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THE INCIDENT 1967 TV

When director Larry Peerce ( Goodbye, Columbus) and cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld ( Young Frankenstein) were denied permission to shoot in the NYC subways, they did it anyway, using concealed cameras for some footage, providing a gritty time capsule of the 60s Big Apple as it begins to rot. Will any of them have the courage to confront the two maniacs?Ī high-velocity “home invasion”-styled hostage drama on rails, The Incident is a NYC transit suspense film that precedes the better-known The Taking of Pelham One Two Three by seven years. – but they are united by their fear and sense of helplessness as switchblade-wielding Joe and Artie block the subway doors from opening at stops, and prevent the riders from leaving. The terrified riders are a mixed group – an elderly Jewish couple, a family trying to protect their 5-year-old daughter, an alcoholic, two teens on a date, two military Privates, a bigoted African-American man and his wife, etc.

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Martin Sheen makes his feature film debut as one of two small-time hoods – the other is Tony Musante ( The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) in one of his earliest roles – terrorising a subway car full of trapped passengers, portrayed by an ensemble cast including Thelma Ritter ( Rear Window), Beau Bridges ( The Fabulous Baker Boys), Ed McMahon, Donna Mills ( Play Misty for Me), Jack Gilford ( Save the Tiger), Brock Peters ( To Kill a Mockingbird), Ruby Dee ( A Raisin in the Sun), and a host of other instantly recognisable faces from NYC films and television of the era.Īfter mugging an old man for a few dollars, thugs Artie (Sheen) and Joe (Musante) hop a subway deep in the Bronx, and proceed to threaten and intimidate the Sunday night commuters all the way to Times Square. Who knows, maybe Tarantino will give Musante a ring one of these days.A riveting urban tension thriller, and a fantastic snapshot of 1967 New York City in all its seedy, black-and-white glory, The Incident also features an iconic 60s cast that must be seen to be believed.

This, of course, is his character's ultimate weakness. And even though we don't know his character's back story, his expressions exude a personal history of frustration that has given way to toughness, hatred and eventually an unstable and violent temper. The nature of his character allows him to emote humor, phony compassion and violence, and he succeeds without becoming a maniacal cartoon.

THE INCIDENT 1967 TV

I'm not familiar with Musante's work on the old TV show `Toma,' but I am disappointed his career never blossomed on the big screen because he's a revelation here. Even Ed McMahon puts in a fully capable performance! The real stand-outs here, however, are certainly Musante, Sheen & Bridges. But it's going to take a lot more than prayer to end this nightmare of fear and violence. The random victims are more concerned with their own problems than helping each other and pray that they won't be next. The ensemble cast is a fantastic whos-who of up & comers from the period. Stark melodrama about two thrill seeking tough guys who terrorize late-night passengers on a New York City train.

Remember the stories from the Titanic, for example, about how some passengers acted dutifully and bravely, while others did inexplicably selfish things? The passage of time has not changed human nature. Already in their compartment are a mismatched group of travellers a married couple with their five-year-old daughter, two soldiers on leave, teenagers on a date, a recovering alcoholic, an African-American and his wife, a gay man and an ageing couple. The first half introduces the characters.the second half is the. After mugging a man, they hop onto a subway heading for New York ’s Grand Central Station. People under stress behave in ways that often boggle the imagination. Two psychos (Martin Sheen and Tony Musante) terrorize the passengers of a NYC subway car. As anyone who has worked in or around the law profession knows, the cowardice depicted here is nothing unusual, nor is it unique to NYC.

Secondly, it is supposed to infuriate and anger us as viewers. Of course, just because we identify does not excuse the passengers' behavior (or, should we say, failure to act), which is exactly the ethical dilemma presented by the film. al.), but we also understand their particular reasons for not standing up to the thugs. First of all, one of the compelling aspects of The Incident is that it develops each character's weakness so that we not only relate to these very identifiable human frailties (which runs the gamut from racism, submissiveness, marital strife, homosexuality, et. Those who judge it on the basis of 'what I would do in this situation is.' are really off base. Indeed, this film still feels contemporary.

I've since taped it off of cable and have shown it to several friends over the years and they are always knocked out by the portrayal of grittiness for the time period. I first saw a really lousy print 20 years ago in high school ethics class.

The incident 1967