Cocaine Cowboys

[b.miller]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0380268/

this is getting a wider release today (I think). it really blew me away.

It's a doc about Miami in the late 70s into the 80s... basically the "real" miami vice. It's even got a score by Jan Hammer to make it feel like Miami Vice, except it's much much better. Not to mention crazy ass.


Well worth seeing for anyone interested in that period (cocaine's introduction to America and the resulting cartel war, government crackdown, and eventual outcome of the city of Miami) as well as fans of Miami Vice, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Scarface, Blow, or really any drug dealer movie. The stuff they talk about here is in that stranger than fiction category where if it was in a movie with actors critics would whine that it's unbelievable. To me it's a really vivid portrait of the excess that now defines that time.

seriously, I urge everyone to check it out.

[grady]

Here HERE to B.miller and his beating me to the punch.

This is a wonderful documentary and does a tremendous job in illustrating the real stories behind the popular 'fiction' of the cocaine trade in Miami in the late 70s/80s. It's really a sight to behold, especially when you get to see the actual individuals conveying the hows and whys as to what they did to smuggle coke into the US.

At once was something thought to be complex and overought with numerous participants instead becomes something very basic and simplistic, ran by a group of individuals with the will and determination to make money in the same vein of the ideals at the foundation of the american dream.

The above sounds convoluted upon review, but this docu. really shows that drive. These individuals are not dipping into their own supply, they're just interested in making money.

Another thumbs up and big grin from another dirt.

(I must mention that the second half of the film hits a bit of a lull for about 10 to 15 minutes.)

[b.miller]

yeah it's really like.. 45 minutes of how it began and how crazy simple it was in the beginning, then 60 minutes of violence and wars and crazy bitches then 15 minutes of how miami is today. it's really good though. go see it!

and if you like this movie, be on the look out for another doc called Excellent Cadavers:

http://www.filmforum.org/films/cadavers.html

it's the real stories of the Sicilian mafia wars and trials that were going on throughout the 80s and 90s. It's in the same vein of really unbelievable stuff and it's also very very good (but probably a bit harder to see at the moment).

but yeah... see cocaine cowboys.

[jose m]

sounds ace