Review of The Panic in Needle Park (1971) by Nik B — 20 Mar 2011
Needle Park is the place where heroin users score. The "Panic" is a drying up of the heroin supply. Bobby and Helen start off fairly romantically. She's an artist and he's a two-bit hustler/dealer. When they both get to using reguilarly, things get ugly. He robs, she hooks. Everyone's disappointed and sweaty. The depictions of thedrug preparation and drug using are really graphic. It's actually little more than a how-to guide. The ups and downs of their relationship as they either have plenty or fiend for it.
An early Pacino performance and he was good. Kitty Winn won awards, but I found her to be simple and vapid. She mousy quiet or dope sick sleepy.
A lot of morbidity, and an ending which simply and awesomly portrays the ongoing cycle of addiction. Not a perfect movie, nor completely "entertaining", but it was a lesson in what not to do.
This review of The Panic in Needle Park (1971) was written by Nik B on 20 Mar 2011.
The Panic in Needle Park has generally received positive reviews.
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