Bad Lieutenant [Special Edition]

Director: Abel Ferrara Abel Ferrara

Overview

If police lieutenant Harvey Keitel's life could get any more sordid, he could probably sell tickets. The least of his vices is gambling, which has gotten him in Dutch with the mob. He abuses his body with drugs and his soul with hookers, and now he's turned to exploiting teenage girls for sex. Keitel is forced to reassess his life while investigating the rape of a nun. Director Abel Ferrara co-wrote the screenplay with Zoe Lund, who as Zoe Tamerlis starred in Ferrara's cult classic Ms. 45. A soundtrack tune by rapper Schoolly D, which was included in the initial release of Bad Lieutenant, featured a sample from Led Zeppelin which was used without permission; the song has since been excised from the soundtrack.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/28/2009
UPC:	0012236103943
Original Release:	1992
Rating:	NC-17
Source:	LIONS GATE
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:36:00
Sales rank:	31,289

Special Features

Audio Commentary with Director Abel Ferrara and Director of Photography Ken Kelsch; New Retrospective Documentary Featuring Exclusive Interviews with the Cast and Crew ; ; cc

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Harvey Keitel	The Lieutenant,Lieutenant's Daughter
Frankie Thorn	The Nun
Zoe Lund	Zoe
Anthony Ruggiero	Lite
Victor Argo	Beat Cop
Paul Calderon	Cop One
Leonard Thomas	Cop Two,Actor
Robin Burrows	Ariane
Victoria Bastel	Bowtay
Paul Hipp	Jesus
Brian McElroy	Lieutenant's Son Number 1
Frankie Acciario	Lieutenant's Son Number 2
Peggy Gormley	Lieutenant's Wife
John Steven Jones	Kid Number 2
Vincent Laresca	J.C.
G. Elvis Phillips	Young Cop
Shawn McLean	Kid Number 1
Stephen Chen	Korean Store Owner
Fernando Velez	Julio
Joseph Michael Cruz	Paulo
Frank Adonis	Large
Lambert Moss	Veronica
Larry Mullane	Detective Larry
Bo Dietl	Detective Bo
Gene Canfield	Irish Cop
Heather Bracken	Nurse
Penny Allen	Doctor,Doctor
Eddie Daniels	Jersey Girl Driver
Bianca Bakiia	Jersey Girl Passenger
Ed Kovens	Monsignor
Jamie Sanchez	Priest
Minnie Gentry	Elderly Woman
Mike Fella	Detective Mike
Mike Ciravolo	Detective Michael
Iraida Polanco	Momacita
John Cloghessy	Radio Announcer Number 2
Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo	Radio Announcer Number 1
Warner Fusselle	Play-by-Play Announcer
Zoe Tamerlis	Zoe
Frank Acciarto	Lt.'s Son Number 2
Nicholas De Cegli	Limelight Guide
Jaime Sánchez	Priest
John Clohessy	Radio Announcer
Bob Murphy	Play by Play Announcer
Joe Delia	Composer

Technical Credits

Abel Ferrara

Zoe Lund

Abel Ferrara	Director,Screenwriter
Zoe Lund	Screenwriter
Mary Kane	Producer
Edward R. Pressman	Producer
Patrick Wachsberger	Executive Producer
Ronna B. Wallace	Executive Producer,Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

Bad Lieutenant is like a diseased '90s version of Mean Streets: same lead (Harvey Keitel), same city in turmoil (New York), same striking visual energy, same Catholic guilt. Of course, Abel Ferrara's movies have never had the same sense of humanity as Martin Scorsese's, and Bad Lieutenant is the ultimate extension of that comparison. The "bad" lieutenant is so lost in excess of every kind that he has become basically an anti-human. Ferrara has made a strange career of examining such bottom-feeders; his filmography includes such classic exploitation titles as Driller Killer, Ms. 45, and King of New York. What elevates Bad Lieutenant above the others is Keitel and his shockingly open, courageous -- some would say foolhardy -- performance. In 1992, Keitel was making quite a diverse career statement, starring in this movie, Reservoir Dogs, and...Sister Act. Ferrara's ability to build the tension surrounding the lieutenant is impressive, but none of it makes for pleasant viewing. It's a lurid, over-the-top cult film masquerading as an arthouse movie, and it's hard to imagine a motion picture that could polarize reactions more. At times, that reaction seems to be exactly Ferrara's idea. Bad Lieutenant has been issued in two versions -- one rated NC-17, and one rated R.