'Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders' Documentary Review — Examining the Real-Life Murders Behind Friedkin's Controversial Film
By
Ryan Lattanzio
Summary
A review of Jeffrey Schwarz's documentary 'Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders,' which examines the real-life murders that inspired William Friedkin's controversial 1980 film 'Cruising.' The documentary explores the social turmoil surrounding the film's production, the backlash from the LGBT community, and the true crime story behind the fictionalized narrative. The review highlights how the documentary provides historical context about the post-Stonewall West Village leather bar scene and the murder case that Friedkin's film was loosely based on.
Source
IndieWire'Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders' Documentary Review — Examining the Real-Life Murders Behind Friedkin's Controversial Filmindiewire.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledLess than a decade after the masses-appalling 'The Exorcist,' William Friedkin one-upped the shock factor for a more niche audience with his 1980 gay leather-bar thriller 'Cruising.'
The film was decried by the LGBT community even in pre-production, as a mole on set allegedly leaked a copy of the screenplay to passionate advocates.
Even more tumultuous were the summer 1979 shooting days on location in Manhattan.
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