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Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rated by buyers R (Restricted)
Type of bind: DVD
Brand: MAGNOLIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT
EAN num: 0876964000635
Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Label: Magnolia
Manufacturer: Magnolia
Quantity: 1
Publishing house: Magnolia
Release Date: January 23, 2007
Running Time: 118 minutes
Sale Popularity Level: 2862
Studio: Magnolia
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
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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. Rated by buyers R UPC: 876964000635 Manufacturer No: 10063
Amazon.com:
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
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Rated by buyers 
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It is a great documentary shows how Miami Beach became Miami Beach. Great gift idea for hubbies lady's
Rated by buyers 
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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 what it was supposed to do, not change the channel and keep you in your seats.
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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.
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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 Billy Corben tells the story of a Miami skyline built not of bricks and steel, but bricks of cocaine via interviews with some interesting smugglers, assasins, dealers, Ford models, and newscasters.
According to the film, in the 1970's marijuana was easily smuggled into South Florida. People openly off-loaded bales of marijuana from sail boats on public docks without interference. According to dealers in the film, in the 1970's cocaine was only used by medical professionals who could afford the several hundred dollars a gram price tag. Eventually the Columbian cartels found smugglers willing to import the drug and used Cuban distributors which made the drug readily available for everyone. The drug was very first used by low-lifes-Castro refugees set free after he opened his prisons-and worked it's way up the ladder to become a party drug for all echelons of society. While the rest of the country struggled with 18 percent rates of inflation and a crashing economy, the Federal Reserve in Miami had so many deposits they had to stay open 24 hours a day. At one point the film says that federal investigators estimate one bank should have taken in deposits of around 2 million a year but was actually taking in 12 million. And that was just one bank. Hundreds opened their doors to launder money for the Columbian cartels. With the cocaine economy came Mercedes dealerships, a run-up in housing costs, luxury jewelery dealers. The Mercedes dealership in South Beach had a three month waiting list while the rest of the country was struggling to save for a Honda Civic and the gas that went in it.
It's never stated, but it sounds like the cocaine economy kept the whole country afloat for a while. The situation continued for about ten years until so much cocaine was being imported that the price dropped, violence skyrocketed, and the government finally decided to start busting people-not coincidentally at a time when the economy had recovered. Most of the people interviewed for this film were or are in jail. But many people in legitimate businesses that benefited from the free flowing cash from the cartels, used their new found wealth to build the Miami skyline. A doctor who is interviewed for the film said that at one point he was driving to work and counted more than 30 skyscrapers going up in the Miami skyline-all from the profits of drug money.
Some of this documentary will be familar. There have been enough films and sitcoms about cocaine in Miami that most of us know the tales. However, the positive economic impacts of cocaine were totally unknown to me. It's amazing and somewhat shocking. The vintage news footage and interviews make this documentary really interesting and keep the essential message from becoming a boring classroom lecture from the Federal Reserve chairman. All in all, a unique perspective and a pretty good yarn told by interesting raconteurs.
Rated by buyers -
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 start to end.
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