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TV critic John J. O'Connor called a "startlingly graphic and convincing survey of urban crime, violence, brutality and cynical despair". Cases followed include the discovery of a dead body on the street, the rescue of a mother trapped in her apartment by a mentally ill son, an attempt to negotiate
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Robert Butler, who directed the first five episodes, urged the camera operators to avoid carefully composed shots and to move their cameras frequently, telling them "If you're having trouble focusing, that's great." This mock-documentary style, in turn, influenced many other television dramas.
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There is some introductory narration at the beginning describing the neighborhood at the time the documentary was filmed. Some unifying commentary is also provided by an interview with Bronx
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who refuses to stop threatening her neighbor, and the arrest of a 70-year-old woman accused of hitting her daughter in the face with an axe.
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then became part of the visual language of feature films, so that "the DNA of original has found its way into the film mainstream."
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Boyle, Dierdre. "From
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Fetherston, Drew (May 10, 1987). "Last Call for the Cop Show That Broke All the Rules".
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tape equipment; it would have cost an estimated $ 90,000 if film had been used. Special
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O'Connor, John J. (January 2, 1977). "Documentary on Police Strips Away Any
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Mitchell, Elvis (June 30, 2002). "The Movies Can Credit A Cop Show".
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Epstein, Robert (March 12, 1992). "Academy's Latest Film Stir-Fry".
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Faking It: Mock-Documentary and the
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THE POLICE TAPES (Alan & Susan
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489:"Video Verite Style for Police Story"
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