Search - King of New York [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Profanity, Substance Abuse, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1990 DVD Release: 08/15/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 46 mins Studio: Live/Artisan Total Copies: 2 Genres: Crime, Crime Thriller, Gangster Film See Also: King of New York [Widescreen], King of New York [Special Edition], King of New York [UMD for PSP], King of New York [Special Edition] [THX Edition], King of New York [Blu-ray]

The gritty underbelly of New York's complex, ethnically divided criminal world is exposed in this dark drama from director Abel Ferrara. Christopher Walken stars as Frank White, a drug lord who's just been released from a long stint in prison. Aware that feeding off of society's depravity has made him a wealthy man, Frank has become determined to give something back to the city, and he hatches a scheme to build a multimillion-dollar public hospital in one of Brooklyn's worst ghetto neighborhoods. Needing the assistance of his fellow criminals to pull it off, Frank and his adjutant Jimmy Jump (Laurence Fishburne) encounter a wall of resistance from every faction, including drug-trade partner Lance Wong (Joey Chin) and temperamental cop Dennis Gilley (David Caruso). Frank's do-gooder efforts ultimately result in a Mob war and in a bloody showdown between the city's various ethnic criminal actions. Ferrara followed King of New York with a similarly themed film that many critics considered his masterpiece, Bad Lieutenant (1992). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Christopher Walken - Frank White
David Caruso - Dennis Gilley
Laurence Fishburne - Jimmy Jump
Victor Argo - Roy Bishop
Wesley Snipes - Thomas Flannigan

Abel Ferrara's King of New York is a stylish, gritty tale of crime featuring bravura performances from some of the most interesting actors of the era. The 1.85:1 widescreen DVD presentation displays the lush colors and startling lighting of cinematographer Bojan Bazelli with ease. The opening title sequence, which sees Christopher Walken staring wickedly out of a limousine, looks appropriately frightening. It's probably not the sharpest transfer, and there might be a hint of grain to the picture, but the director's powerful imagery is mostly intact. The DVD's 2.0 Dolby Surround Sound won't win any awards, but it serves the movie well enough. Not much is offered in the way of supplements. A full-frame theatrical trailer and two TV spots are somewhat redundant, but the Schooly D music video is stylish and worth a look. A scene index allows instant access to the DVD's 27 chapters via captions and still frames, and interactive menus provide great eye candy. This DVD edition of King of New York might be bare bones, but it's a respectable presentation of the modern classic. ~ Tim DiGravina, All Movie Guide