Dog Day Afternoon

Pros: Terrific direction, script, top notch performances from Pacino, Sarandon, Durning

Cons: Reality is very hard to believe sometimes

Review: Based on an incredible true story, Sidney Lumet’s bank robbery caper manages to take the at times ridiculous subject matter and keep it from ever getting away from itself. It stays thoroughly believable throughout and never has the unfortunately...

Pros: The acting, the writing, the directing, the editing, the little stuff

Cons: Stylistically, the film is "of its time." That's not a con for me, but still...

The Bottom Line: It's a great bank-heist movie and a great political movie and a great New York movie and a great Al Pacino movie. What more do you want?

Review: The Loving Spoonful wanted to point out that no matter how hot it gets in the summer in the city, at night it's a different world. But in Sidney Lumet's Dog Day Afternoon, the midday heat hasn't tempered, it has only built and as night falls, you know ...

Pros: Direction, screenplay, Pacino, Cazale, Sarandon.

Cons: None.

The Bottom Line: Watch it.

Review: DOG DAY AFTERNOON is a lot of things. It’s a comedic look at criminals so unsuccessful they could compete with the characters played by Steve Buscemi and William H. Macy in FARGO (only this is a true story). It’s a study of the bond that forms ...

Pros: Excellent acting by Pacino, Casale, and others.

Cons: The bank they robbed was not J.P. Morgan Chase.

The Bottom Line: Watch with friends. Order a Pizza and cold soft beverages. Watch in an air conditioned room. It is fun for a group in summer heat.

Review: These are the dog days of summer. It will hit 100 degrees tomorrow where I live. So I cranked up my air conditioning in the house today, sipped iced tea and watched my VHS of Dog Day Afternoon.
The movie takes place on August 22, 1972. Two men...

Pros: Acting, cast, direction, writing, technical values.

Cons: Different from what some expect.

The Bottom Line: An excellent "New York" movie. Watch as Michael and Fredo of "The Godfather" knock off a bank.

Review: The movie begins with a montage of clips, showing various people and activities going around in a Brooklyn neighborhood. It’s a hot, dog day afternoon on August 22, 1972 and many of the scenes show people trying to beat the heat. Three men, though, are ...

Pros: Well-acted, well-written, funny, entertaining

Cons: May not be enough action for some people

The Bottom Line: A weird and wonderful film about a bank heist that just doesn't go like it should.

Review: What do 10 bank employees, two gunmen, a transvestite wedding and Wyoming have in common?

They’re all elements in Dog Day Afternoon, a madcap comedy-drama starring Al Pacino, Charles Durning and John Cazales. Set in a Brooklyn bank on a...

Pros: Acting, dialog, evoking, unique

Cons: N/A

The Bottom Line: Recommended for everyone

Review: Dog Day Afternoon has not been placed as high on the pedestal of movie classics as I think it should. Al Pacino's performances have garnered well deserved critical acclaim and this one is no exception. Despite being loved by critics I don't think this ...

Pros: A ground breaking trend setting movie for society and Pacino

Cons: Somewhat dated, but compared to Killing Zoe it is still fresh.

The Bottom Line: If you admire Pacino now but never got to see his early work this is definitely worth the wathc.

Review: This like many of Pacino's movies are groundbreaking trend setters. If you want to take a coparison view watch Dog day afternoon and Killing Zoe on the same night. What are the similarities. Both have bank robberies, both are botched by amateurs, both...

Pros: Great script, great direction, Al Pacino and John Cazale!

Cons: I would have wanted to see more of Charles Durning

The Bottom Line: Robbery should have taken 10minutes. 4hours later it was a circus sideshow. 8hours later it was the hottest thing on TV. 12hours later it was history. Movie history!

Review: When the three guys go into the bank to rob it, there's sunny and warm. A beautiful day when nothing could ever go wrong... Except when the police, the TV and hundreds of bystanders arrive. Everything goes wrong.

The movie starts with the...

Pros: Pacino, a different angle on the hostage-film genre

Cons: The swift rise of Sonny from loser to anti-hero, the disco fashions

The Bottom Line: When visiting Algeria, make sure you visit the Bottom Line.

Review: In September of 1971, 1,300 prisoners at the Attica Prison facility in Western New York State rebell ...