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Feb 20, 2025 Web Exclusive By Hays Davis Photography by The Criterion Collection

With 1989’s Drugstore Cowboy, his second feature, Gus Van Sant became locked in as a filmmaker to follow. Set in 1971, the film tracks the ongoing quest across the Pacific Northwest of self-described “dope fiend” Bob (Matt Dillon) and his crew as they rob the drug supplies of pharmacies and hospitals. While we hear Bob detail the pleasures of shooting up and the steps of working up to a fix are portrayed, none of it is glamorized. “I’m hot to steal!” exclaims a restless Bob, whose itch for the next score overrides any thoughts of partying or relaxing. Though a successful heist may lead to the next high, nothing is easy, even as they set in place a suitcase-forwarding scheme to ensure that drugs are waiting for them in other locations. Along with the threat of a possible hex being just around the next corner, their reputation precedes the group, with dogged cops following their moves and Bob’s mother scrambling to hide her purse before he gets through the door for a visit.

The excellent cast–with Kelly Lynch, James LeGros, and Heather Graham rounding out the crew and James Remar as a determined detective–makes this troubled odyssey fascinating to watch. Also, Beat Generation icon William S. Burroughs is a jewel as Father Tom Murphy, a drug-addicted priest who knows Bob from his days as an altar boy. Special edition features of this 4K/Blu-ray release include commentary featuring Van Sant and Dillon, interviews with Van Sant and members of the cast and crew on The Making of “Drugstore Cowboy,” and new interviews with Lynch and director of photography Robert Yeoman.

(www.criterion.com/films/34208-drugstore-cowboy)