Cocaine Cowboys (1979 film)

For the 2006 documentary film directed by Billy Corben, see Cocaine Cowboys (2006 film). For the 1999 heavy metal song by the band W.A.S.P., see Helldorado (album).
Cocaine Cowboys
Directed byUlli Lommel
Screenplay by
Produced byFranz-Christoph Giercke
Starring
CinematographyJochen Breitenstein
Edited byPaul Evans
Music byElliot Goldenthal
Release dates
  • October 5, 1979 (1979-10-05) (New York City)
  • June 11, 1980 (1980-06-11) (United States)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Cocaine Cowboys is a 1979 American crime drama film directed by Ulli Lommel and written by Lommel, Spencer Compton, Tom Sullivan and Victor Bockris.[1] It stars Jack Palance, Sullivan, and Andy Warhol[2] who made a cameo appearance.[3][4] It was actor Tzi Ma's film debut.[5]

Plot summary

Cocaine Cowboys is about cocaine dealing members of a rock band who get into trouble with the American Mafia.[6]

Andy Warhol appeared as himself interviewing Jack Palance.[7][3]

Reception

The film was given a very negative review at the time of its release by Tom Buckley in The New York Times.[3] Buckley wrote that apart from a good performance by Jack Palance, the other actors were "obvious amateurs", the story "flimsy", the dialogue poor and despite previous acting and directing successes Ulli Lommel's direction was "rudimentary".[3]

When mentioned in a Reuters news article in 2007 the film was referred to as a "clunker".[8]

Filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary both praised the film on the first episode of The Video Archives Podcast.

Film set

Lommel and Warhol on the set of Cocaine Cowboys. Warhol is using a Polaroid SX-70 camera.

Cocaine Cowboys was filmed in 1978 at Warhol's estate Eothen in Montauk, a hamlet in East Hampton, New York on Long Island.[3][9]

Selected cast

References

  1. ^ "Cocaine Cowboys (1979)". British Film Institute. Accessed 7 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Cocaine Cowboys (1979)". American Film Institute. Accessed 7 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e Buckley, Tom (5 October 1979). "Film: 'Cocaine Cowboys':Powdery Smugglers". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  4. ^ Christine Jun, "Andy Warhol's great grandchildren". Dazed, 6 August 2013. Accessed 7 February 2018.
  5. ^ Tzi Ma on The Farewell, Rush Hour, and working with the amazing Veep cast, retrieved 2019-12-22
  6. ^ "Cocaine Cowboys (1979)". Turner Classic Movies. Accessed 7 February 2018.
  7. ^ Warhol, Andy; Hackett, Pat (1989). The Andy Warhol Diaries. New York: Warner Books. p. 162. ISBN 978-0-446-51426-2.
  8. ^ Michael Rechtshaffen, ""Cocaine Cowboys" relives Miami's high times[dead link‍]". Reuters, 19 January 2007. Accessed 7 February 2018.
  9. ^ Anthony Haden-Guest, "Inside Jue Lan, The Hamptons’ Hot New Art Hangout". The Daily Beast, 28 May 2016. Accessed 7 February 2018.