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Abel Ferrara must get a lot of tickets. It’s clear from his movies he has an intense dislike for law enforcement and the military. All you have to do is look at his movies “The Bad Lt.”, “The Body Snatchers” and this classic crime melodrama and you get a sense that he’s been to traffic court one too many times. Very loosely inspired by the father of gangstra rap Schoolly D, Frank (Walken) emerges from prison with a mission; he wants to reestablish his control of the drug trade and contacts his old gang. He has a mission and a vision—top of the food chain where he can easily pick off his rivals and control the market. Needless to say, bloody battles ensue and violence and mayhem are enjoyed by all involved. ***

With tongue frequently in cheek, Ferrara’s film plays like superior variation on DePalma’s update of “Scarface”. Unlike DePalma, all of the moves in Ferrara’s film are his own. In fact, Ferrara’s film beats DePalma’s stylish mishmash hands down with a number of riveting sequences that blew away most of the action films that came out when this was released in 1990. We don’t see shots borrowed from other films so much as pilfered and crafted to fit Ferrara’s own vision. In fact, “King of New York” feels more like the classic crime movies of the 30’s (prior to the Hays Code requiring film scripts to be passed by a board of censors) and really has even more in common with Howard Hawks’ “Scarface” than DePalma’s remake. The film would be worthwhile even if only for the frantic car chase and the stand off on Queensboro Bridge. Luckily, Ferrara invested this low budget high octane thriller with a number of brilliant set pieces and his strong cast breathes life into even the most clichéd scenes. ---

Newly remastered from a newly struck print, “King of New York” looks brilliant in this combo widescreen/full screen presentation. The dark, sinister sequences set in Frank’s base of operations (ironically Donald Trump’s Plaza Hotel) and the languid editing during some of the gunfights create considerable tension. Ferrara uses black, gold and other basic colors to create a film that echoes the use of color and texture from a variety of great painters. It’s ironic that the look of the film recalls some of the great religious paintings of the past given that Frank sees himself as something of a “savior” for both the community he victimizes by trafficking in drugs. ***

It’s these types of clever and witty touches that make “King of New York” a better film than DePalma’s “Scarface” and much more interesting than your average crime film. Clearly Ferrara learned a few tricks while directing both “Miami Vice” and “Crime Story”. The inclusion of the 5.1 mix and 2.0 Surround mix provides two excellent options to watch the film. If you’re system isn’t equipped for 5.1, you’ll still benefit from a beautifully remastered soundtrack. ---

The extras are divided across this two disc set. The theatrical trailer and documentary (just under 50 minutes) about Ferrara and the theatrical trailer along with the widescreen version of the film are on the first disc. The second disc features the music video, the featurette on Scholly D and the full screen version of the movie. Ferrara comes across as such a character in his commentary track that I’m surprised that “A Short Film about the Long Career of Abel Ferrara” doesn’t have Ferrara talking about his art. Actually, the short documentary is all the better for it as we get interesting insights from those who have worked for this maverick director in the past. ***

“The Adventures of Schoolly D: Snowboarder” provides an incisive portrait of one of the “fathers” of gangsta rap who inspired at least one character in Ferrara’s film. We get a brief history of gangsta rap from Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC to the birth of this subgenre of hardcore rap. We also get the TV spots and a Schoolly D music video as well. What’s surprising based on the short documentary is how much Ferrara got out of so little; the budget for “King of New York” was tiny when compared to the budget for other films that came out the same year. ---