

When New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who preys on patrons of the city's underground bars, rookie cop Steve Burns infiltrates the S&M subculture to try and lure him out of the shadows.
Direction
Friedkin's sweaty, suffocating NYC atmosphere.
Editing
That infamous leather bar montage cuts deep.
Sound
The Germs' raw punk soundtrack slaps.

Director
William Friedkin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Protesters disrupted filming convinced it would demonize gay men; Friedkin later admitted he understood their anger.
The 40-minutes-cut 'lost footage' supposedly contained even more explicit material that Friedkin destroyed—some believe it held the 'real' ending.