William Friedkin’s 10 Most Jaw-Dropping Movie Moments

By Keith Tomlinson /

6. Cruising (1980)

Friedkin€™s controversial thriller, Cruising, depicted in graphic detail the subculture of gay S&M leather bars in pre-AIDS New York, into which Al Pacino€™s straight cop is sent undercover, to search for a serial killer targeting men bearing an uncanny resemblance to the star himself. At the time, the New York gay scene lobbied extensively against the production, fearing a homophobic bias, but in hindsight, the tone - while uncompromising - is entirely non-judgmental. Arguably the most jaw-dropping scene however, comes halfway through the movie when a still undercover Pacino €“ along with his prime suspect €“ is being interrogated by a group of city policemen. Without any warning, this happens:And it is never explained.