Product Details

• Actors: James Woods, Sean Young, John Kapelos, Steven Hill, Kelle Kerr
• Directors: Harold Becker
• Writers: Darryl Ponicsan, Ben Stein
• Producers: Harold Becker, Daniel H. Blatt, Darryl Ponicsan, Derek Gibson, John Daly
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: December 29, 1998
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0792839498
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #120,874 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

You'll find an example of James Woods's most daring and outrageous (some would say outlandish) acting in this 1988 film by director Harold Becker from a Darryl Ponicsan script. Woods plays a fast-rising, sharp-talking salesman, a yuppie on the make with the good life firmly in his sights. Until he discovers cocaine--and then his entire live-beyond-your-means ethos blends with a ravaging addiction that drives his lifestyle strictly down-market. Woods and costar Sean Young (with whom he subsequently had a rather public breakup) explore the wild-eyed outer limits with this particular monkey on their backs, in a movie whose acting-exercise quality usually takes a back seat to the obvious, melodramatic plotting. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cautionary Tale of Drug Abuse, July 3, 1999

By 

bookcat1962 "bookcat1962" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Boost [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Released during the "Just Say No" 1980s, this film is a cautionary tale of drug abuse. Lenny is a guy just trying to stake his claim in the world, to make a little money. He soon impresses a big wheel who moves Lenny and his wife to California where they are at first overwhelmed by the opulence but then become willing participants in it. Lenny continues to buy, buy, buy until it all crashes down. When the money stops rolling in, he is introduced to cocaine and the story then takes a dramatic turn as we watch Lenny lose it all. James Woods is fabulous as Lenny. I've seen this movie many times and now that I'm writing about it, I think it's time to pop this one into the VCR for another viewing.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HORRIFYING TRUTH, October 16, 2004

By 

KYLE SANDERS "kyle" (TAMPA,FLORIDA,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Boost [VHS] (VHS Tape)

James Woods is unbelievable in this movie.He is absolutely amazing as Lenny Brown the sharp as a knife down on his luck salesman with a beautiful wife(Sean Young)and an evergrowing loss of worth in his mind.Well his luck has changed for the better when he meets a man that basically gives Lenny and his wife a new life in Beverly Hills with a new job,car,and house.Soon Lenny begins to spend,spend,spend and before you know it his company goes straight under.And when hes at a party he dabbles in cocaine just to get his edge back and he convinces his wife to take it.What happens to Lenny after is an evergrowin addiction that he tries to kick but then something awful happens and he's back on more drugs,any drugs he can get crack,downers,pills,name it and the ending is bleak and disturbing.Woods gives his best and most disturbing and real performance of his carreer.Get this movie now.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing and realistic look at how powerful drugs are!, December 16, 2003

By 

Michael Erisman (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Boost [VHS] (VHS Tape)

There are some among us who would like to legalize drugs. They ought to watch this film. There are some who think that drug addiction is just an excuse. They ought to watch this film. In fact if you ever wanted to know what its like to be addicted to cocaine, just watch this movie.

This movie is simply the most powerful depiction I have seen of the devastating effects drugs can have on people. James Woods is brilliant, and the gradual erosion of his life seems to happen without his knowledge. Like the frog boiling in water, it all slips away subtly and quietly. In the end, he depicts the painful and harsh reality of a person who cannot see that he is in any way at fault, and if he gets just "one more break" it will all work out again.

Tremendous film and a very under-rated performance by Woods.