Blow [Blu-ray]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Following the life of cocaine-trafficking pioneer George Jung in a way that recalls Martin Scorsese's Casino, Blow recounts the man's days from his 1950s childhood in Boston to his downfall in the 1980s. George (played by Johnny Depp) begins his life as the son of Fred (Ray Liotta), an earnest breadwinner, and Ermine (Rachel Griffiths), who frequently walks out on them in pursuit of a more fulfilling life. When George moves west to California in the late '60s, accompanied by best pal Tuna (Ethan Suplee), he becomes an entrepreneur in the marijuana business, which soon spreads to the East Coast as well, with girlfriend Barbara (Franka Potente) smuggling the product during her stewardess shifts. George is arrested in 1972 -- at which time Barbara dies of cancer -- but George finds a new ally in Diego (Jordi Molla), who proposes the idea that he become the American conduit for Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar (Cliff Curtis). George flourishes in the heyday of the disco era, and falls for Mirtha (Penelope Cruz), a self-serving bombshell who eventually has a daughter with him. Trouble escalates as the FBI threatens to bring George and his crew down, while he desperately tries to be a stable parent to his young offspring. Blow also features Paul Reubens and Max Perlich in featured roles. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Features:
  • Relive the turbulent era of George Jung's rise and fall through remarkable vintage footage accessible while you watch the movie!
  • Commentary by director Ted Demme and George Jung
  • Deleted scenes
  • Character outtakes
  • Ted Demme's production diary
  • Nikki Costa Push and Pull music video
  • George Jung interviews by director Ted Demme
  • Lost Paradise: Cocaine's Impact on Colombia
  • Addiction: Body and Soul
  • Fact Track: Trivia subtitle track with direct access to additional features
  • Theatrical trailers

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Johnny Depp - George Jung
       Penelope Cruz - Mirtha Jung
       Jordi Molla - Diego Delgado
       Franka Potente - Barbara
       Rachel Griffiths - Ermine Jung
       Ray Liotta - Fred Jung
       Ethan Suplee - Tuna
       Paul Reubens - Derek Foreal
       Cliff Curtis - Pablo Escobar
       Miguel Sandovar - Augusto Oliveras
       Kevin Gage - Leon Minghella
       Max Perlich - Kevin Dulli
       Jesse James - Young George
       Miguel Perez - Allesandro
       Dan Ferro - Cesar Toban
       Tony Amendola - Sanchez
       Bobcat Goldthwait - Mr. T
       Michael Tucci - Dr. Bay
       Monet Mazur - Maria
       Lola Glaudini - Rada
       Jennifer Gimenez - Inez
       Emma Roberts - Young Kristina Jung
       James King - Kristina Jung

• Director:

  Ted Demme

• Producer:

  Denis Leary, Joel Stillerman, Ted Demme

• Book Author:

  Bruce Porter

• Screenwriter:

  David McKenna, Nick Cassavetes

• Cinematographer:

  Ellen Kuras

• Composer (Music Score):

  Allan Byer, Graeme Revell

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Amanda Scheer-Demme

• Editor:

  Kevin Tent

• Production Designer:

  Michael Z. Hanan

• Art Director:

  Bernardo Trujillo, David Ensley

• Co-producer:

  Georgia Kacandes, Michael De Luca

• Associate Producer:

  Hillary Sherman, Susan McNamara, Tracy Falco

• Executive Producer:

  Georgia Kacandes, Michael De Luca

• Set Designer:

  Bill Taliaferro, Douglas Mowat, Maria Baker, Melo Hinojosa

• Costume Designer:

  Mark Bridges

• Set Decorator:

  Douglas Mowat, Melo Hinojosa

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Allan Byer

• First Assistant Director:

  Nicholas C. Mastandrea

• Casting:

  Avy Kaufman

• Supervising Sound Editor:

  Mark Stoeckinger

REVIEW:

• 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. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi