Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 22 hours ago
[SPOILERS: Cruising (1980)]
I first became aware of Cruising years ago when I was on a vintage Al Pacino binge, catching up on the films of his I slept on (Panic At Needle Park, And Justice For All), but Cruising was the film that stuck with me most… though not necessarily for the best of reasons.
I’ve wanted to make a video on it for a while, but couldn’t narrow down the angle: should I chronicle the insane chain of events that led to acclaimed director William Friedkin agreeing to make the film, explain the protests by the LGBT community that sought to prevent it’s release, maybe discuss the fact the film’s plot is basically incomprehensible, or how, upon the film’s release, its thematic contentions intersected with the current attitudes towards homosexuality and what the consequences were.
And then I was like screw it, I’ll just do it all in one video…
Main Channel: youtube.com/c/MacabreStorytelling/featured
Live Stream/Gaming Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC-2V-NccTF3n9k-MFmQXm1A/featured
Podcast Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC1B0AxSHHg0zdroB3O_EVPg
Patreon: patreon.com/macabrestorytelling
Twitter: twitter.com/macabstory
Twitch: twitch.tv/elpapamac
Reddit: reddit.com/user/El_Macab
[00:00] - Intro/Shout-outs
[02:32] - Chapter I: A Homicidal Coincidence
[07:09] - Chapter II: "...a picture we sincerely wish we did not have to show."
[13:18] - Chapter III: In Which James Franco...
[30:17] - Chapter IV: The Danger Of Indifference
[45:32] - Outro/Patrons
MUSIC:
"Scheming Weasel" by Kevin Macleod
[SPOILERS: Cruising (1980)]
I first became aware of Cruising years ago when I was on a vintage Al Pacino binge, catching up on the films of his I slept on (Panic At Needle Park, And Justice For All), but Cruising was the film that stuck with me most… though not necessarily for the best of reasons.
I’ve wanted to make a video on it for a while, but couldn’t narrow down the angle: should I chronicle the insane chain of events that led to acclaimed director William Friedkin agreeing to make the film, explain the protests by the LGBT community that sought to prevent it’s release, maybe discuss the fact the film’s plot is basically incomprehensible, or how, upon the film’s release, its thematic contentions intersected with the current attitudes towards homosexuality and what the consequences were.
And then I was like screw it, I’ll just do it all in one video…
Main Channel: youtube.com/c/MacabreStorytelling/featured
Live Stream/Gaming Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC-2V-NccTF3n9k-MFmQXm1A/featured
Podcast Channel: youtube.com/channel/UC1B0AxSHHg0zdroB3O_EVPg
Patreon: patreon.com/macabrestorytelling
Twitter: twitter.com/macabstory
Twitch: twitch.tv/elpapamac
Reddit: reddit.com/user/El_Macab
[00:00] - Intro/Shout-outs
[02:32] - Chapter I: A Homicidal Coincidence
[07:09] - Chapter II: "...a picture we sincerely wish we did not have to show."
[13:18] - Chapter III: In Which James Franco...
[30:17] - Chapter IV: The Danger Of Indifference
[45:32] - Outro/Patrons
MUSIC:
"Scheming Weasel" by Kevin Macleod
