Quiz-question: what's the most rancid and grittiest place on earth? I'd say it's Manhattan, New York, or at least as depicted in numerous horror movies and thrillers during the late 70s and early 80s. With its sleazy night life culture, sex clubs and strip bars, drug incidents, and organized crime networks, downtown NY always seemed to be a fertile breeding ground for perverts, lunatics, sadist rapists and serial killers. There exist many great cult films to prove this statement ("Taxi Driver", "Basket Case", "Maniac", "Cruising", "Night of the Juggler") but the absolute master-director in this domain was native New Yorker Abel Ferrara.
My expectations for "Fear City" in terms of utter NY-rancidness were quite high after Ferrara's first ventures "Driller Killer", and especially the magnificent "Ms. 45". Far too high, apparently, because "Fear City" is somewhat of a disappointment. The director can't be entirely blamed for this, though, since allegedly his producers and studio superiors severely altered the content and narrative structure in order to make the film more commercially attractive. I guess that happens when you start working with bigger companies and larger budgets.
At heart, it's still a genuine Ferrara. Female strip dancers are attacked and mutilated after their nightly shifts. These girls are provided by "legit" agencies, run by the mafia, and their representors refuse to collaborate with the police because they assume the competitors are behind the assaults. When the aggressions turn into vicious murders, and it becomes clear they are the work of a self-declared prophet with a degree in martial arts, former boxer turned go-go dancer agent Matt Rossi goes after him/her. "Fear City" isn't violent enough, introduces too many irrelevant characters and contains one too many pointless sub plots. Good aspects include the gloomy soundtrack, the performance (and sensual dance acts) of Melanie Griffith, and the supportive roles of Rae Dawn Chong and Maria Conchita Alonso.
My expectations for "Fear City" in terms of utter NY-rancidness were quite high after Ferrara's first ventures "Driller Killer", and especially the magnificent "Ms. 45". Far too high, apparently, because "Fear City" is somewhat of a disappointment. The director can't be entirely blamed for this, though, since allegedly his producers and studio superiors severely altered the content and narrative structure in order to make the film more commercially attractive. I guess that happens when you start working with bigger companies and larger budgets.
At heart, it's still a genuine Ferrara. Female strip dancers are attacked and mutilated after their nightly shifts. These girls are provided by "legit" agencies, run by the mafia, and their representors refuse to collaborate with the police because they assume the competitors are behind the assaults. When the aggressions turn into vicious murders, and it becomes clear they are the work of a self-declared prophet with a degree in martial arts, former boxer turned go-go dancer agent Matt Rossi goes after him/her. "Fear City" isn't violent enough, introduces too many irrelevant characters and contains one too many pointless sub plots. Good aspects include the gloomy soundtrack, the performance (and sensual dance acts) of Melanie Griffith, and the supportive roles of Rae Dawn Chong and Maria Conchita Alonso.