The Last Picture Show (DVD, 1999, Definitive Director's Cut)

From the very beginning you know you are going to be depressed watching this movie. In black and white, the wind is blowing dust and leaves around old buildings in the 1950s, and there is hardly any activity. And then you see the interiors of an extremely dirty pool hall, a mom and pop restaurant, and an old truck that barely runs.

This is Anarene, Texas (really Archer City) with its star-studded cast of future stars, and the story begins. Most of them are bored, depressed, and self-destructive. But here they are:

Jacy Farrow (Cybill Shepherd in her debut movie)is the main female player. She plays the adored high school beauty and it helps that her father owns the nearby functioning oil well. The family is rich, but neither her mother Lois (Ellen Burstyn) nor Jacy are happy. Jacy has a boyfriend Dwayne Jackson(Jeff Bridges), but she has sex with him twice and then dumps him for three more men before the movie is over.

Sonny Crawford (Timothy Bottoms) is the main male player. He is a member of the sorry football team but a favorite of Coach Popper. He sends him to drive his wife Ruth Popper (Cloris Leachman) to the doctor. He ends up having an affair with this SUPER-depressed woman, and she requests that Sonny take her every time. Sonny is her cure, and soon we see a revitalized woman.

The most beloved character is Sam the Lion (Ben Johnson), who owns the restaurant and the pool hall. He is the unofficial adviser to all the boys, as their fathers are either dead or unconcerned. He also is the caretaker of Billy (Sam Bottoms), a retarded young boy who ends up playing a pivotal part in the movie. Sam's words are like the Bible to these young men; and when he speaks, they listen. One time, he tells the story of a woman he loved and still loves and how they courted. It is apparent that it is Lois Farrow when he dies and she can barely stand at the cemetery.

Most of the characters in this movie are having sex with someone or several people. We see a nude swimming party, sex in the movies, sex in the dilapidated truck, sex on a pool table, and sex in two motels. That is about all that there is to do here. And of course, everyone knows what you are doing. In fact, they may be parked outside watching.

Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson both won Best Supporting Actress and Supporting Actor Oscars for this 1971 movie. Additionally, Jeff Bridges and Ellen Burstyn were nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, and the movie was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director, Peter Bogdanovich in his second movie. There were 8 nominations altogether.

There are 2 featurettes on this DVD with interviews with the stars of the movie. We see them close to 2007 as they look now and hear their comments about their roles. Both special features are narrated by Peter Bogdanovich.

This movie is not for children and not for the depressed. The movie was intentionally made in black and white because they wanted to convey the mood of desolation. It worked!