| | | Anything Can Happen Under the City That Never Sleeps.
Features: DVD
Subway Stories captures the laughter, the fear, the sexiness and the strangeness of riding the New York subways.
"...an honest, humorous and even moving at times, look at this slice of distinctly New York life." 3BlackChicks Review Flicks
"...a genuine fascination with the unusually sexual (and sexually unusual) liaisons that take place..." Bearded Freak's Reviews
Editor's Note
This offbeat HBO production features a series of 10 short films representing the unpredictable true experiences of those varied, brave souls who dared to test the waters of the New York City subways. Jonathan Demme's SUBWAY CAR FROM HELL follows the journey of an unassuming man on his way to work. Craig McKay's THE RED SHOES deals with the issue of panhandlers and whether they are who they say they are. Bob Balaban's THE 5:24 watches a Wall Street broker learn a valuable life lesson from a seemingly apparent everyman. Patricia Benoit's FERN'S HEART OF DARKNESS plays on one white woman's paranoia and prejudice. Seth Rosenfeld's THE LISTENERS teaches a girlfriend to pay attention a little more closely. Lucas Platt's UNDERGROUND is a young male's fantasy come to life. Alison Maclean's HONEY-GETTER allows a sexually harassed young woman the chance to get revenge. Julie Dash's SAX CANTOR RIFF ingeniously exhibits the variety of music the underground has to offer. Abel Ferrara's LOVE ON THE A TRAIN is another erotic fantasy about a married man who embarks on a silent affair with a random passenger. Finally, Ted Demme's MANHATTAN MIRACLE is a hopeful tale about a man who is about to watch a pregnant woman jump in front of an approaching train. At turns humorous, ironic, and poignant, SUBWAY STORIES provides an entertaining glimpse into the unpredictable underbelly of New York City.
Plot Summary
SUBWAY STORIES presents a series of 10 short films about people braving New York City's famous (and infamous) subway system.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital Stereo | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: HBO |
| Release Date: 10/20/2009 |
| Original Release Date: 1997 | | Catalog ID: 91397 | | UPC: 00026359139727 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | The Onion A.V. Club 9 of 10
The much-maligned New York City subway, most often used in films as a gritty location for crime and improbable chase scenes, receives refreshingly fair treatment in Subway Stories. Based on 10 stories submitted by viewers to an HBO contest, each segment showcases a different group of actors, directors, and writers unified by a desire to pay tribute to an American institution which can be both more frightening and more humane than its reputation suggests. Here, complex human encounters take place amongst complete strangers, and split-second decisions are made to connect with, ignore, or lash out at fellow passengers with bizarre and occasionally sublime results...The directors preserve the utilitarian queasiness of public transportation with its harsh lights, gum-encrusted platforms, and rushing crowds, while creating the possibility that anything could happen. Actors as diverse as Bonnie Hunt and Gregory Hines flesh out characters at moments of crisis with fine performances ranging from gentle to hysterical; Christine Lahti is hilarious as a yuppie at the end of her rope. Subway Stories is a thought-provoking alternative to Hollywood's version of New York, as well a fascinating rat's-eye view of its mythical melting pot. - Cindy Krewson
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