| Duration | 1h 43m |
| Ratings | UK: 18, USA: R, Denmark: 15 |
| Source of story | An original screenplay |
| Director | Abel Ferrara |
| Writers/Script | Nicholas St. John |
| Starring | Christopher Walken, David Caruso, Laurence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Janet Julian, Giancarlo Esposito, Steve Buscemi, Theresa Randle, |
| Ratings | IMDb: 6.9/10 by 49k people. Rotten Tomatoes: 6.4/10 by 31 Reviewers. Review2view: 5/10. |
Plot of King of New York: Frank White, a leading figure in the New York drug supply world is released from jail, and rejoins his squad of killers as they take steps to re-establish control of the drug business in the city. White himself kills one mafia leader as he is playing cards. The gang also have to take on the Chinese and the Columbians. But as well as the competition in the drug business White and his guys also have to take on a drug squad of the NYPD. The policemen have become disillusioned with the legal process, which allows gang members to be freed within hours of being arrested, so they decide that the only answer is to murder them in the dark.
Content: There is a lot of female nudity in all sorts of situations, much smoking and endless drug taking mainly of coke as well as drinking of all sorts of alcohol. In one scene a young woman licks coke off the stomach of a man. Then once the scene of Frank being released from prison has been presented his gang are occupied almost constantly in firefights with other underworld gangs. There are scenes of the police socialising including the wedding of one young policeman who will later be killed in a fight with Frank’s gang. The battle between the police and Frank’s gang includes a car chase through the streets of the city. Most of the gang is killed leading Frank to take even more extreme measures.
A View: There is a scene in which Frank sort of justifies his violence, suggesting that the other gangs go in for prostituting teenage girls and more, while he only deals in drugs, and he used his ill gotten gains to finance the reconstruction of a hospital. We are not really convinced. The film did not make any money but was important as being the starting point in the careers of a number of stars. It is now one of many films about the big city underworld in America. Probably a watch for those interested in cinema history.
Fun Fact: David Caruso, then an up and coming star, convinced the director to hire Wesley Snipes who at the time was living in his car.
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