Rating: 
Summary: SUPA BAD-Intense, brooding and violent
Review: Abel Ferraras' "King of New York" is the story of recently parolled Frank White who decides to try to go straight. Kinda. The cast reads like a roll call of modern day screen bad asses: Christopher Walken, Dave Carruso, Larry Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, on and on. What I really liked about the film is the development of these characters. We've all seen Gangster movies so we can pretty much tell what's going to happen. But White's character seems determined to get a hospital built in his old neigborhood-no matter what the cost. He faces resistance from all sides: the Italian mob want's nothing to do with the drug dealing king, Asian gang leaders consider him too unstable to be a good business partner, there's rebellion in his own ranks and finally, the police aren't taking kindly to White's return to his old ways. You can feel the contempt and conflict coming off of the screen. Incredibly violent, profanity, with scenes of wanton sex and drug use. If things like Scarface offend you, you better stay away. I watch this movie at least once every six months.
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Best Gangster Films Of All Time
Review: Scarface is the greatest gangster movie ever made. This one is second. King of New York is one of the most underrated movies of all time. To begin with, if you really sit back and look at all of the actors in this movie, there is no way in this day and age you could assemble a greater cast. King of New York features Christopher Walken, Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, and Wesley Snipes before most of them were truly famous.
This is one of those movies that I found myself watching over and over again, in fact when I was a teenager I watched this film once a day. I now have to limit my viewing to once a year so I do not ruin it and it still remains fresh, although I'm not sure how fresh a movie can be when you have the full dialog memorized.
The story is about a New York drug lord named Frank White (yes, this is the same Frank White that the Notorious BIG and other rappers refer to in their rhymes.) played by Christopher Walken who is let out of prison after serving 5 years. Once out of prison White is determined to make up for lost time and to continue to build his cartel and ultimately use money to fund hospitals and make the city of New York better. He teams up with his former workers led by high strung and insane Jimmy Jump and unforgettable character played by Laurence Fishburne (Larry at the time) who wields to 9 mili's and a sinister laugh when the stuff hits the fan.
David Caruso, Wesley Snipes and highly underrated Victor Argo play cops who are outraged by Whites release from prison and are so determined to get him back in that they will do anything to make sure White and his crew are off the street one way or the other.
This is a highly dramatic, riveting, and action packed film that will blow even the most jaded movie watchers away. I cannot say enough about this film, it is a must own and an all time classic. In its truest form it is a B movie, however it ranks up there with Scarface, the God Father and Goodfellas. Imagine what could have happened if this movie had a true Holly Wood budget! It might just have been the greatest film ever made and it is my all time #1 favorite film. A true masterpiece.
"I'm not your problem, I'm just a business man."
Rating:
Summary: The most darkest charecter, Frank White
Review: This is one of Chris Walkens best movie, rated and nomminated for 4 oscars, King of New York is a classic gangstar movie based on 1930s crime caper lifestyle and the hunger of ruling the crime world, Frank who recently is released from the pen, he too has eyes set on dominating the crime world and goes into deep trouble and gang bangs to get to where he is, a grand kingpin.
This movie may be cliche but the storyline is like no other and the acting is what makes this movie great, sure it may be low budget but its a one of a kind and frankly, this is the movie the started all dark crime gangstar movies like Goodfellas and The Untouchables, it deserves props. 10/10.
Rating:
Summary: SUPA BAD-Intense, brooding and violent
Review: Abel Ferraras' "King of New York" is the story of recently parolled Frank White who decides to try to go straight. Kinda. The cast reads like a roll call of modern day screen bad asses: Christopher Walken, Dave Carruso, Larry Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi, Giancarlo Esposito, on and on. What I really liked about the film is the development of these characters. We've all seen Gangster movies so we can pretty much tell what's going to happen. But White's character seems determined to get a hospital built in his old neigborhood-no matter what the cost. He faces resistance from all sides: the Italian mob want's nothing to do with the drug dealing king, Asian gang leaders consider him too unstable to be a good business partner, there's rebellion in his own ranks and finally, the police aren't taking kindly to White's return to his old ways. You can feel the contempt and conflict coming off of the screen. Incredibly violent, profanity, with scenes of wanton sex and drug use. If things like Scarface offend you, you better stay away. I watch this movie at least once every six months.
Rating:
Summary: Nice new DVD package
Review: I own the new special edition 2-disc set that includes 2 versions of the film- standard frame and widescreen, and contains the director's audio commentary track voice-over the video portion the film.
The director is a very very sick dude, folks, who hates the police and makes films which accuse the police of being responsible for everything thats bad in this world- both Bad Lieutenant and this film contain the cop haters theme to the max. What makes this director a nihlistic sick mother is his attitude and language in his commentary (which quite frankly I enjoy!)- during the film his voice-over commentary reveals a sick mind- every woman who appears on the screen is singled out by the director and called a "piece of ..." while other such ditties do not pass unnoticed. This director has a serious mental abberation, a problem which he uses film to work out- hes basically working out his emotional problems by directing very sick films. While I enjoy his choice of language in the commentary and his absolute honesty, I cant help thinking what a sick mother this director is in real life.
Rating:
Summary: Great Film, Revealing DVD
Review: KING OF NEW YORK is, for my money, the most valuable (and the most underrated) film of the last 20 years. It is a homage to the classic American genre - the gangster fable - with the depth and subtext of a European art-movie. It's a precursor to urban crime thrillers like New Jack City and Menace II Society (Ferrara points out they first used a rap-score in 1982). An ode to drug-culture. A pitchblack satire of capitalism and its grotesque fallout. It's got a cast to die for, and a close-knit crew at the height of their powers.
