Carlito's Way in the first place. The film is based mainly on "After Hours", but used the title of the first novel to avoid it being confused with Martin Scorsese's 1985 film of the same name. "Carlito's Way" received a mixed response from critics, with a similar lukewarm result at the box office, but has subsequently become a cult film. Both Penn and Miller received Golden Globe nominations for their performances. A prequel titled "", based on the first novel, was released direct-to-video in 2005. In 1975, after serving 5 years of a 30-year prison sentence, Carlito Brigante is freed on a
Carlito Brigante Carlito knocks Benny down a staircase. The young gangster takes a severe beating at the hands of Pachanga and a bouncer from the club in the back alley until Carlito tells Pachanga to "let him go", subsequently realizing that he has made a fatal mistake sparing Blanco's life. While visiting his client, Tony Taglialucci, the imprisoned mobster angrily accuses Kleinfeld of stealing one million dollars from him and threatens his life if Kleinfeld doesn't break him out of Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center. Kleinfeld solicits Carlito's assistance by pressuring him with notion that he was responsible for Carlito's early release