Drugstore Cowboy (1989) - 15th September 2021 - Imprint Films

[DawnShadow]

Bob Hughes (Matt Dillon) is the leader of a “family” of drug addicts consisting of his wife, Dianne (Kelly Lynch), and another couple who feed their habit by robbing drug stores as they travel across the country. After a tragedy befalls a member of his group, Bob decides he must leave his dysfunctional clan and go straight. Parting ways with his junkie past proves more difficult than expected when Bob is stalked by an old acquaintance looking to score drugs at any price.

Directed By Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting) and based on the autobiographical novel by James Fogle.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

1080p High definition presentation
Vintage Making-of documentary
New Visual essay by filmmaker Chris O’Neill (2021)
New featurette on Gus Van Sant (2021)
New composer featurette (2021)
New writer featurette (2021)
New actor featurette (2021)
Theatrical Trailer
English Dolby Digital 2.0
Optional English subtitles
Limited Edition slipcase on the first 2000 copies with unique artwork.

Pre-order : https://viavision.com.au/shop/drugstore-cowboy-1989/

[Aunt Peg]

just finished watching it. The is no doubt that the has not been restored and Imprint doesn't claim it to be.

More extras than the DVD and the picture quality is good but you will notice some specks from time to time particularly the scenes where Matt Dillion is in a drug induced trip and he see hats and planes flighting scratches and specks are very evident on the print.

I so have a small TV so most discs look decent. On a bigger screen some people may be disappointed. Personally I was happy with the end result

[Mobe1969]

Originally Posted by DawnShadow

Pre-order : https://viavision.com.au/shop/drugstore-cowboy-1989/

Ah man just awesome. William Burroughs!

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Aunt Peg

just finished watching it. The is no doubt that the has not been restored and Imprint doesn't claim it to be.

What a shame... got to watch this theatrically during the initial release, it looked gorgeous. Never seen it look that good ever since.

[Gomephrus]

Originally Posted by Aunt Peg

just finished watching it. The is no doubt that the has not been restored and Imprint doesn't claim it to be.

More extras than the DVD and the picture quality is good but you will notice some specks from time to time particularly the scenes where Matt Dillion is in a drug induced trip and he see hats and planes flighting scratches and specks are very evident on the print.

I so have a small TV so most discs look decent. On a bigger screen some people may be disappointed. Personally I was happy with the end result

I personally love scratches and specks on transfers.

[kmhofmann]

Site review: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Drugs...lu-ray/291770/

And we can play the fun game of "wallpaper pattern or compression artifact?"
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...70&position=12
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...70&position=23

Having gone through all the screenshots, this just looks... pretty bad. Imprint disappoints again.

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by kmhofmann

Site review: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Drugs...lu-ray/291770/

And we can play the fun game of "wallpaper pattern or compression artifact?"
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...70&position=12
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/scree...70&position=23

Having gone through all the screenshots, this just looks... pretty bad. Imprint disappoints again.

Classic Dr. Svet. 'I don't get this movie, but I'm reviewing it anyway'.

I did not understand why they had chosen to live their lives as they do. I still don't, and I want to tell you why.

[Dellamorte13]

Are there any chances we'll get this from someone else?
You know, how Breakdown was released by Imprint and now it just got released by Paramount this week. I know Artisan/Lionsgate is probably who owns it now, but should I hold out for a better release?

I already own it on digital because I just couldn't watch the old, dated DVD and I love this one too much.

[I KEEL YOU]

Originally Posted by jkoffman

Classic Dr. Svet. 'I don't get this movie, but I'm reviewing it anyway'.

So basically the lifestyle depicted in the movie and whether he favors the lifestyle or not influenced his opinion of the movie. Does that mean that if he thinks The Godfather is a 5 star movie, he is in favor of organized crime and thinks that lifestyle is noble?

Anyway, I suspected that this would use the exact same, decent but could be better master as the older Japanese blu ray, which it ended up using (on a higher bit rate, I'm guessing), but I still got this anyway for the new extras because this is my favorite movie of all time. Imprint didn't include the audio commentary in the initial release description, but it's nice to see that it ended up on the blu ray after all, making this the ultimate release of the film.

