1970s Rock'n'roll drug oddity.
5 September 2001
'Cocaine Cowboys' is a curious movie directed by Ulli Lommel, who is also responsible for another obscure 70s rock-related film with an Andy Warhol cameo 'Blank Generation'. 'Blank Generation' has been unfairly forgotten and is really worth watching. 'Cocaine Cowboys' probably deserves its obscurity. Unless you're a massive Jack Palance or Warhol fan there's not much on offer here. The uncharismatic Tom Sullivan (who he?) plays the lead role, a rock singer, and also co-writes the forgettable songs. The band he fronts sounds dated even for the time, kinda Joe Cocker and the Grease Band meets Bad Company, but with sub-par material. No wonder he went on to nothing in particular.

The plot concerns a rock band who are also cocaine smugglers. They want to get out of the drug business, but must go through with one last deal. No surprise that it all goes wrong and that their Mob buddies want blood. Jack Palance plays their cigar-chomping manager. Andy Warhol plays himself and does very little. His involvement seems mainly for the benefit of promoting his 'Interview' magazine. Fair enough. But why Palance would agree to be involved in this b-grade bore is anybody's guess.

For 70s obsessives only.
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