It's shot across an array of locations including Sing-Sing, Donald Trump's Plaza Hotel, and various crack-lanes; it weaves seamlessly between an original score, and the music of Vivaldi and Schooly D; the film is meticulously colour-coded (as pointed out by Nick Johnstone in his book) to add up to a cold critique of the red WHITE and blue, the all-American war-on-drugs; the tempo is expertly-managed, the movie simmers for a while then explodes into heavy-metal carnage, and then it dies with a sad whimper. The film is spectacularly violent, but think about the handling of the violence. There's a big Peckinpah slo-mo shootout, then the audacious shootout in Chinatown. But in the 2nd half of the movie the deaths are direct, painful to watch, and pitiful in their execution. And then there's the cast: Walken was never better. He mesmirises you, brilliantly charismatic. And he looks so otherworldy, what with the hair and the deathly complexion, he's like the man who fell to Earth, the oddest looking 'hero' you've ever seen. Fishburne reinvented a character imagined for James Russo and the whole movie turns on that transition. Its simply impossible to imagine how it could have worked ½ as well with Russo, or any1 else for that matter. Caruso is a fire-engine red ball of rage. The scene when he rushes from his colleagues funeral is one of the most beautifully played-out expressions of vigilantism ever put on film. Argo as a weary, deflated, pill-poppin' 'old man' who has been there and knows the war is unwise and un-win-able.
As far as Im concerned, every sequence, every line of dialogue ("I'm not the problem, I'm just a businessman") is pure gold. Ferrara's is the cult-of-cults, his movies usually too far-out or nihilistic to get much of a following. But this one I bet Tarantino wishes he'd made. And the DVD package...The documentary is not comprehensive, but it re-enforces what sets Ferrara's films above those of most of his contemporaries, the sheer degree of collaboration involved. Abe's anarchist mentality has freed up guys like Joe Delia (music), Anthony Redman (editor), Charles Lagola (production design) and Ken Kelsch to make exactly the sort of films they want. Kelsch makes the most telling statement towards the end, which might explain why Ferrara hasn't made a film for about five years (after a Woody Allen-esque burst of creativity in the 90s). In fact, as basic as it is, the doco is startlingly honest and revealing about its subject. Ferrara previously contributed a delirious commentary to The Driller Killer, but this time round you kinda feel sad listening to his hazy lack of insight, having the suspicion that his personal curse has robbed him of both his allies and his inspiration at the moment when he's finally getting his dues. But the commentary track is actually a blast! Abel and his best-mate Frankie crack open a few brews, he makes some funny asides about Walken's hair and the reaction to the film on release. And if you get to the credits, you get to listen to Abel bang out Schooly's title-track on an acoustic guitar with a Dylan drawl. Check out the title card on the trailer. Under the title it reads (a Ferrara / St. John original), like the credits on the label of a 45" record. Like Mick and Keef, or Scorsese and Schrader, these guys made dynamite 2gether. KONY is their towering achievement, it's one of the great films ever made.
Rating:
Summary: I NEVER KILLED ANYBODY THAT DIDN'T DESERVE IT!
Review: seriously underrated,overlooked and unappriciated.this movie will stand the test of time and be looked at as one of the best gangster films ever made.when snipes and fishburne meet towards the end you FEEL it like you were there to witness what just took place,it's amazing.the special edition doesn't have much more to offer than the original but is well worth the 15 bucks.
Rating: 
Summary: Two stars for Walkens acting only.
Review: This movie was terrible. Walken was the only thing that helped me sit through it. Snipes did a terrible acting job and Fishborne did even a worse job. The plot was as deep as a cd case and on top of that, the cover says "where scarface left off" ok, scarface was amazing. this was aweful.
Rating:
Summary: There's some things I don't do..
Review: An absolute acting masterclass by Chris Walken at his peak. The two scenes where the cops kidnap and roughhouse Frank and the scene in the hospital where he tries to talk Larry into helping to keep the place open are probably the most incredible acting ever committed to celluloid. Sheer Walken magic.
Rating:
Summary: Great Ferrara film!
Review: In the Abel Ferrara tradition, this flick is a caricature of violence. It's nonstop, from the very beginning when Lawrence (then Larry) Fishburne blows away some Latino drug dealers, through the best chase scene in the history of films, even to the scene where Caruso blows away Fishburne, and beyond! Believe it or not, I'm far from an advocate of violence. I won't even watch a Stallone movie, or Schwarznegger, for example. At the same time, the criminal world isn't as clinically clean as most Hollywood films make it. Well, the plot's been outlined several times so I won't repeat it here. But I think one person overlooked--the one whose acting was perhaps even better than Christopher Walken's (and his was superior; he's like Dennis hopper without steroids) was Victor Argo, the cops' boss. I don't know why I haven't seen him since! This isn't for the kids to see. Nor for the wife or relative who's sensitive to tension and superviolence. It's especially not for the activists who so resent violence that they pretend it doesn't exist--They'll completely miss the point. But for quite a good story and the debut performances of many whose names at least one other reviewer went over, it's a gem. But, again, watch Victor Argo. I truly hope to see him in more mainstream films. His acting was superior.
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