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Dudes on Movies

Cruising : Re-Dude #2

·1 hr 58 min·5 clips
A man is hog-tied and stabbed multiple times in a hotel room, with single frames of hardcore sex subliminally edited into the murder.
In this 'Re-Dude' episode, hosts Scott and Dave re-analyze the 1980 film 'Cruising', directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino. They explain this is a redo of their 10th episode from November 2015, aiming to give the film more focused attention. The episode begins with a synopsis: the film follows an undercover police officer, Steve Burns, investigating a serial killer targeting New York's leather bar scene in the late 1970s. The hosts note the film's dual reputation as both celebrated and maligned. They discuss choosing this redo during Pride Month due to the film's impact on the LGBTQ+ community. The hosts walk through key scenes, starting with the opening murder involving a floating arm and a coroner's analysis. They describe the film's gritty depiction of New York City and introduce characters like Detective Lefranski, played by real NYPD detective Randy Jurgensen. The hosts detail the first on-screen murder in a hotel room, highlighting its graphic violence and the controversial subliminal insertion of hardcore sex frames. They analyze the film's historical context, including gay rights protests on set and a disclaimer about not indicting the entire homosexual world. The episode covers Al Pacino's character being recruited by Captain Edelson, played by Paul Sorvino, who asks him explicit questions about sexual experience. The hosts discuss Pacino's relationship with Karen Allen's character and his move into an apartment with a massive porn collection. They explore Pacino's undercover bar-hopping, including a scene about hanky codes and a failed encounter with a 'water sports' enthusiast. The hosts reveal the film's unique casting technique, where actors like Larry Atlas, Richard Cox, and Arnaldo Santana swap roles as killer and victim across murder scenes to confuse identity. They describe a murder in Central Park and the 'precinct night' at a club where Pacino is kicked out. The hosts analyze a drug-fueled dance sequence showing Pacino's character losing himself in the scene. They detail the police investigation targeting a suspect named Skip, leading to a brutal interrogation where Pacino is hog-tied and a silent enforcer in a jockstrap slaps him. The hosts critique the police's false tactics and pressure to solve the case before the Democratic Convention. The episode concludes with Pacino identifying a suspect, Stewart Richards, through a Columbia yearbook and breaking into his apartment to find unsent letters hinting at psychosis. Throughout, the hosts mix scene descriptions with personal insights, historical facts, and critiques of the film's themes and production.

As heard by us

A focused second look at Cruising follows its undercover case into the places where work and desire blur.

Scott and Dave return to William Friedkin's Cruising with a clear purpose: they like the film, think their earlier conversation undersold it, and tie the Pride Month timing to the community on screen.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a second look at Cruising, with Pacino's undercover assignment bleeding into his private life and psychological torment.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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