King of New York

King of New York is an ultraviolent 1990 motion picture depicting Frank White, a recently-released drug lord who, in a modern-day retelling of the Robin Hood legend, returns to New York City to retake control of the illegal drug trade and use the profits to fight poverty.

Controversy and popularity

Upon its release, the film proved to be extremely polarizing, with many critics (including Roger Ebert) enjoying it, and others despising it. During its premiere at the New York Film Festival, for example, many members of the audience (including Ferrara's own wife) walked out of the theatre. At the question-and-answer session that Ferrara held after the screening, the first question asked was, "This film is an abomination. Why aren't you giving the proceeds to some drug rehab program?" The next day, Larry Fisburne and Nicholas St. John were actually booed off the stage. The film, which originally ran for almost two hours, had to be edited down to 106 minutes to avoid being X-rated. It made only $2 million in its very narrow theatrical release and was soon pulled from theaters.

Related Topics:
Roger Ebert - New York Film Festival - X-rated

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Since then, however, the film has achieved cult film status and is extremely popular among fans of gangsta rap. This may be because its title song, and much of its soundtrack, was provided by Schoolly D, a famous rapper often called the "Godfather of Gangsta Rap." It has also become popular with fans of Christopher Walken's work, many of whom rate Frank White as one of his best performances. In 2004, Artisan Entertainment re-released the film on DVD in a limited-edition, two-disc "special edition."

Related Topics:
Cult film - Gangsta rap - Soundtrack - Schoolly D - 2004 - Artisan Entertainment - DVD

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