CRUISING
It’s 1980, there’s a serial killer loose in the the gay S&M scene in the West Village and body parts are being found floating in the Hudson river. A young, and hung, Al Pacino goes undercover as a sexy cop in a leather cap, jacket and tight jeans to catch the murderer. The movie’s called Cruising and it’s a bit heavy, but a gay classic none-the-less, plus Pacino is totally convincing as a leather top! During filming, the movie was protested by gay activists who thought it had a homophobic political message. There were marches—some gays even resorted to “pointing mirrors from rooftops to ruin lighting for scenes, blasting whistles and air horns near locations, and playing loud music.” Over time criticism of the film has softened. I look at it as a great opportunity to see the early 80’s gay scene—at the height of it’s madness—before the onset of AIDS.
Down a couple beers, grab your poppers and head out to BAM for what will be a truly memorable movie experience. Click here for tickets. —MOSSY
