I am sure they are wildly different stories, but I know they at least have male prostitution in coming. And while I am not privy to that sort of subject matter, the reviews for the movie as well as the DVD as a whole for the Criterion release seems to be stellar. And I do think the acting has a lot to do with my likes, for MC had two great performances by Hoffman and Voight and MOPI seems to mirror that in Reeves and Phoenix.

So will I like the movie enough to watch a few times if I really liked "Midnight Cowboy" and perhaps other movies like it (of which I don't know too many other)? Just want to see if the new Criterion Collection release is worth my picking up.

Thanks for comments...

c'mon people...comments??

I bought it yesterday and will give it a spin this weekend and let you know, as I have seen MC as well. Until then, patience young padawan...

Ok I'll give you my short version (since I hardly remember "Idaho", saw it once when it was released in 1991).

Rent it first to be sure. I remember liking the movie but not to the point of "Yeah AWESOME!!"

Ever since I saw this thread I'm cursed with that quote in my head :

"I'm walking here, I'm WALKING HERE!"

can't rent is the thing, my BBV doesn't carry.
thanks Ker...I'll be waiting on ya!

yeah...great line...great movie!

Very different movies. A lot of people are put off by the iambic pentameter and other "quirks" in My Own Private Idaho. I think it's a great film, but I would never recommend it as a "blind buy."

Freudian?



Stew

I would say that they are two completely different movies from what I can remember. I haven't watched MC in quite a number of years, and MOPI in probably 3 or so.

Personally I would recommend buying it. It is really a fantastic movie and has been on my list of "Why isn't this on DVD yet?!?" since I first got into DVDs.

I haven't watched the DVD yet, but goddamn the packaging it is beautifully done.

Definitely rent it before buying, it's not to everyone's taste.

i picked up "Idaho" yesterday and watched it last night,i have seen it many times before and loved it,last night was the first time my husband has seen it and he really liked it as well,i would not recommend it for a casual movie watcher,but if you like serious and somber movies,that you mind paying 30.00 dollars to add to your collection,this one is right up your alley.

i'm definitely not the casual viewer. i do like the very rich, very absorbing stories. more and more this seems like it will be a buy. i wish i could rent before i buy, but that simply isn't an option, thus i am trying to make a comparison to something else i might have watched ala MC.

there is nothing that i can really think of to compare this movie to.it really stands on its own,it's unique...

I'm pretty sure I've read that the "I'm walking here! I'M WALKING HERE!" line was an ad lib on Hoffman's part. Brilliant!

Well... both films feature a main character with some degree of naivete, both searching for an elusive "home", both becoming hustlers to get by, and both of whom strike up relationships with another person struggling under the weight of their own deficiencies and dashed hopes. "Cowboy" tends to be a bit more gritty, whereas "Idaho" is more surreal and idealized... they don't feel like the same sort of movie exactly, but there are some similarities. I think they're both fantastic films.

Will I get any indication if I rent "Drugstore Cowboy", another earlier Van Sant directed that I believe got some good reviews?

they both have a different feel to them but,you can also tell they are made by the same person...like S.Kubrick's work,different subjects or settings but the same atmosphere...

Keanu Reeves is in it.

.

and that means what...the movie is horrible?

I always thought that means I have to watch it to see why the director would want to put him in there...

I watched it a few hours ago and it was ok. It didn't blow me away and I didn't 'get it' on the 1st viewing. Phoenix's character severely depressed me and seemed to have no redeeming qualities. Reeves character was the more interesting of the two and I like how he drifted between circles. I almost felt that the dialogue had a 'Shakespearean' quality about it for a while (can't quite put my finger on it) like it was adapted from Shakespeare or something. The prostitution, especially with the other males, was at times disturbing. The 'little dutch boy' scene standing out as the most scary.

Overall, I'd say it was 'ok' and I need to dig deeper and look for help for additional meaning because it wasn't on the surface.