Too bad my copy has been stuck with Australia's postal service since September 2nd, and is still waiting to be shipped outside of Australia. Dude, what the hell?

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

Too bad my copy has been stuck with Australia's postal service since September 2nd, and is still waiting to be shipped outside of Australia. Dude, what the hell?

I'm in the U.S. and pre-ordered from Deep Discount, received on 9/13.

[I KEEL YOU]

Originally Posted by jkoffman

I'm in the U.S. and pre-ordered from Deep Discount, received on 9/13.

I think the US is one of the countries with a bigger priority, where Australia's mail delays aren't as long as to where I live (Denmark). I've ordered it from viavision.com and it was shipped on august 27, and been stuck in Australia since sep 2. Needless to say, I won't be ordering like this again.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by jkoffman

Classic Dr. Svet. 'I don't get this movie, but I'm reviewing it anyway'.

Surely it’s more of an addiction rather than a choice?

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

I think the US is one of the countries with a bigger priority, where Australia's mail delays aren't as long as to where I live (Denmark). I've ordered it from viavision.com and it was shipped on august 27, and been stuck in Australia since sep 2. Needless to say, I won't be ordering like this again.

I've waited 6 months this year for some orders from JB Hifi in Australia, so I don't know of this "US priority" that you speak of. Since the pandemic is still affecting production and shipping across the board, I've found it more reliable/less frustrating to order imports from shops within the US.

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Surely it’s more of an addiction rather than a choice?

Any grown-*ss man that needs that explained to them in 2021 probably shouldn't be reviewing films with mature subject matter.

[I KEEL YOU]

Originally Posted by jkoffman

I've waited 6 months this year for some orders from JB Hifi in Australia, so I don't know of this "US priority" that you speak of. Since the pandemic is still affecting production and shipping across the board, I've found it more reliable/less frustrating to order imports from shops within the US.

I've had packages arrive to me after several months as well. But that was during the height of pandemic. But in recent months, I've had the cheapest "free shipping" mail from China arrive to me faster than this.

[cgpublic]

Originally Posted by jkoffman

Classic Dr. Svet. 'I don't get this movie, but I'm reviewing it anyway'.

In fairness to the good doctor, his honest admission about not understanding the film and related behaviors highlights the very sharp divide when screening and interpreting Drugstore Cowboy. If you are a present or former junkie, or have spent considerable time in close company of one, it is likely that you will have a very different perspective and appreciation of this film than someone who has not.

There is a scene late in the film which features Matt Dillon speaking of why he was compelled to get high that had absolutely nothing to do with his physical addiction to heroin.

This is the crux of the film, and by extension, why hundreds of millions throughout the world have turned to recreational, and non-recreational, drug use to cope with modern society.

[I KEEL YOU]

I've never taken drugs, and I credit this film and its realistic depiction of drug use as one of the reasons I've never taken drugs nor ever will. I do think that there are people who can be drug users and have relatively normal lives, as William S. Burroughs mentions later on in the film, but those people are sadly a small minority.

[Lutz]

Originally Posted by I KEEL YOU

I've had packages arrive to me after several months as well. But that was during the height of pandemic. But in recent months, I've had the cheapest "free shipping" mail from China arrive to me faster than this.

I’m in Australia and recently had a package arrive from Japan faster than another package sent in Australia from two suburbs over.

[I KEEL YOU]

I've noticed that this blu ray also contains the isolated score track. For some reason, you can't choose it in the blu ray disc menu, only while the movie is playing. And they didn't list this as an extra in the press release or the review here on the site.

Normally, I don't think these are that huge of a deal, but I'm really glad the isolated score is included here because Elliot Goldenthal's score for this movie is amazing and very unique.

[Olmo]

I haven't bought many Imprint titles to date; The Day of the Locust, The Gambler, At Close Range and lastly Drugstore Cowboy, which I have to say has the most shocking PQ.

'Day of the Locust had its issues but due to the way Schlesinger wanted it to look ie. Gauzy & soft hued, it gets the benefit of the doubt. However, the speckles and pops throughout 'Cowboy in what is only a 32 year old film is inexcusable.

Really distracted my viewing of what is a great film, buying with caution from this lot from now on. Have The Dead Zone & The Big Screen British Comedy set en route and I fear the worst, especially for the latter.