Officer Steve Burns, who resembles the victims' dark-haired, slim profile, is sent deep undercover by Captain Edelson into the urban world of gay S&M and leather bars in the Meatpacking District in order to track down the killer.
The police suspect it to be the work of a serial killer who is picking up gay men at West Village bars such as the Eagle's Nest, the Ramrod, and the Cock Pit, then taking them to cheap rooming houses or motels, tying them up and stabbing them to death. In New York City amidst a hot summer, body parts of men are showing up in the Hudson River. The film is also notable for its open-ended finale, which was criticized by Robin Wood and Bill Krohn as further complicating what they felt were the director's incoherent changes to the rough cut and synopsis, as well as other production issues. The shooting and promotion were dogged by gay rights protesters, who believed that the film stigmatized them. Poorly received by critics upon release, Cruising performed moderately at the box office. The title is a play on words with a dual meaning because "cruising" can describe both police officers on patrol as well as men who are cruising for sex. It is loosely based on the novel of the same name by New York Times reporter Gerald Walker about a serial killer targeting gay men, particularly those men associated with the leather scene in the late 1970s. You have been warned.Cruising is a 1980 crime thriller film written and directed by William Friedkin and starring Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, and Karen Allen. The local police have taken quite a shine to the hot spot as well. Note: Horndogs aren’t the only ones trolling Vaseline Alley. However, if you are checked in at Vaseline Alley on Foursquare or spotted knocking on the window of a parked car in the shadows, your deniability will suffer a significant loss of plausibility. You could be walking to the neighboring parking lot after dinner at a local eatery like Marco’s or exiting the backdoor of Gold Coast after drinks.
In other words, frequenting the dark recesses of this hormonally overactive alley does not necessarily mean that you’re there to cruise. Conveniently located behind the Gold Cost Bar-a local watering hole with innumerable nicknames like “The Old Coast,” “The Troll Coast” and “The Mold Coast” due primarily to its aging clientele-Vaseline Alley is one of those slyly cruisy spots that offers a degree of denial plausibility. But the truth is this infamous alley just off Santa Monica Blvd is still such a popular place to hook up that it has both its own Foursquare designation and Facebook page. Here, you better come correct or be prepared for a stare down with scathing judgment. Bottom line: This ain’t your roll out of bed and get a cup of joe Starbucks. However this is also the all-important leg that can create the perfect opening to chat with the hottie in line next to you or exchange furtive glances with the Clark Kent type in the glasses across the room who just happens to have an open seat with your name on it right next to him. The final leg of the runway runs from the entrance to the register, which can seem like an eternity on a busy day, especially given all the prying eyes peeking up over steaming non-fat soy lattes to rate every single patron who dares to take a turn through the store. The store’s always-packed outdoor tables along Santa Monica Blvd and Westmount Dr represent the first leg of the runway, where well-coiffed patrons (many fresh from the gym) are evaluated on presentation and form… and occasionally rewarded with nods or smiles of approval. Better known as “Gaybucks” to locals, this Starbucks location is as much a catwalk as it is a coffee house. Coffee? Tea? Or the hunk in the white tee? At this popular West Hollywood outpost, all of the above are on the menu.