New York in the late 1970s and early ’80s was not the best place to be. It was full of drugs, prostitution, murder, garbage, and etc. But there were some great films that came out of the nightmare, such as Death Wish, Dog Day Afternoon, The Warriors, Cruising, Maniac, and especially Taxi Driver, among others. However, this review will talk about a hidden sleeper, 1980’s Night of the Juggler (originally directed by Sidney J. Furie but later by Robert Butler), which is a rather safe but decent time capsule of ancient New York grime.
Buy Night of the Juggler Blu-rayThe great James Brolin (in a rugged performance) stars as Sean Boyd, an ex-cop turned truck driver who returns to the city where, after his divorce, he lives his teenaged daughter Kathy (Abby Bluestone). After she is mistaken for a wealthy businessman’s daughter and kidnapped by a deranged lunatic (Cliff Gorman), Boyd treks across New York’s gritty, crime-filled streets to find the kidnapper and save Kathy before it’s too late.
The title of the film is misleading because of the majority of the film takes place in the daytime, and the fact that none of the characters are really that evil, despite Gorman’s lunatic (who is deep down a sad loner beat up by life and his surroundings) and Dan Hedaya’s unhinged cop (who is after Boyd throughout the film as revenge for ratting him out) makes Night of the Juggler one of the least effective at being a dark and sleazy ride into New York’s bottom. Despite this and besides Brolin and Bluestone’s characters, there are others who are unscathed by stereotypes to make you care about them, such as Maria (Julie Carmen), a dog pound assistant who helps Boyd; and Richard S. Castellano as Lieutenant Tonelli, who also tracks down Gorman’s kidnapper; as well as an early role for Mandy Patinkin as a cab driver who helps Brolin. This makes the film a worthy watch as at least a nostalgic cult classic.
The Blu-ray release looks and sounds great. The darker footage is cleaner and clearer despite the film’s shooting locations, and the sound is crisp, which helps the noise of late ’70s and early 80s’ New York feel more real. There are also some pretty good special features, including audio commentary by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; new interviews with Brolin and Carmen; a featurette with critic and author Daniel Kramer as he discusses Furie’s involvement and legacy with the film; and trailers (one for the film and others including Hardcore, Vice Squad, and Death Wish 3).
