93. The French Connection (1971)

Running Time: 104 Minutes
Director: William Friedkin
Date Watched: 10/15/2010 Medium: DVD

Summary (from Amazon.com): "Two narcotics detectives, "Popeye" Doyle and his partner Buddy Russo (Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider), start to close in on a vast international narcotics ring when the smugglers unexpectedly strike back. Following an attempt on his life by one of the smugglers, Doyle sets off a deadly pursuit that ultimately takes him far beyond mere New York City limits."

Molly: (1 out of 5 stars): "Dumb story, didn't care one bit what happened to any of the characters, dumb ending. Dumb, dumb, dumb. And it had car chases in it. I hate car chases. I'm glad it was short."

Nick ( 2.5 out of 5 stars): "Decent acting but slow moving. It had its moments but overall was a sluggish movie."

Random Movie Facts (from IMDb.com):

• The traffic jam on the Brooklyn Bridge was shot without permission.
• All of the extras used in the first bar scene were real life police officers.
• In at least one glimpse of the Manhattan skyline (as the car is being unloaded from the cargo ship), you can see the first of the World Trade Center towers under construction.
• The conductor on the subway train was the actual conductor, whose name was Bob Morrone. The actor who was supposed to play the conductor didn't show up on the day that scene was to be filmed. In addition, the motorman was the actual motorman. The Transit Authority refused to allow an actor to operate a subway train.