Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Want to see it?

Seen it?

0
1
2
3
4
5
Rate this movie.

Buy it now on DVD

Starting at $10.59

Want to buy it?

Write a review

Discuss it

Add to lists

Recommend it

Get recommendations

Directed by Sidney Lumet.

Starring Sully Boyar, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Al Pacino, Chris Sarandon.

Based on a true 1972 story, Sidney Lumet's 1975 drama chronicles a unique bank robbery on a hot summer afternoon in New York City. Shortly before closing time, scheming loser Sonny (Al Pacino) and his slow-witted buddy, Sal (John Cazale), burst into a Brooklyn bank for what should be a run-of-the-mill robbery, but everything goes wrong, beginning with the fact that there is almost no money in the bank. The situation swiftly escalates, as Sonny and Sal take hostages; enough cops to police the tristate area surround the bank; a large Sonny-sympathetic crowd gathers to watch; the media arrive to complete the circus; and police captain Moretti (Charles Durning) tries to negotiate with Sonny while keeping the volatile spectacle under control. When Sonny's lover, Leon (Chris Sarandon), tries to talk Sonny out of the bank, we learn the robbery's motive: to finance Leon's sex-change operation. Sonny demands a plane to escape, but the end is near once menacingly cool FBI agent Sheldon (James Broderick) arrives to take over the negotiations. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

[more]

Reviews and discussions

Leeroy's 5 queue picks for July ...
by leeroy711 in leeroy711 Blog

loved it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"These may not be the greatest titles of all time, but they're the right movies for right now Allright, it's the middle of the Summer, the days are long and the nights are hot. What are you gonna watch 1. Caddyshack (1980) - Harold Ramis and Bill Murray should probably go down as one of the best contemporary comedic directors/actor teams we have today. I like Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day enough but this one set the standard. 2. Jurassic Park (1993) - This film for me, epitemizes the term Summer blockbuster. I still vividly remember standing in line, in 110+ degree heat in Phoenix for this movie. I also remember the young woman in front of us passing out from the heat as we waited. I think she was from Minnesota. 3. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)- Hey, remember when Tom Cruise wasn't such a joke? Niether do I but this is still one of his best performances and it's not something that comes up in conversation very often so now would be the perfect time to take a second look at ... " [More]

Trailer of the Day: 88 Minutes
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"I know star power isn’t what it used to be, but doesn’t it seem like we still give Al Pacino more credit than he’s worth? Despite his receiving an Oscar fifteen years ago, the guy hasn’t been a completely dependable actor in more than two decades. And yet a lot of people write about his upcoming movies as if they could maybe, possibly, hopefully be on par with the actor’s ’70s work. I’m not denying that he’s excellent in a few films of even the past ten years (particularly The Insider), but let’s not forget he was also in Gigli, so it isn’t like he’s making the same smart choices he was making as a younger man. And now here’s 88 Minutes, another movie that attempts to give us a thrilling plot in real time, a la 24. But despite such a gimmick working with old films like High Noon and 12 Angry Men, when it’s presented as a gimmick, and clearly as the only reason a movie is made (as in the cases of Nick of Time, Timecode and Phone Booth), it always comes off as forced and (obviously) ... " [More]

Inside Man better,the second time
by chrismorrell in chrismorrell Blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"( 'obscure' spoiler here folks.).. .Good but not great...main thought..as often these days,i wish i was an editor ..it's just too long...'hellaccious cast' right enough ..but there's enough material here for a tight ,hour long 'Hustle' type T.V. outing...and /or a superior post 9/11 'NYPDBlue' type series...granted it might have to be Dennis Haysbert, not DenZEL..and Marg Helgenberger,not Jody Foster...but so it goes. Spike Lee was at pains to point out the homage to 'Dog Day Afternoon' and in case any slow-witted film fan misses it 'Dog Day..' is name-checked along with 'Serpico' and 'Kojak' ...the film that i had in mind most though was 'Quick Change' the great Bill Murray comedy where he pulls a bank heist dressed as a clown( a central idea from which is employed here).Best aspect of 'The Inside Man' is the great dialogue,laced liberally with the sort of gallows humour that Denis Leary's ... " [More]

Al Pacino's Greatest Rants
by lopezdash in The Movie Blog

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"The high-quality magazine FHM has come out with a list of 10 of Al Pacino's Greatest Rants... And here it is:10. HeatMichael Mann’s classic crime drama casts Al Pacino as a Los Angeles detective trying to prevent a bank heist. He attempts to gain leverage over the wife of one of the robbers by going after a salesman with whom she’s been having an affair. When the chump asks himself why he was dumb enough to get mixed up with her, Pacino makes it clear—she’s got a great ass! Ferocious, isn’t he?http://www.youtube.com/watc h?v=mlXpX3o3W2Q9. Carlito's WayAl Pacino’s first collaboration with director Brian De Palma since Scarface wastes no time giving fans what they want—a rant. As convicted drug dealer Carlito Brigante, Pacino is released from prison on a technicality but wishes to assure the court and the district attorney (James Rebhorn) that his dealing days are done. This rant stands out as one of the very few times where Pacino ca ... " [More]

Pacino In His Heyday
by JakeStevens in JakeStevens Blog

liked it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Al Pacino couldn't have been hotter than he was in the early to mid seventies, and this film is proof positive of his charisma and star power. Apart from some of the clothing styles being a bit dated, this film holds up remarkably well, thanks in no small part to director Sidney Lumet, an award winning script by Frank Pierson, and Al Pacino's knock-out performance. A winner across the board! " [More]

Top 5 Heist Movies
by aidanbos in Film Views

hasn't rated it.

Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"In Honor of the newly released Ocean's Thirteen I have compiled a list of my favorite heist films. Enjoy.5) Reservoir Dogs. 1992 Directed by Quention Tarantino.The film that put Tarantino on the map is also one of the best looks behind the mask of film criminals. Behind that mask we find a cold, selfish heart. It is unflinching in it's portrayal of the type of person or person's who make their living knocking off casinos, robbing banks, and holding up liquor stores. However unlike most heist films, none of the members of the crew know each other besides through color coded aliases and even more unusua is that all of the action takes place after the robbery, which goes horribly wrong. Despite all of their differences all of the members are sure of one thing: there is a rat in their midst. Who it is they do not know and eventually their seeds of distrust amongst one another grow to fruition. What we do see of the robbery we see in flashback and even then very little. All throughout ... " [More]

Review by All Movie Guide

All Movie Guide

loved it.

Shooting on location in New York, Sidney Lumet and Oscar-winning writer Frank Pierson maintain an objective view of a potentially exploitative story, grasping both the human comedy of an absurd situation and the utter seriousness of what's at stake. Sonny and Sal are not so much stereotypical figures of ridicule as they are lost souls at the mercy of forces beyond their control and comprehension. Yet they are not romanticized; neither cops nor robbers come off well. Dog Day Afternoon found a large 1975 audience for its oddball yet timely story, with all of the lead actors, especially Al Pacino, winning kudos for their bravura performances. Tapping into contemporary tensions over law, media, and sexuality, with Pacino's confused antihero at the center of the melee, Dog Day Afternoon is a quintessential 1970s story, devoid of unequivocal good guys and replete with public and private turmoil. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Tags: television , day , attica , summer-fave , compelling
View all