King of New York

A confused and confusing story of druglord politics in the Big Apple, King of New York offers yet another quirky performance from the always watchable Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, At Close Range) as Frank White who, as the movie opens, is just leaving the big house. Faster than you can say coup d'etat, Frank White and his Black gang wipe out the Columbian, Italian-American, and Asian-American drug rings, managing to tick off an Irish-American cop in the process. Incredible? You betcha. In the real world, Frankie would be meathook-bait, Mussolini-style, pronto. On celluloid, White holds on to become king--a king with a heart no less. Altruistic Frank doesn't give a ding dong that his business is basically getting kids hooked on smack and crack, he wants to donate his money towards opening a new wing in a local hospital. In the final reel, Frank and the police go bumper-to-bumper, in a wonderful 10-minute car chase along the streets of Manhattan. In typical fashion, the principals unload a barrage of small-arms fire at short range, and--professionals that they are--always miss. Walken is a joy to watch, but King of New York is quite simply a mess. Not recommended. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review--May 18, 2004--Artisan, 2 discs, 133 min., R, $19.98--Now in its second iteration on DVD, King of New York: Special Edition features newly remastered widescreen and full screen versions of Abel Ferrara's 1990 gangsta flick, along with a handful of extras. Best of the major extras is Ferrara's smart and funny audio commentary (the disc also includes a second commentary track with producer Mary Kane, editor Anthony Redman, composer Joe Delia, and associate producer Randy Sabusawa), followed by the 45-minute career retrospective documentary 'A Short Film About the Long Career of Abel Ferrara,' and--last and least--the 45-minute 'The Adventures of Schoolly D: Snowboarder,' a rough-looking, unfocused look at 'the father of gangsta rap' who served as the inspiration for the film. Rounding out the extras are a Schoolly D music video and TV spots. Bottom line: ahead of its time, King of New York's best feature is still Christopher Walken's performance; however, given Ferrara's semi-cult status and the low price for a double disc set, consider this an optional purchase.]