Panic In Needle Park (1972) Geezer Noir

Directed by Jerry Schatzberg.

Written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne for the screenplay based on a book by James Mills. Cinematography was by Adam Holender. 

The film stars Al Pacino as Bobby, Kitty Winn as Helen Reeves, Alan Vint as Narcotics Detective Hotch, Richard Bright as Hank, Kiel Martin as Chico, Michael McClanathan as Sonny, Warren Finnerty as Sammy, Marcia Jean Kurtz as Marcie, Raúl Juliá as Marco, Angie Ortega as Irene, Larry Marshall as Mickey, Paul Mace as Whitey, Nancy MacKay as Penny, Gil Rogers as Robins, Joe Santos as Detective DiBono, Paul Sorvino as Samuels, Arnold Williams as Freddy, Sully Boyar as Doctor, Ruth Alda as Admitting Nurse. 

Sherman Square. Amsterdam Avenue (10th Ave.), Broadway, and West 70th Street, aka Needle Park geezer/junkie hangout in the 1970s.

Sherman Square "Needle Park", Manhattan

Helen is shacked up with artist Marco. She's just returned from enduring an abortion by some back alley quack. 

Kitty Winn as Helen Reeves

Raúl Juliá as artist Marco with Al Pacino as Bobby

Bobby, a manic small time drug dealer has dropped by looking to collect some bread from Marco. Bobby shows a bit of compassion to Helen. Helen decides to move to Bobby's flop. At Bobby's Helen watches Bobby shoot up some heroin. Bobby explains he's not really an addict and that all he's doing is "chippin." 

Bobby's flop

"chipping"

Bobby takes Helen to Needle Park and introduces her to his user friends and his brother Hank who is a professional burglar. 

Eventually Bobby and Helen get evicted and they move into a sleazier dump. With no steady income Bobby asks Helen give his dealer a piece of ass so that he can score some more horse. 

Helen hooking for drug money

Helen gets arrested for prostitution by Narc Detective Hotch. Hotch declares to Helen that "Bobby's got you hooking and soring already." One Helen gets out she starts using also.

Alan Vint as Narcotics Detective Hotch

Booked

Joe Santos as Detective DiBono

Helen gets a waitress job while Hank offers to take Bobby on as a burglar. Bobby proves to be an unreliable fuck up, while Helen screws up customers orders.

On Bobby's next gig with Hank he gets arrested. While Bobby is in jail Helen starts having sex with Hank for  money so she can score.

When Bobby get's out of the bob wire hotel and finds out about Hank he and Helen have a big fight over it. Bobby convinces his pusher Santos to let him deal to the junkies in Needle Park. Helen now seriously starts selling her ass on the street for more drug money. 

Of  course everything goes Noirsville.

Noirsville

"The Panic" in the title is what happens when the geezers source of junk dries up and they all freak out about it. The Noir in this is split between the interior darkness of the various users in the junkie sub-culture and drab, disgusting and decaying interiors of, flops, hallways, dives, and various institutions. 

There is no glamour here, none of the actors are very likeable or relatable. The film does a good job of depicting a downward spiral into the abyss of despair and one there it goes nowhere. 7/10