History Lesson

Walker (Criterion)
Alex Cox (Repo-Man, Sid and Nancy) has always been a hit-or-miss director, and this typically over-the-top 1987 biopic about a 19th century American adventurer who made himself dictator of Nicaragua before his death by firing squad is historically inaccurate. Yet there’s such ingenuity on display that it’s impossible to dismiss the movie entirely. Of course, two decades later, Cox’s film has become a saddening reminder that our foreign policy is still a mess, but Walker can also be watched just to savor Ed Harris’s irresistibly maniacal performance in the title role.
Extras: Director-writer commentary; original documentary on the making of the film; an extra’s reminiscences 20 years after filming.