The First Deadly Sin

1980 "He's searching for a killer. She's searching for a miracle .... And time is running out."
5.9| 1h52m| R| en| More Info
Released: 03 October 1980 Released
Producted By: Filmways Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A serial killer is stalking New York. Inspector Edward X. Delaney is an NYPD detective, nearing retirement, who is trying to put together the pieces of the case. Are the victims somehow linked? What does the brutal method of death signify?

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Reviews

Infamousta brilliant actors, brilliant editing
PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.
Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.
Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
SnoopyStyle A serial killer is hunting New York City. Grizzled veteran police detective Edward Delaney (Frank Sinatra) is investigating the case. His wife Barbara (Faye Dunaway) is in the hospital. He enlists the help of ancient arms expert Christopher Langley. Sinatra is playing a tired cop who is distracted by his wife's illness. It does not make for a compelling investigation although it may be more accurate. It's a darker reserved performance. The more exciting character is eager Langley searching for the murder weapon in the local shops. He has a couple of hilarious scenes. Otherwise, this is grinding film about the grind of a grinding investigation. While I appreciate the personal aspect of the wife, it doesn't make it compelling as far as the investigation goes. Although it does not excuse the horrible insult of someone nominating Dunaway as the worst actress. The woman is in bed dying for most of the movie and that's what she gives. This is a bit of a grind to watch but it somehow maintains my attention for the most part.
HotToastyRag While the heart of The First Deadly Sin is a detective crime story, part of the movie is a tender and unusual romance. Frank Sinatra stars as a tired, not very young detective who tries to solve a murder he's been given very few clues to go off of. Sometimes in detective movies, once a clue clicks into place, an arrest is quickly made afterwards. In this one, Frank and his co-workers exhaust themselves to find out exactly what a clue means, and how to prove it actually is a clue, which is both realistic and well written.When not on the clock, Frank visits his wife Faye Dunaway in the hospital. She's had a difficult operation, and their scenes together are tender, sad, and touching. He brings her little presents, she tries to seem like she has more strength than she feels, and the audience can see both their pain. These scenes, although terribly sad, are the best parts of the movie. But it also makes for a pretty heavy storyline, so if you're going to watch this one, make sure you have some Kleenexes nearby.
kapelusznik18 ***SPOILERS*** Frank Sinatra plays the about to put in his papers and retire NYPD Sergeant Edward X Delaney who's obsessed in finding this ice pick killer who's terrorizing the city of New York. The fact that Sgt. Delaney's wife Barbara , Faye Dunaway, is in critical condition and on life support because of a blotched kidney operation doesn't make his task any more easier. It doesn't take long to see who this crazed ice pick wielding psycho is since we see him Daniel Blank, David Dukes, as soon as the film starts as he ice picks to death a total stranger who passes him in the street.It's Sgt. Delaney who later notices a pattern in a number of murders over the last three yeas in the city that fit the same MO or description and realizes they, the victims, were that of the very same killer.Meanwhil back in the hospital emergency ward Sgt. Delaney's wife Barbara is fighting for her life as her husband seems to be spending far more time looking for Daniel Blanks then with her when in the critical condition that she's in she needed him most. The film centers around the killer's weapon of choice to do in his victims a mountain climbing ice pick that he brains and murderers his victims with. It's in discovering that the killer has mountain climbing experience that narrows down the search in finding him. Sgt. Delaney finally tracks down "Dandy Dan" Danny Blank at his high rise apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side and plans to arrest him but has no real concrete evidence to do it or make his arrest stick. Bending the law a bit to say the least Sgt. Delaney ends up breaking it to bring Daniel Blank to justice. And it's the fact that Sgt. Delaney worked on this case alone with no one in the NYPD to see what he did and turn him in he ended up getting away with it.***SPOILERS*** Despite his success in offing the ice pick serial killer in the end Sgt. Delaney ended up losing the person who meant most to him his wife Barbara who died from complications from the blotch operation that was preformed on her. A more mild and mellower Frank Sinatra did make the movie interesting then it would have been in playing his age,65, and not trying to be at least 20 years younger in the role he had. As for Faye Dunaway all she did during the entire movie was go in and out of consciousness and try to look pretty, but as white as a sheet, during the entire time she was on camera. As for David Dukes as the zombie like serial killer Daniel Blank his name, Blank, fit the role he had in his zombie like actions through the entire movie. The biggest surprise is in the end when he finally opened his mouth and told the reason for his murderous actions which made as much sense as the cannibalistic and real life serial killer Jeffery Dhamer reasons for murdering his victims did.
rowmorg Sinatra financed this movie and starred in it, so he is wholly responsible for it, and it shows just what a ghastly gangster-fascist he really was, because --- as no one on this board appears to have even noticed --- it wholly endorses police murder.With the notoriously whitewashed De Menezes and Dziezinski police killings, plus scores of taser deaths, fresh in our minds, we should be calling for this film to be withdrawn from circulation, including from lending libraries. What validity is there in a film that shows its hero taking a death sentence into his own hands, and executing a villain with impunity? Sinatra is supposed to be an Irish detective-sergeant nearing his retirement when serial killings occur. Perhaps the Irish theme explains the prominent Catholic crucifixes on display in various scenes. Or perhaps they are just proto-fascist totems for the vigilante faithful.This film not only endorses repellent values, it is utterly idiotic, with Sinatra conducting a series of interviews to arrive at the screamingly obvious fact that the crimes were committed with an ice-pick. The blindingly blatant ID of the weapon takes him several days, and involves an improbable character undertaking part of the investigation on his behalf. Ridiculous! In an unrelated series of scenes Faye Dunaway, his much-younger wife, is expiring from complications arising from a kidney removal. This gives Frank ample room to display his inability to act, which we have to add to his inability to judge a script or to embrace civilised values.When he summarily executes the killer, this moronic cop (who took a week to identify an ice-pick), transgresses all police regulations, civil and moral law, but all he has to do is turn in his badge and he walks free.An utterly contemptible monument to a disgusting man and the hideously violent and sociopathic circles he moved in. Avoid completely.