{"product_id":"born-to-lose","title":"Born to Lose","description":"August 22, 1972: Two men attempt to rob a bank in Brooklyn. They fail miserably: the money they'd hoped for isn't there, the cops get tipped off immediately, and within 30 minutes they're in a hostage situation with the FBI. Things \u003ci\u003ereally\u003c\/i\u003e get crazy when reporters learn that one of the robbers is gay and married to a trans woman. The crowd of journalists and onlookers grows into the hundreds, desperate for a glimpse of this charismatic live-wire who's robbing the bank not for greed or thrills, but to fund his partner's sexual reassignment surgery. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSound familiar? This is the plot of \u003ci\u003eDog Day Afternoon\u003c\/i\u003e, the 1975 film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino, John Cazale, and Chris Sarandon. It remains a high-water mark of New Hollywood, where the best acting talent of the day came together on a film that was truly exceptional. But equally exceptional was the fact that the film was based on a true-life incident. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDrawing on extensive archival research, film historian Rachel Walther delves into the film's backstory, tracing how an unbelievable true crime tale of love, bank robbery, and LGBTQI+ activism became a box-office smash and catapulted a group of Brooklyn outsiders into the media spotlight. Name-checked on TV shows from \u003ci\u003eThe Simpsons\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eDrunk History\u003c\/i\u003e, and now a Broadway play, \u003ci\u003eDog Day Afternoon\u003c\/i\u003e's legacy continues to inspire filmmakers, writers, and actors. Walther's deep dive interrogates the film's place in the 1970s zeitgeist, set against a background of antiwar activism and the fight for gay and trans rights, and in doing so shows its continuing relevance today.","brand":"Headpress","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48845259833549,"sku":"9781915316509","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0557\/1529\/9533\/files\/imageloader_535d5a6c-6357-4d98-a3c4-69d43601b3d0.jpg?v=1792714194","url":"https:\/\/booksatmidnight.com\/products\/born-to-lose","provider":"Books At Midnight","version":"1.0","type":"link"}