, Kitty Winn,
who is kind of green to the ways of the streets, but she is soon seduced by heroin
and Pacino's character's gritty charm, and soon both of them spiral into an abyss
of addiction, street life, sex, some violence, and Pacino's character is so low
that he even pimps out his girlfriend a few times to get money for drugs!
After a bad incident involving a cute puppy, the Staten Island Ferry, and the Hudson River,
she finally wakes up and sees that her boyfreind isn't her knight in shining armour,
but an opportunistic, drug-crazed, desperate sleaze-ball who would sell his grandmother
for a hit of heroin! She agrees with undercover cops who have her on prostitution charges
to have him set up and arrested in exchange for her freedom.
It works, and he is apprehended and serves time.
But in true co-dependent fashion, she still loves him, and shows up on the day
he's released from prison to cling to his side again! (Silly Broad!)
Like I said, this is a cool film to see Al Pacino's evolution as one of the greatest
actors of the last 50 yrs. He gives it to you cold & raw in this with no apologies!

Honesty rarely hurts this much...
2008-09-19 - There are few films that are truly able to capture what it feels like to be addicted. Probably the film that comes the closest and is the most compelling (albeit most disturbing) is `Requiem for a Dream'; at least in my humble opinion. The little known gem that is `The Panic in Needle Park' comes very close though, for like `Requiem for a Dream', `The Panic in Needle Park' strips everything bare and delivers a very harsh reality to the viewer, exploring the depths that some will stoop to just to find their next fix.

`The Panic in Needle Park' tells the story of Bobby, a young heroine addict who falls in love with Helen, a sweet and innocent young girl who is taken up by Booby's apparent bad boy persona. He is new and interesting and unlike anyone she's ever really known before. Sure, she's been around drugs but she's never really been exposed at such an alarming rate until she met Bobby. Soon she becomes are addicted as he is, getting in and out of trouble with the cops as she peddles for Bobby, buys for Bobby and scores with Bobby. Bobby's brother Hank isn't much help, for while he isn't as addicted as Bobby, his criminal activities leave him just as bad an influence. As the film spirals towards its conclusion the lives of these two lovers become more and more disjointed and frantic and the panic sets in and the addiction takes over.

The film is grim (no where near as grim as `Requiem for a Dream' so don't worry too much) and it's gritty delivery makes each and every scene seem as if it is really taking place (the lack of any musical soundtrack helps add a layer of reality to the film). The performances really elevate the film as well, drawing the audience into the mental states of these star-crossed and ill-fated individuals. Kitty Winn is marvelous as Helen, a truly devastating depiction of lost dreams and manipulated trust. As she deteriorates due to Bobby's influence we watch her addictions take over her thinking and propel her in directions she never thought imaginable. When she talks to Bobby at the prison, her face contorting to that of pain and misery you can see every fiber in her slowly fraying at the edges. Al Pacino is also flawless as Bobby. This is the performance that got him the coveted role in `The Godfather' saga; Coppola falling in love with Pacino's acting ability here. He seeps effortlessly into the mind of an addict, conveying the hunger so readily and convincingly. He is outstandingly sympathetic at one extreme and then harrowingly vile on the other. He balances this very well in order to gain out acceptance and loyalty, much like Bobby gained that of Helen.

In the end I must say that I am in awe of this film. Like I mentioned, there are few films that can capture the heart of addiction with such fiery honesty, even though many films today try. `The Panic in Needle Park' has such a rare truthfulness in its story and it rings forth with such power that one cannot help but become absorbed in its tale. It is a hard film to watch because its misery is so real, but it is an important film to see for it sheds some light on the disease that takes so many victims today.

Is Al Pacino ever anything but inspiring?
2008-04-07 - A truly well acted movie and a very accurate portrait of life as a heroin addict.

Still one of the Best
2007-11-08 - I hadn't seen this flick since it's original release. I've been waiting a looonnng time for it to come out on DVD. In my opinion it is STILL the most realistic, gritty, depressing, and believeable portrayal of the lifestyle of heroin junkies ever put on film. I worked in law enforcement and had an up-front and personal view of the kinds of people this movie was about. The only truer depiction would have to be an on the scene filmed documentary. They rarely make movies as good as this one these days.

Heroin
2007-09-27 - I had never seen this movie till today. Boy what a gem! This movie is definitely a downer on a very serious subject but you really get into the people and the romance between Pacino and Kitty Witt. It starts out with him charming this very young and naive girl. Pacino is a fast talking, fast walking petty theif who lives from fix to fix trying to scavenge enough money to shoot up. It starts out with her being very naive but falling for him and accepting his 'habit'. "I'm just chipping," he tells her meaning that he isn't a full blown addict but just experimenting. But then she falls into his lifestyle. At first it is admirable because she is experiencing all the sights and sounds of New York and Pacino seems to know everybody. But then she descends into the abyss with Pacino.

Great movie.