Search - Cobra Verde on DVD

MPAA Rating: NR Movie Release: 1988 DVD Release: 10/24/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, German Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 50 mins Studio: Anchor Bay Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Adventure, Adventure Drama

Director Werner Herzog, as usual, has spared no one -- especially himself -- in bringing this story of 19th-century African slave trading to the screen. Klaus Kinski plays an enterprising young Brazilian who after impregnating the three daughters of his plantation-owning employer, is sent to West Africa to round up slaves. Kinski goes to great lengths to befriend the very people he hopes to enslave and he eventually manages to overthrow a mad monarch and set himself up as king. As the years pass, Kinski grows wealthy -- and careless. However, despite enslaving the tribe, he does show some signs of humanitarian benevolence. This fifth and final collaboration between director Herzog and Kinski is considered the weakest of the five features. Though the title translates literally as Green Cobra, Cobra Verde was released in the U.S. as Slave Coast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Klaus Kinski - Francisco Manoel da Silva
King Ampaw - Taparica
Jose Lewgoy - Don Octavio Coutinho
Salvatore Basile - Captain Fraternidade
Nana Agyefi Kwame II - Bossa Ahadee

Director Werner Herzog and actor Klaus Kinski team up for the unsettling Cobra Verde. Anchor Bay has done some nice work on this 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This transfer looks clean and sharp with only the slightest amount of edge enhancement penetrating the image. Fans should be happy to have this widescreen version of the film which brilliantly captures the cinematographer's camera work. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in German, as well as Dolby 2.0 for the English dub of the film. The newly created 5.1 soundtrack sounds very full and well-mixed. All aspects of the dialogue, effects, and music are very clear with no trace of distortion or hiss. Also included on this disc are English subtitles. Anchor Bay has generously thrown in a few extra features, starting with a commentary track by the director and Anchor Bay facilitator Norman Hill. This track gives much insight into how the film was made (for under two million dollars), and how the director and his sometimes nemisis/partner Klaus Kinski got along on the set. Also included on this disc is a theatrical trailer for the film as well as some talent files on the principal players. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide