Search - Basquiat on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Profanity Movie Release: 1996 DVD Release: 09/03/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 46 mins Studio: Miramax Members Wishing: 14 Genres: Drama, Biopic [feature]

Andy Warhol was a phenomenon who warrants a lot of explaining: a completely colorless mega-star celebrity, and a kind of LaBrea Tarpit for a vivid and talented collection of oddballs in the New York scene. He fostered their continued degeneration into weird lifestyles and heavy drug use; and at the same time acted as their mentor, agent, and sponsor. One artist who came to be part of Warhol's "scene" was Jean Michel Basquiat, an antisocial street-bum who went from writing graffiti on alley walls to being the toast of New York City's art world. This film biography chronicles the progression of Basquiat (Jeffrey Wright) and his progression from living in cardboard boxes to penthouses, his romances, his drug use, and his death in 1988 at age 27. Along the way, he never stopped detesting the rich, including art agent Bruno Bischofberger (Dennis Hopper), and he never lost his naivete. Warhol (David Bowie) picks up some of the pieces as Basquiat lurches through the art scene. Cameo appearances by Tatum O'Neal and Courtney Love add spice to this interesting film. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Jeffrey Wright - Jean Michel Basquiat
Michael Wincott - Rene Ricard
Benicio Del Toro - Benny Dalmau
Claire Forlani - Gina Cardinale
David Bowie - Andy Warhol

It's a good thing that Basquiat is a pretty interesting movie that chronicles the life of the artist and his rise to fame after meeting Andy Warhol, because the DVD has no extras beyond the film itself. Disney could have been very creative adding documentaries or galleries of his artwork, however, they didn't. This DVD is only for die-hard fans of the film. ~ Sharon McRill, All Movie Guide