Rating of
2.5/4
The Panic in Needle Park review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 05/28/13
It was believed that this was the first mainstream film to feature actual drug injection and the role of Bobby could have been portrayed by Jim Morrison of The Doors. Bobby (Pacino), a young addict who accompanies an artist named Helen (Kitty Winn). Helen experiments and then Bobby shows her how its done. He introduces her to his brother Hank, a burglar. It's ironic that Kitty Winn won an award for this movie but had no movie career (since she opted her first love, theater) and Al Pacino became a screen legend. From the get-go one can see the potential in the then unknown young Pacino, in here we see glimpses of his gangster mannerisms from Donnie Brasco and shades of Tony Montana from Scarface. If only the direction were better such as adding dates/timelines to make more realistic. Pace was somewhat slow for the story to unfold. The final conclusion felt rushed and the lack of a soundtrack/score doesn't help. Still, The Panic in Needle Park is a must-watch for Pacino admirers and those who are open to seeing a drug film in the 70's era.
