One of the original drug addiction movies, The Panic in Needle Park is very comparable to Candy with Heath Ledger if you've ever seen that. It's the story of two hopeless people who find each other, fall in love, then become addicted to heroin as muc... (read more) One of the original drug addiction movies, The Panic in Needle Park is very comparable to Candy with Heath Ledger if you've ever seen that. It's the story of two hopeless people who find each other, fall in love, then become addicted to heroin as much as they're addicted to each other. The story is quite touching at times, but nothing THAT special or memorable. Al Pacino and Kitty Winn are both pretty good. It's shot well in NYC. It's worth a watch.
I guess what I liked most about this film is the fact that no matter how bad the two main characters' addictions get, the fact is that they're better off with each other as addicts, rather than without each other and not addicts.

I really liked this. I mean, it's a cool 70's film in 70's NYC and it wasn't that bad. I wanted to smack Kitty Winn a bit but Al Pacino is amazing and totally carries the whole thing. So it's worth it to see it just for that. Plus this is PRE Godfath... (read more) I really liked this. I mean, it's a cool 70's film in 70's NYC and it wasn't that bad. I wanted to smack Kitty Winn a bit but Al Pacino is amazing and totally carries the whole thing. So it's worth it to see it just for that. Plus this is PRE Godfather, so that makes it interesting. I have issues with the love story as the female part is simpering and annoying. Helen is supposed to be this good girl from Indiana, but we never really find out why she's having abortions and taking pills/smack and I kind of had to wonder about her dark side more. But because of the time it was made, a lot of the emphasis is on the male characters and she just kinds of fades even tho she's a main part of the story. Oh well. Get it if you want to see great acting by Pacino, cuz you won't see it nowadays.

a pretty gritty movie about drug addicts in nyc in the early 70's. it reminded me of "requiem for a dream" - of course this movie was made 30 years early. pacino does a great job. not a movie to watch if you wanna feel good or are looking for somethi... (read more) a pretty gritty movie about drug addicts in nyc in the early 70's. it reminded me of "requiem for a dream" - of course this movie was made 30 years early. pacino does a great job. not a movie to watch if you wanna feel good or are looking for something light.

unflinching. you're drawn in fascination, watching uncomfortably, rooting for antiheroes who cannot, will not help themselves. cathartic. we all know pacino's amazing, but kitty winn is the heart of this film & her performance outshines his at time... (read more) unflinching. you're drawn in fascination, watching uncomfortably, rooting for antiheroes who cannot, will not help themselves. cathartic. we all know pacino's amazing, but kitty winn is the heart of this film & her performance outshines his at times.

Al Pacino is totally charismatic as Bobby the dealer - it's easy to see how Helen falls for him (and ends up an addict like him). I am not a massive Pacino fan - I find him a little too...err..flamboyant - but I just love his naturalist performance ... (read more) Al Pacino is totally charismatic as Bobby the dealer - it's easy to see how Helen falls for him (and ends up an addict like him). I am not a massive Pacino fan - I find him a little too...err..flamboyant - but I just love his naturalist performance in this. Kitty Winn completely deserved her award for her performance (also an incredibly naturalistic one). I found the lingering shots on the needles a bit tough to watch. No music, just traffic noise and the actors add to the atmospherics - yes I just loved this film. In my opinion - it's better than any other film I have seen in this genre so far.

The cold, unremitting film is a bleak depiction of life among a group of heroin addicts who hang out in Sherman Square in New York City, Sherman Square being the park in the title. Jerry Schatzberg, the film’s director, frames the model sober, matt... (read more) The cold, unremitting film is a bleak depiction of life among a group of heroin addicts who hang out in Sherman Square in New York City, Sherman Square being the park in the title. Jerry Schatzberg, the film’s director, frames the model sober, matter-of-fact ambiance of 1970s American cinema. The film is subdued, just like it’s drug-injected characters, with no music at all throughout, his camera never intrudes, and his story glamorizes nothing and betrays nothing.

Against this sumptuously grainy backdrop of urban decay is an unfussy love story between a young junkie hustler played by Al Pacino in his first film role, and a restless woman played by Kitty Winn who finds herself attracted to him. She becomes an addict, and life goes downhill for them both as their addictions intensify. This makes me chuckle, but it’s one of the most interesting romances I’ve ever seen in a movie. There’s nothing about it that is assumed or forced, and in fact it turns out to be an inseparable relationship between the two junkies, for if they were not junkies, they would be bound to the same oppression and loss of oneself to which the remaining mass of young lovers are subject due to their conventional steps and impersonal chance decisions without strength and without fruit. Pacino and Winn depend on each other through thick and thin, before and after betrayals, contingent upon each other for each fix.

Young Pacino had the waiting, weighing, obscure guilelessness that perfectly applies to his role, an idle social dreg whose magnetic, seemingly ingenuous come-hitherness draws others into his degenerate world. His counterpoint is Kitty Winn’s grabbing portrayal of pathetic desperation out of reach of any self-respect.

Still amazingly a little-known picture. Despite it's age, it's still scores as being fresh and intelligent, although it's somber, down-beat tone, and understated performances aren't for everyone. I loved it though.

I found myself very glad when it was over. Kept the subtitles on, and still wasn't quite sure what was going on. Despite relatively okay performances, there was no story here to draw anyone in.

You cant expect anything but the best from Al Pacino.... Typical style with added brilliance of method acting, a complete package of a great actor and someone i respect... i believe that the indian film makers can do this in their own way, but the ac... (read more) You cant expect anything but the best from Al Pacino.... Typical style with added brilliance of method acting, a complete package of a great actor and someone i respect... i believe that the indian film makers can do this in their own way, but the actors to be considered are few.... this movie was a perfect package in every sense of the word and i wold recommend to anyone who really likes and appreciates the art of good film making.....

Powerful, low key1971 drama about heroin addiction sees an astonishing performance from Al Pacino in one of his first roles. This is a stark and tragic film (the starkness enhanced by lack of a soundtrack) which is clearly knowledgeable about its su... (read more) Powerful, low key1971 drama about heroin addiction sees an astonishing performance from Al Pacino in one of his first roles. This is a stark and tragic film (the starkness enhanced by lack of a soundtrack) which is clearly knowledgeable about its subject matter. Should be far more famous.