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Cocaine Cowboys
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Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: MAGNOLIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT
EAN: 0876964000635
Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Item Dimensions: 25
Label: Magnolia
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled),
Manufacturer: Magnolia
MPN: 10063
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Magnolia
Release Date: January 23, 2007
Running Time: 118 minutes
Studio: Magnolia
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
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Editorial Review:
More of a real-life exploitation film than a bonafide documentary, Cocaine Cowboys is tailor-made for anyone who worships Brian De Palma's Scarface. It's no surprise that this slick, energetic film found a niche audience among crime-obsessed hip-hoppers; from a journalistic perspective it's an irresponsible mess, but director Billy Corben is obviously more interested in capturing the thrills and danger of the drug trade that transformed Miami, Florida during the Miami Vice era of the late 1970s and '80s. Corben has no particular interest in seriously examining the sociopolitical implications of Miami's drug-fueled rise and fall, so Cocaine Cowboys lives up to its title by focusing on some of the most colorful, daring, and outrageously successful survivors of that era, when tons of cocaine were distributed through Miami by the kingpins of Colombia's notorious Medellin cartel. Chief among the many interviewees are Jon Roberts and Mickey Munday (who personally transported over $2 billion worth of cocaine into Miami) and Jorge "Rivi" Ayala, a convicted drug-trade assassin now serving consecutive life terms in prison. They're lively storytellers who are egotistically eager to share their coke-tales, and Corben's only too happy to capture their exploits on film, up to and including the dubious use of violent reenactments that could easily serve as a recruitment film for Tony Montana wannabes.
It's simultaneously disgusting and compelling, especially since Corben has a knack for matching swift editing to the pulsing score by TV's original Miami Vice composer Jan Hammer. In the final analysis, it must be said that Cocaine Cowboys succeeds as a brash and breathtaking record of a bygone era, when murder rates were at an all-time high, coke was everywhere, and Miami was financially transformed into a nightlife mecca where criminals were kings. Or queens, as in the case of Griselda Blanco, the ruthless and self-appointed "Godmother" of the cocaine trade, who was responsible for countless murders and as of 2007 remained at large, her whereabouts unknown. All of this deadly life in the fast lane makes for a fascinating movie, but Corben and coproducer David Cypkin's breathless commentary makes it clear that they're young, immature thrill-seekers, and their film makes no apologies for glorifying the drug trade while exploring its bloody and frequently fatal consequences. Their commentary also accompanies an abundance of deleted scenes, and there's also a bonus featurette, "Hustlin' with the Godmother," in which Griselda Blanco's former lover and big-time coke dealer Charles Cosby tells his story, which clearly has all the makings of a Hollywood movie along the lines of Blow. You can bet that film will eventually be made, and don't be surprised if it's Corben who makes it. --Jeff Shannon
The cocaine trade of the 70s and 80s had an indelible impact on contemporary Miami. Smugglers and distributors forever changed a once sleepy retirement community into one of the world s most glamorous hot spots the epicenter of a $20 billion annual business fed by Colombia s Medellin cartel. By the early 80s Miami s tripled homicide rate had made it the murder capital of the country for which a Time cover story dubbed the city "Paradise Lost."System Requirements:Run Time: 118 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating: R UPC: 876964000635 Manufacturer No: 10063
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Money, Power and Drugs make for great entertainment
I caught this on Showtime a few weeks back and wow was it entertaining. More of a shockumentary then a documentary, most of the major players are interviewed and all of them tell a pretty compelling story about the cocaine trade of Miami. You could tell that these guys were proud of what they did and how they pulled it off. Not in a macho, arrogant type way but a calm and collective way that really makes it like you could talk to these guys as if they were just anyone else on the street. It did ... Read More
Rating:  - You can't make this stuff up....
To anyone who watches films like "Scarface" or shows like "Miami Vice" and said to yourself, "that's ridiculous, no way that stuff is accurate", you were correct. They were considerable understatements compared to the actual level of violence and the amounts of money being made in the coke trade. Best true crime docu ever made, IMO.
Rating: - You'll Never Look At The Miami Skyline In the Same Way Again
A Real Life Weeds - Season One,Weeds - Season Two,Weeds - Season Three
A documentary that details the inception of the cocaine drug trade in America from the early 1970's when Columbian dealers dropped a few "suprise" kilos in bags of marijuana which was easily smuggled in via boats to the Reagan Era which spent millions "controlling" the drug trade in South Florida. "Cocaine Cowboys" presents an interesting perspective on the economy of the 1970's and what kept Miami afloat. Director ... Read More
Rating: - Perfect Documentary About Miami
This movie is great because it makes you think about Miami in a different light. I had no idea how the city was actually built. And for all it's horrors, did something good come out of the cocaine trade in the 70's and 80's? This is a fast paced film that really does a good job of explaining the history of Miami. The people in this film are letting you in on secrets. It does glorify the drug trade to an extent which is why I gave it only 4 stars, but it is done very well and keeps you interested from ... Read More
Rating: - Amazing
I have always been intrigued by Miami in the 70's and 80's and this documentary adds so much to what i already know. it was a directed and produced with style and the footage and pictures were fantastic. The trafficking tales told by John Roberts and Mickey Munday are incredible and i can listen to those for hours on end. The interiew with Rivi was chilling and very revealing about those times and the seeming lawlessness in South Florida. For someone who killed X amount of people, he comes off with a ... Read More
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