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Director Gus Van Sant, who scored both with "Mala Noche" and "Drugstore Cowboy", gets his artistic hat trick. This exquisite, cinematic poem is about the eternal search to belong somewhere, and the lonely landscape of the soul. It draws from a limitless palette of enigma, feelings and images. It replays in the mind as a painting -- a complete story, yet also frozen in time. It spins and respins itself with the ringing satisfaction of wind chimes. The tones sing to all the senses. Those with ears to hear will love this music.

Surreal character study focusing on the friendship between two male hustlers, Mike and Scott, in Portland, Oregon. They live on the streets, do drugs, and sell themselves to men and women. Mike is quiet, gay and suffers from narcolepsy. Abandoned as a child, he is obsessed with finding his long-lost mother. Scott is the rebellious son of a high-ranking family, who lives this life mostly to embarrass his father. Mike is in love with Scott, who still maintains he is straight and insists that his wild lifestyle on the streets is only temporary. Together, they embark on a quest to find Mike's mother...

Director: Gus Van Sant
Cast: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo
Country: USA
Genre: Drama

2 x DVD9 | NTSC 16:9 | 01:44:02 | 6.50 Gb + 7.32 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: English

Extras:

DISC ONE
* The Film
• Theatrical Trailer (2:17)

DISC TWO
• "The Making of My Own Private Idaho" documentary (42:20)
• "Kings of the Road" - video interview with film scholar Paul Arthur (44:13)
• Conversation between producer Laurie Parker and River Phoenix’s sister Rain (19:24)
• Audio conversation between Gus Van Sant and filmmaker Todd Haynes (124:28)
• Audio conversation between writer JT LeRoy (The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things) and filmmaker Jonathan Caouette (Tarnation) (53:14)
• Deleted Scenes: (unrestored and with missing sound and/or picture)
-- Scene #1 (7:48)
-- Scene #2 (0:56)
-- Scene #3 (0:40)
-- Scene #4 (1:25)
-- Scene #5 (1:00)
-- Scene #6 (0:47)
-- “Barn Crash with the Scratch” (0:05)

Easter egg:
• On disc two, navigate to "THE MAKING OF MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO" and further to "INDEX". Highlight "BACK" and then press LEFT and ENTER on your remote control. You will see Tres Shannon tell two anecdotes from the time of the premiere (6:46).

BD50 | 1080p AVC | 1:44:10 | 40.2 Gb + 3% rec
Language: English
Subtitles: English

Extras:

• Kings of the Road - in this archival video interview, film scholar Paul Arthur discusses the narrative structure and genre identity of My Own Private Idaho, the two characters played by River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves (and some of the specific qualities they have borrowed from classic American characters such as the Drifter), and the Shakespearean overtones in the film. The interview was conducted in 2004. In English, not subtitled. (45 min, 1080i).

• Gus Van Sant and Todd Haynes - in this featurette, directors Gus Van Sant and Todd Haynes (Safe, Velvet Goldmine) discuss the emergence of the New Queer Cinema, the initial script for My Own Private Idaho, the financing of the film and the casting of River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, the shooting of the time-lapse sequences, the film's stylized language, the framing of specific sequences (and how it creates the impression that large portions of the film are improvised), the central intimate sequence, etc. The conversation was recorded exclusively for Criterion in Portland, Oregon, in the fall of 2004. In English, not subtitled. (54 min, 1080p).

• The Making of My Own Private Idaho - in this documentary, editor Curtis Clayton, directors of photography John Campbell and Eric Alan Edwards, and production designer David Brisbin discuss the bold script for My Own Private Idaho and the risks it faced during the pre-production process, Gus Van Sant's visual preferences (and the specific ways in which he imagined and lensed various sequences), the Portland's gay/hustling scene during the '80s and how it was recreated in the film, the atmosphere and the flashbacks/time-lapses, etc. The documentary was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2004. In English, not subtitled. (43 min, 1080i).

• Laurie Parker and Rain Phoenix - producer Laurie Parker and Rain Phoenix, River Phoenix's younger sister, talk about the late actor's contribution to My Own Private Idaho, the shooting of the footage from Italy, the Shakespearean overtones in the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 1080i).

• Deleted Scenes - six unrestored deleted scenes.

• JT LeRoy and Jonathan Caouette - in this audio recording, filmmaker Jonathan Caouette and writer JT LeRoy (literary persona of Laura Albert) discuss My Own Private Idaho, which influenced Caouette's 2004 film Tarnation and LeRoy's novels and short stories (Sarah, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things). Director Gus Sant served as executive producer on Caouette's film and worked from LeRoy's original screenplay on Elephant. The conversation was recorded in December 2004. In English, not subtitled. (54 min, 1080p).

• Trailer - original trailer for My Own Private Idaho. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).