Special Narrated by Frances McDormand to Premiere on AMC September 5 at 10 PM
JERICHO, NEW YORK, August 8, 2005 – As American society has evolved, so has the central character in Hollywood films. It used to be the criminals who were of interest. But then something changed and the cop emerged as one of the most indelible American movie characters. As the "cop film" evolved from rogue cop Harry Callahan ("Dirty Harry") to maverick cop Axel Foley ("Beverly Hills Cop") to super hero cop John McClane ("Die Hard"), to the troubled cop Alonzo Harris ("Training Day"), so did society's view of law and order, specifically the dueling fears of unchecked crime on our streets and the unchecked power of those who police them. On September 5 at 10 PM, AMC will investigate the movie cop stereotypes and the development from the gritty realism of the 70's to the romanticized versions of the men in blue in the original documentary feature presentation PRECINCT HOLLYWOOD. The documentary is also part of AMC's "Crime & Crime Again Festival" from September 3 through September 5, which includes the films "The French Connection," "The Usual Suspects," "Clear and Present Danger" and the network television premiere of "Narc."
Produced by Oscar®-nominated and Emmy® award-winning filmmakers Barak Goodman, Rachel Dretzin and Muriel Soenens, PRECINCT HOLLYWOOD explores the evolution of the Hollywood "cop film" and offers insightful analysis and details about the connection between real-life cops and their cinematic alter egos. The one-hour documentary film features interviews with prominent filmmakers of the 1970's such as William Friedkin and Martin Bregman, plus up and coming directors like Antoine Fuqua, James Mangold and Joe Carnahan, and actors who became synonymous with the genre including Ray Liotta and Roy Scheider. Retired NY homicide detective Randy Jurgenson, who came up with the concept for PRECINCT HOLLYWOOD, says that "Audiences will learn that police films have replaced westerns and have become a way for them to address conflicting feelings about power and authority."
PRECINCT HOLLYWOOD presents an important link between motion pictures and the current events of our era. The film draws on films of the genre from the 70's classics such as "Dirty Harry," "French Connection," and "Serpico," to others that run the gamut from the 80's "Die Hard," and "Beverly Hills Cop" to the more recent "Training Day," and "Narc," among many others. Furthermore, real life cops reflect on how these movies mirrored and in some cases distorted the hazards and temptations of the job.
HOLLYWOOD PRECINCT is directed and produced by Barak Goodman, Rachel Dretzin and Muriel Soenens for AMC.
About AMC
AMC, a division of Rainbow Media's Entertainment Services, which also includes WE: Women's Entertainment and IFC Companies, is a 24-hour, movie-based network, dedicated to the American movie fan. The network, which reaches over 86,000,000 homes, offers a comprehensive library of popular movies and a critically-acclaimed slate of original programming that is a diverse, movie-based mix of original series, documentaries and specials. AMC has garnered many of the industry's highest honors, including 14 Emmy awards. AMC is "TV for movie people."