As with many other genres, cinematic crime thrillers simply haven't been the same since the 1970s revolutionised them. Films like William Friedkin's 1971 masterwork The French Connection, Don Siegel's Dirty Harry, Alan J. Pakula's Klute and Sidney Lumet's Serpico brilliantly discovered a balance between authenticity on screen and unforgettable, visceral thrills in ways rarely matched since, with only outliers such as the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men or Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead standing out as similarly stylised and effective.

Robert Butler's New York-centric cult thriller Night of the Juggler was released in 1980, just as this magnetising style of crime cinema was beginning to change into something more accessible and mainstream-friendly. And yet, it holds onto the brilliance of the American crime thriller of the ‘70s from start to finish, re-energising and repackaging them in a distinctive New Yorkian flavour. Butler, taking over for Sidney J. Furie mid-production, helms a wonderfully propulsive 24-hour ticking time bomb of a film here, presenting the New York of its time as a sleazy, violence-ridden war zone only to be entered by the most rugged and daring.

Night of the Juggler follows Sean Boyd (James Brolin, looking something like Kurt Russell in the John Carpenter classic Big Trouble in Little China), an ex-cop turned truck driver, forced back into action when his 13-year-old daughter is kidnapped by the maniacal ‘Juggler' (Cliff Gorman) who has mistaken Boyd's daughter for the child of an extremely wealthy property developer whom he was hoping to ransom. Sean, witnessing the kidnapping himself, will stop at nothing to save his daughter from her kidnapper even if it means that he must descend into the murky depths of the city he lives in, a place crammed with dilapidated ruins, corrupt cops hellbent on ruining Sean's life and crazed gangs using violence as a distraction from their pitiful economic circumstances.

The film is a relentlessly paced adrenaline rush, full of wildly impressive and extensive set-pieces (including a breathtaking car chase in the first act and gritty fight sequences set in sewers and strip clubs) alongside a host of sturdy performances and memorable characters. Cliff Gorman's kidnapper feels clearly inspired by Andrew Robinson's unforgettable turn as the killer in Dirty Harry, with both characters toeing the line between pathetic, empathetic and deeply frightening. The Juggler is a nauseating character, unkempt and unhinged as he becomes increasingly unsettling throughout the film, shifting from a financially desperate kidnapper and revealing himself to be a deeply racist and mentally disturbed criminal with paedophilic tendencies. Screenwriters Rick Natkin and William W. Norton intelligently play with the appearance of this kidnapper, opening the film with a sillier sequence of him decorating his breakfast plate in a diner to make it appear like a smiley face in order to make his more intense moments strike more due to contrast.

Rapidly paced, decidedly grim and gleefully chaotic, Robert Butler's largely forgotten cult hit's newfound availability, thanks to a new Radiance Films release, is likely to see it reconsidered as a great early ‘80s American thriller. Its use of locations, the realist aesthetic it employs and the leading performances from James Brolin, Cliff Gorman and Richard S. Castellano ensure that Night of the Juggler is a memorable and punchy crime film, one which stands out in comparison to many which came after it.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES

New 4K restoration from original 35mm camera negative, presented in Dolby Vision HDR
4K UHD and Blu-ray presentation of the feature
5.1 Surround mix and Lossless 2.0
New audio commentary with film historians Kim Newman and Sean Hogan*
New interview with actor James Brolin (2025, 14 mins)
New interview with actress Julie Carmen (2025, 14 mins)
The Meanest Streets – Night of the Jugglerlocations tour with journalist/filmmaker Michael Gingold and production associate Chris Coles (2025, 29 mins)*
Fun City Limits: Fear & Loathing in Hollywood's NYC – new visual essay on the depiction of New York in 70s and 80s exploitation cinema by Howard S. Berger (2025, 29 mins)
Pandemonium Reflex: An Inquest into Sidney J. Furie's Night of the Juggler – new visual essay on Furie by Daniel Kremer, author of Sidney J. Furie: Life and Films (2025, 14 mins)*
Trailer
Stills and poster gallery
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Reversible sleeve featuring original artwork
Pull-out poster and six lobby-card style postcards
Limited edition 40-page perfect bound booklet featuring new writing from Glenn Kenny, Barry Forshaw, and Travis Woods
Limited edition of 5000 copies, presented in rigid box and full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings