Bamba

Theatrical Release Date: 1987 07 22 (USA)

UPC: 043396085497

Studio: Columbia TriStar

MPAA Rating: PG13   Contains:[Violence, Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language]

Summary: Lou Diamond Phillips plays legendary 1950s rocker Ritchie Valens (born Ricardo Valenzuela), in this musical biography. Before scoring radio and concert success with hits like "La Bamba", "C'mon Let's Go", and "Donna", Valens was a 15-year-old migrant worker who worked with his mother Connie (Rosana De Soto). Valens' half-brother Bob Morales (Esai Morales) is a vitriolic ex-con who roars into the migrant camp on his Harley after his release from jail. Valens' musical talents are encouraged by his family -- though later various members of his family react to his fame with varying degrees of pride and envy -- and he soon earns an audition with legendary record producer and former Artie Shaw clarinet player Bob Keane (Joe Pantoliano). Valens soon appears in an Alan Freed rock n' roll teen exploitation film, lip-synching his blistering recorded version of "Ooh, My Head". When a romance with Donna Ludwig (Danielle von Zerneck) is forbidden by her conservative father, Valens pens the famous ballad that bears her name. Tours follow his chart success until the fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of Valens, The Big Bopper (aka J.P. Richardson), and Buddy Holly on February 3rd, 1959. The supporting cast is excellent with power-pop icon Marshall Crenshaw playing Buddy Holly singing "Crying, Waiting, Hoping". Brian Setzer accurately portrays rocker Eddie Cochran, and Howard Hunstberry plays Jackie Wilson and sings "Lonely Teardrops". Additional music is provided by Los Lobos, a band who traces their musical roots directly to Valens and other Mexican influences. Also making cameo appearances are the real-life Mrs. Connie Valenzuela and Bob Morales. Although not 100% historically accurate, La Bamba is much more accurate than 1978s The Buddy Holly Story. The feature turned a new generation on to the influential Tex-Mex rock that was an inspiration to such later rockers as The Bobby Fuller Four as well as Los Lobos. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Picture - Drama – null Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: Director, Producer and Cast Audio CommentaryTaylor Hackford and Daniel Valdez Audio CommentaryLa Bamba music video (Los Lobos)Lonely Teardrops music video (Howard Huntsberry)Remembering Richie featuretteTheatrical TrailerBios and FilmographiesLanguages: English (2-Channel Surround and 5.1), Spanish 4-ChannelSubtitles: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, ThaiWidescreen Format

Bamba

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 04/06/1999

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DDS2.0 Dolby Digital w/ 4 channels

Runtime: 108 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,Spanish

Subtitles: English,Spanish,Portuguese

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1
0. Scene Selections
1. Start [2:19]
2. Opening credits [1:42]
3. The Venezuela family [1:16]
4. Richie & Rob [2:46]
5. Bob & Rosie [5:08]
6. Donna [2:20]
7. "Rip It Up" [8:41]
8. Garage party [4:44]
9. Cowboy Palace [7:01]
10. "Ooh! My Head" [1:42]
11. "Framed" [2:41]
12. A drive with Donna [2:32]
13. Bob Keene [2:36]
14. "This I Swear" [2:25]
15. Telling his dream [3:15]
16. "Come On, Let's Go" [2:27]
17. Richie Valens [11:09]
18. "La Bamba" (traditional) [6:06]
19. "Donna" [3:41]
20. Dream Car [2:50]
21. American Bandstand [5:16]
22. "Summertime Blues" [1:50]
23. "Lonely Teardrops" [2:21]
24. "La Bamba" [8:44]
25. "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" [3:28]
26. Buddy Holly Airlines [1:39]
27. The day the music died [3:35]
28. End credits [4:00]

Mike DiBella

A somewhat syrupy rendering of real-life rags-to-riches rock and roller Ritchie Valens, La Bamba is both heartwarming and tragic. Lou Diamond-Phillips gives an energetic performance as the Mexican-American Valens; his acclaimed work in the film ultimately proved a double-edged sword, as the actor was largely unable to eclipse this performance in subsequent films. La Bamba's script extrapolates freely from the actual life and events surrounding Valens, but the end result is a pretty sound story that makes for a solid film. The music, provided primarily by Mexican-American rockers Los Lobos, helped their re-make of "La Bamba" chart on Billboard thirty-odd years after its initial release. Supporting performances by Marshall Crenshaw as Buddy Holly and Brian Setzer as Eddie Cochran lend the film even greater rock and roll credibility. The story that ended tragically in a plane crash claiming the lives of Valens, the Big Bopper and Buddy Holly informed a new generation of their legacy and was a hit at the box office. ~ Mike DiBella, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Mike Moroff  Actor 
Jeffrey Alan Chandler  Actor 
Tony Genaro  Actor 
Junie Lowry-Johnson  Actor 
John Quade  Actor 
Noble Willingham  Actor 
Sam Anderson  Actor 
Bob Morales  Actor 
Diane Rodriguez  Actor 
Dyana Ortelli  Actor 
Irma Valcorta  Actor 
Maggie Gwinn  Actor 
Kim Sebastian  Actor 
Geoffrey Rivas  Actor 
Ernesto Hernandez  Actor 
Mrs. Connie Valenzuela  Actor 
Eddie Frias  Actor 
Connie Alvarez  Actor 
Stephen Lee  Actor 
Allison Robinson  Actor 
Los Lobos  Composer (Music Score) 
Stuart Benjamin  Executive Producer 
Stuart Benjamin  Producer 
Bill Borden  Producer 
Miles Goodman  Composer (Music Score) 
Taylor Hackford  Producer 
Carlos Santana  Composer (Music Score) 
Curt Sobel  Composer (Music Score) 
Luis Valdez  Director 
Luis Valdez  Screenwriter 
Lou Diamond Phillips  Actor 
Esai Morales  Actor 
Rosanna de Soto  Actor 
Elizabeth Peņa  Actor 
Danielle von Zerneck  Actor 
Joe Pantoliano  Actor 
Marshall Crenshaw  Actor 
Rick Dees  Actor 
Howard Huntsberry  Actor 
Brian Setzer  Actor 
Daniel Valdez  Actor 

Country: USA