KING OF NEW YORK

Director - Abel Ferrara

Script - Nicholas St. John

Camera - Bojan Bazelli

Music - Joe Delia

With - Christopher Walken, David Caruso, Laurence Fishburne, Victor Argo, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi

Producers - Augusto Caminito, Mary Kane

Production - Reteitalia, Scena International

The gritty underbelly of New York's complex, ethnically divided criminal world is exposed in this dark drama from director Abel Ferrara. Frank White is a drug lord who's just been released from a long stint in prison. Aware that feeding off of society's depravity has made him a wealthy man, Frank has become determined to give something back to the city, and he hatches a scheme to build a multimillion-dollar public hospital in one of Brooklyn's worst ghetto neighborhoods. Needing the assistance of his fellow criminals to pull it off, Frank and his adjutant Jimmy Jump (Laurence Fishburne) encounter a wall of resistance from every faction, including drug-trade partner Lance Wong and temperamental cop Dennis Gilley. Frank's do-gooder efforts ultimately result in a Mob war and in a bloody showdown between the city's various ethnic criminal actions.

Abel Ferrara

Abel Ferrara is an American filmmaker best known for films like King of New York, Bad Lieutenant and The Funeral. His films are characterized by the distinct use of neo-noir imagery, extreme physical and emotional violence, and religious themes reflecting the Catholic faith he was raised in. Interested in films from a young age, he attended the State University of New York to hone his professional skills. He struggled to establish himself during his early career and even made pornographic movies to rake in some money. In the beginning, he directed and also acted in his films, often portraying deranged characters like killers and rapists. Even though the controversial content of his movies shocked the viewers, it also helped to him gain visibility in the film industry. Eventually he started getting noticed for his dark themed and violent movies which garnered a cult following. As someone who hates his work to be regulated by external parties, he prefers to make most of his films independently though he sometimes collaborates with well-known film studios. In addition to feature films, he also makes short films, documentaries, and television movies.

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY

1981 Ms.45
1984 Fear City
1987 China Girl
1989 Cat Chaser
1990 King of New York
1992 Bad Lieutenant
1993 Dangerous Game
1995 The Addiction
1996 The Funeral
1997 The Blackout
1998 New Rose Hotel
2005 Mary
2007 Go Go Tales
2011 4:44 Last Day on Earth
2014 Welcome to New York
2014 Pasolini

KING OF NEW YORK

USA-Italy, 1990, 103′, color

Abel Ferrara