Another Viewpoint
Yes Pinnbarr - I do not agree yet respect your comments in part. Panic in Needle Park was released in the early 70"s, not the late late 70's like you mentioned.I first heard about this movie in 1971 from my family because my uncle and Al were in the movie. I was 12 years old at that time, always following my uncle's career. I was apprehensive even a bit scared to view it because of the content described to me by my parents. With that in mind, I so there went on a personal quest or rebel to see this controversial movie. There were no like blockbusters video stores in 1971 that I knew about. Therefore, I spent countless hours over the next years from age 12 searching for the movie in the TV Guide, and once in a while it was noted in the last pages of movies in that magazine.. This flick, which aired once in a great while, could be seen as a late late movie eg. 3 or 4am. I hunted the movie from the tv guide and saw it 3 times during my teenage years.
I had always thought or was told, this was Al Pacino's 1st film, and the actors in this film, worked well with big Al, a variety of method acting unbeknownst because of his formal Shakesperian training on the stage.
As a kid when i viewed this film, my eyes never left the TV. The drug addicts, coffee shop spots and spats along with heavy chain smoking and tough talk intrigued me but scared the living hell out of me all at the same. Does this style of life really exist, questioning myself? Horrifying yet true tell. Their ntensifed eyes by each character connected to the viewing audience, at least for me. Along with their drifting viewpoints, in and out of reality, when high or undecided. There seemed to be talk about criminal action, getting over on someone, coping the next fix even including freedom or an exit plan. Was NYC the drug infested bad ass section about fiends and dope heads blew my mind away at age 12.
When i viewed the film I truly believed this location was really existing and the characters were true to the end. Today I am 48 years old, and have not seen the movie again. It's been over 20+ years. At this time of my life, I want to recall the movie as I first viewed it at age 12 and a few other times viewing the flick thereafter. The movie was what it was. I am not ready to see the movie again at this time; It's a personal choice because this movie did have an impact on my life..i watched it as a simple viewer not a critic.
I am aware that many readers on this program are true critics or wanna bees//
BUT Please respect my viewpoint --this is much of what I remember as I watched in during my early teen years because my uncle, may he rest in peace, played a key role in this flick...yes I was young at the time, but I followed his career path always always and a day. To this day I have not seen the movie again.