World Famous Comics: Drug Wars - The Camarena Story
Drug Wars - The Camarena Story
Starring: Steven Bauer, Elizabeth Peña, Miguel Ferrer, Benicio Del Toro, Guy Boyd Directed By: Brian Gibson Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: DVD Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC Label: Lions Gate Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: April 22, 2003 Running Time: 130 minutes Theatrical Release Date: January 07, 1990
Amazon.com: Following the success of Traffic, this similar 1990 miniseries is being released in movie form. Based on the true story of the kidnapping and murder of a DEA agent named Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, Drug Wars: The Camarena Story depicts how Camarena's success burning down a huge field of marijuana in the Mexican desert led to his disappearance--which in turn set off an escalating series of confrontations between drug traffickers, the DEA, and the corrupt Mexican police. Despite low production values, a melodramatic script, and clumsy direction, Drug Wars does paint a complex picture of the political posturing and power struggles among agencies in the U.S., as well as the intricate web of corruption in Mexico, that have turned the drug war into a disastrous mess. Featuring Benicio Del Toro (as a Mexican drug lord), Steven Bauer, Craig T. Nelson, Mel Ferrer, Treat Williams, and Elizabeth Peña. --Bret Fetzer
dependency this dvd is based on a true story. lot of young people, men in many examples,think they are drug lords because of 'the money they gain'. it is independent of nationality, in this case, a mexican young man.I think this dvd will be better if artisan home entertainmente and zzy production release it again, including more 2 hours from the original.
Drug Wars - The Camerena Story Too many scenes were cut out from the original film. The scenes that were cut out greatly dilutes the full impact of this case and the conclusion as it relates to the consequences of those corupt individuals involved in the murder of Kiki Camerena.
Based on a true story - from the producers of The Insider, Ali, and Black Hawk Down Drug Wars: The Camarena Story was a 1990 TV mini-series based on Elaine Shannon's book 'Desperados' and the Time magazine article of the same name. This is a fact-based story of undercover DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena, While stationed in Guadalajara, Camarena (Bauer) uncovered a large-scale marijuana operation in a region of Northern Mexico. This discovery led to Camarena's death. His disappearance sparked a massive U.S.-led investigation, which unraveled an unsettling conspiracy involving military cover-ups, the drug mafias, and political corruption in Mexico.
Starring Steven Bauer, Craig T. Nelson, Treat Williams, and Elizabeth Pena. Executive Producer: Michael Mann.
Review of The Camarena story. This film demonstrates the dangers faced by law enforcement in confronting major drug kingpins. The associated violence and corruption continues even today.
The DVD edition is terrible The true Camarena case is a rather interesting story that deserved to be brought to the big screen but it was at least brought to the small screen as a 6 hour TV miniseries spanning 3 days in January 1990. Well I was too young to have seen it then, and I guess I missed out terribly because in 2003 a TWO HOUR (what the...?) DVD version came out. It is obviously a watered down and extremely edited version of the original but I can only assume, since I never had the chance to see the original series. What were the producers of this DVD thinking? Serious loop holes, little to no character buildup, key figures in the case are simply ommited or they were edited out, like Ernesto Fonseca, Caro Quintero's partner and accused accomplice in the torture/murder of Agent Camarena, is seen only twice (?) and doesnt speak a word? Felix Gallardo another key figure, is only but a name in the credits, he is NEVER introduced in the DVD movie (although Caro Quintero and Fonseca Carrillo are) so viewers unfamiliar with the case dont even notice him or his role in the torture/murder...also along with Camarena, his Mexican pilot was also kidnapped, Alfredo Zavala Avelar, and in this movie he is "played" by Pepe Serna of Kingpin and Scarface fame, yet he is seen for like 5 seconds, flying an airplane, and only mentioned ONCE by a US official, so people watching this movie dont even know WHO he is, or where in the movie he is? His kidnapping from Guadalajara airport is not even depicted in the movie. Why omit an important part of the story? Jacob Vargas is also in the end credits as "Jose Zavala" yet in the movie, Jacob Vargas NOR "Jose Zavala" ever come up. What gives? I just hope in the future, producers come to their senses and release the FULL miniseries in a multi-disk pack instead of a chopped up, sloppy excuse for a movie. If your gonna release a movie that many say is one of the greatest TV movies of all time, then why erase more than half of it? It makes no sense, avoid this movie if your interested in the real Camarena story and pick up a book instead, Desperados by Elaine Shannon on which this movie is based (loosely).
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