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      The Cross and the Switchblade

      PG Released Mar 17, 1971 1h 46m Drama List
      Reviews 72% Audience Score 500+ Ratings The Rev. David Wilkerson (Pat Boone) works with a juvenile delinquent (Erik Estrada) and his gang in a New York slum. Read More Read Less

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      The Cross and the Switchblade

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      Critics Reviews

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      Tony Mastroianni Cleveland Press The picture has a great deal of sincerity about it and is notable for its dealings with a religious theme. Unfortunately, it also looks more like fiction than truth. Nov 16, 2018 Full Review Steve Crum Kansas City Kansan Tepid and boring. One of two movies during which I have ever walked out. Rated: F Oct 25, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Jessica E The acting in this atrocity is some of the worst in cinematic history. Estrada never makes me believe anything and Boone is a joke. To be fair, the book is not a good enough source material to make a film from. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I have only ever sat through this film because i was made to study it by a teacher that everyone hated who was promtly fired for bringing religion into the classroom. If I had the energy, I would make a voodoo doll of that prick simply for making me sit through the most dull, uninspired and contrived bit of crap the church has ever coughed up. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Come on RT, allow for a zero star rating. This absolutely deserves it. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member An undeniably corny yet affective film about the evangelism of Christ to NYC Gang Leader Nicky Cruz in the 1970's. Acting isn't as impacting as the subject matter but the story is quite amazing all the same. Give you much insight to the horrors of life in the rough areas of NYC in the 70's. A strong film in the Christian Circles of its day & seen as a curiosity today. I found the film effective & moving. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The Cross and the Switch Blade The scenes are so cheesy. The action scenes were not filmed very well. Two gangs in a major city in 1970 Spanish vs the African American gang. A preacher in the middle trying to protect the people trying to peach because everyone needs him. Spanish gang is afraid of the preacher ask for someone to get rid of him. This film shows the dumbest and trashiest parts of the city. This film shows drugs too. I'm surprised they are actually able to show how drugs are made in this film and still be PG. David Walkerson is played by Pat Boone. The music was alright 60% of the time but I found 40% of the time the music did not fit the scene for me. And rather than feel for the scene like when the girl was getting clean off drugs or it made me feel like I lost reality and feeling and was completely not right for the scene and made me laugh instead of taking the film seriously with the correct emotion and lost all seriousness for taking the story . Some of the ways which reflections in the mirror were used when we saw the drug dealer giving hearowine I liked I was surprised by some of the graphic blood when one of the gang members fell down the stairs or the way they showed drugs being stored or made. I was surprised such images were allowed for a PG film. I was surprised how little actual Biblical text were used in this film. It really was not used too much until the very end of the film. And the film made a big impheses on love and I was surprised there were not more messages besides just love in this film such as piece, war, killing. It was touched at the end but I'm surprised it was not made strong throughout the film rather than just the end. The preacher coming to the main gang lords in the middle of the night was wired saying God loves you. Some of the fight sequences in the film I found cheesy because of how it was shot where you were so close and cutting so quick that the action never was really focused and you could never see too much damage. It has some good messages but the story could have been told much better in other parts. Like the scenes that should have been the strongest emotional effect were reduced in effectiveness due to things such as the wrong type of music in a scene or music at all or cutting or what was emphasised when such a strong emphasis was not necessary and could have been understood without the emphasis. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member The real life story is even better. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

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      The Cross and the Switchblade

      The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) The Cross and the Switchblade (1970) View more photos

      Movie Info

      Synopsis The Rev. David Wilkerson (Pat Boone) works with a juvenile delinquent (Erik Estrada) and his gang in a New York slum.
      Director
      Don Murray
      Screenwriter
      Don Murray, James Bonnet
      Production Co
      Gateway Productions, Responsible Entertainment
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Mar 17, 1971, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 22, 2017
      Runtime
      1h 46m
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