I watched the movie Dog Day Afternoon on DVD from 1975. I remember reading the parody in Mad Magazine and so the images were familiar. It was very appropriate for that time and place. It said it happened on Aug. 22 so that anniversary is coming up. They did a nice job of the plot reflecting the rising temperature, like in a later good movie Body Heat.
Al Pacino is the lead bank robber, but instead of being a master criminal, he's just kind of a regular guy in a desperate situation. The heist goes badly of course and he's caught in the trap, surrounded by the police. As the situation unfolds we see his humanity come through, the good and the bad.
And as word spread, the community starts to watch the event as spectacle, in an early nod to what would become reality TV. He's realizes this is his time in the sun, his 15 minutes of fame. But this is not a happy story and the end seems preordained. Directed by Sidney Lumet
* * * * * (one of the best)
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