Blow [WS]

Director: Ted Demme Ted Demme

Overview

"New Line has delivered a great DVD in Blow, the third release in its Infinifilm series. The Johnny Depp-starring film about the rise and fall of a cocaine dealer has never looked better. The picture is top-flight, presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. Sound is decent, offered in Dolby Digital 5.1, but in a film as dialogue-heavy as this one, one won't notice it as much. The extras are the true superstars here. The Infinifilm series invites viewers to ""go beyond the movie"" by offering features that shed light not only on the film's production, but also on its subject matter. Included on the disc is an interview with George Jung, the real person on whom the film is based; a commentary from Jung and director Ted Demme; ""Lost Paradise,"" an in-depth look at the Columbian drug trade; a six-minute featurette on drug addiction; deleted scenes; and a production diary, among many others. With the Infinifilm feature, many of these features can be accessed during the film itself, taking viewers to features relevant to the scene in question. The DVD is excellent in all respects and is well worth the money. Hopefully, other studios will follow New Line's lead and include more than just EPK material on their DVDs."

Product Details

Release Date:	09/11/2001
UPC:	0794043528422
Original Release:	2001
Rating:	R
Source:	New Line Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[stereo, Dolby Digital]
Language:	English
Time:	2:04:00
Sales rank:	22,452

Special Features

George Jung interviews by director Ted Demme; Lost Paradise: cocaine's impact on Columbia; Addition: body and soul; Trivia subtitle track with direct access to additional features; Script-to-screen access to the film; Link to original website; Exclusive access to online Infinifilm features; Commentary with director Ted Demme and George Jung; Deleted scenes with director commentary; Character outtakes; Ted Demme's production diary; Nikka Costa music video "Push and Pull"; Teaser and theatrical trailer; Cast and crew filmogrphies

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Johnny Depp	George Jung
Franka Potente	Barbara
Rachel Griffiths	Ermine Jung
Ray Liotta	Fred Jung
Ethan Suplee	Tuna
Paul Reubens	Derek Foreal
Max Perlich	Kevin Dulli
Cliff Curtis	Escobar
Miguel Sandoval	Augusto Oliveras
Kevin Gage	Leon Minghella
Bob Goldthwait	Mr. T
Miguel Perez	Alessandro
Dan Ferro	Cesar Toban
Tony Amendola	Sanchez
Michael Tucci	Doctor Bay
Monet Mazur	Maria
Lola Glaudini	Rada
Jennifer Gimenez	Inez
James King	Kristina Jung
Emma Roberts	Young Kristina Jung
Penélope Cruz	Mirtha
Jesse James	Young George
Jordi Mollà	Diego Delgado
Miguel Sandovar	Augusto Oliveras
Charles Noland	Jack Stevens
Pamela Abdy	Beach Woman #3
John Harrington Bland	FBI Waiter #1
Brantley Bush	FBI Waiter #3
Kevin Chapman	DEA Eastham
Brian Goodman	Guard Gus
Graeme Revell	Composer
Allan Byer	Composer

Technical Credits

Nick Cassavetes

David McKenna

Bruce Porter

Ted Demme	Producer,Director
Georgia Kacandes	Producer,Executive Producer
Avy Kaufman	Casting
Denis Leary	Producer
Joel Stillerman	Producer
Nick Cassavetes	Screenwriter
David McKenna	Screenwriter
Bruce Porter	Screenwriter
Brian Basham	Sound Effects
Ron Bedrosian	Sound Effects
Bill Odenkirk	Producer
Michael De Luca	Producer
Tracy Falco	Producer
Susan McNamara	Producer
Hillary Sherman	Producer
Michael DeLuca	Executive Producer
Allan Byer	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Ted Demme's drug drama doesn't score many points for originality or daring (borrowing liberally from the works of Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson among others), but the story of drug entrepreneur George Jung is still gripping enough to make this film worthwhile. In an unsurprising but effective turn from Johnny Depp, we see Jung's ups and downs as he teeters between infamy and respectability, and the film itself has a similar rickety pattern. The female roles played by Penelope Cruz and Rachel Griffiths are monstrous cartoons, configured to sneer easily; the characterizations take some of the wind out of the story, as they make it more retrograde than necessary. Furthermore, Jung's life is told with far too much sentiment, forcing the audience to sympathize with him more often than is needed and taking the darker edge off the film, which could have made it an irresistible crime tale much like Scorsese's GoodFellas. Scorsese told a very similar story with more black humor and a resistance to convention, while still managing to take the audience on a breathless ride -- something this film only hints at.