Alpha Dog with Emile Hirsch: DVD Cover
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Alpha Dog Director: Nick Cassavetes Cast: Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone

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  • DVD Release Date: 05/01/2007
  • Original Release: 2006
  • Rating: Rated R
  • Sales Rank: 8,369

Viewer Rating: (5 ratings)

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  • Overview
  • Editorial Reviews
  • Scenes
  • Customer Reviews
  • Cast & Crew
  • Full Product Details

Scenes

Features

A Cautionary Tale - The Making of Alpha Dog; Witness timeline - Get detailed information on each witness as the shocking events unfold

Full Product Details

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Alpha Dog
1. Parenting (Main Titles) [4:33]
2. Business As Usual [3:21]
3. Knocking 'Em Dead [6:05]
4. It's On [6:58]
5. Got to Get Out [4:58]
6. Pay Up [3:52]
7. Playing Games [5:58]
8. Day One [2:00]
9. Looking for Truelove [:08]
10. Day Two [:42]
11. Finding a Solution [:33]
12. Day Three [1:27]
13. Marco... Polo... [1:03]
14. Going Home [1:41]
15. Looking at Life [5:02]
16. No Choice [:28]
17. Their Own Rules [1:29]
18. Closing In [2:29]
19. On the Run [:42]
20. End Titles [4:42]

Scene Index

Editorial Reviews

A drug dealer moves on to bigger crimes in an effort to settle a score with disastrous results in this drama inspired by actual events. Though barely out of his teens, Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) has already built a lucrative career for himself selling drugs -- he has his own home, a luxury car, and posse of friends who do double duty as his crew, including Elvis (Shawn Hatosy), Frankie (Justin Timberlake), and Tiko (Fernando Vargas). While life at Johnny's house is usually a constant party interrupted by occasional dope deals, Johnny has lost all of his patience with Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster), a regular customer who has run up a large tab that he can't pay. Determined to clear Jake's account, Johnny and his boys plan to kidnap Jake and hold him for ransom, but when they happen upon his 15-year-old stepbrother, Zack (Anton Yelchin), they impulsively decide to take the youngster instead. Jake's father, Butch (David Thornton), and his stepmother, Olivia (Sharon Stone), are already furious with their junkie son when they learn about Zack's disappearance, and aren't sure what they should do. Meanwhile at Johnny's place, Frankie takes a liking to young Zack, who already admires his brother's high-flying lifestyle, and introduces the kid to the joys of grown-up partying, which he takes to with dangerous zeal. Also featuring Bruce Willis as Johnny's father, Alpha Dog was based on the real-life story of Jesse James Hollywood, who at the age of 21 became one of the youngest people to ever appear on the FBI's "Most Wanted" list. Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Customer Reviews

  • Viewer Rating:
  • Ratings: 5Reviews: 2

Despite the Horrifying Material, the Film is Well Madeby Anonymous

Reader Rating:
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May 05, 2007: ALPHA DOG is a tough movie to watch and to review. The story, in part because it is true, is repugnant, and the slice of life in 1999 in the San Gabriel Valley, California is disturbing to the point of nausea. But this heinous kidnap/murder of a 15-year-old kid by his peers is captured in an intense manner by writer/director Nick Cassavetes in the way he has cast, directed, and propelled this story of the infamous Jesse James Hollywood to the screen. It is tough to watch but it needed to be put in front of us to make us examine current parenting/adolescent dysfunction and the possible results. The story is so well known that summarizing it is most likely unnecessary. Cassavetes uses the superimposed documentary technique to validate the times and the characters involved in this crime ridden case. The true problem begins with severely dysfunctional parenting and extends into the drug and alcohol abusing, moneyed by crime, irreverent amoral teenagers driven by greed and lack of self discipline that results in the wasted death of a kid who happened to be the brother of one of the troubled, drug addled teenies: a 15-year-old was kidnapped and murdered for a bad drug debt of $1200.! The cast is strong and includes Emil Hirsch as Johnny (the Alpha Dog), Justin Timberlake, Shawn Hatosy, Fernando Vargas, and Vincent Kartheiser as Johnny's 'gang' Ben Foster as the addicted debtor whose brother Anton Yelchin is killed and Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, David Thornton, and Harry Dean Stanton as some of the severely dysfunctional parents. They make a fine ensemble cast, especially the despicable characters they are asked to portray. The language is wholly gutter oriented and becomes tiresome - just like listening to it on our streets. Cassavetes ends his film with a survey of the consequences faced by each of the characters and that helps bring closure to an otherwise difficult bit of history to swallow. If only there were some hopeful solutions for changing this type of behavior given, but then that might have blunted in impact of the film. Grady Harp

It wasn't too bad!by Anonymous

Reader Rating:
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May 05, 2007: Alpha dog was a really good movie. At first I thought it was just another boring flick,but I was wrong. I also doubted Justin Timberlake as well, however his role wasn't bad. He played it better than I thought. Can't always jugde a book by it's cover!

common sense media

This item Rated Appropriate for Ages 17 and Up

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Why We Rated This Appropriate for Ages 17 and UP

What to watch out for

  • Drugs:

    Frequent drinking (mostly beer) by young adults, as well as 15-year-old boy; bongs visible and in use; several scenes chow characters drunk and behaving badly (sexual aggression, passing out); frequent pot-smoking and preparation (one chara... More

    Frequent drinking (mostly beer) by young adults, as well as 15-year-old boy; bongs visible and in use; several scenes chow characters drunk and behaving badly (sexual aggression, passing out); frequent pot-smoking and preparation (one character's father grows marijuana in his garden alongside organic vegetables); mother tells her daughter, "I'm ex-ing" cigarette smoking in nearly every scene (when 15-year-old Jake demurs, Frankie encourages him, "It's good for you"); central characters also deal drugs; Jake appears high (on some form of speed/crack) in several scenes. Close

  • Language:

    Relentless language, including "f--k" (about 300 uses, several with "mother"); "s--t" (20), multiple uses of "faggot," "hell," "c--ksuckers," "d---wad," and "bastard," plus two uses each of "spook" (in reference to blacks/slaves) and the "N... More

    Relentless language, including "f--k" (about 300 uses, several with "mother"); "s--t" (20), multiple uses of "faggot," "hell," "c--ksuckers," "d---wad," and "bastard," plus two uses each of "spook" (in reference to blacks/slaves) and the "N" word; one use of "c--t." Close

  • Messages

  • Sex:

    Sexual slang ("you chasin' tail?", "faggot," "p--sy"); frequent references to sex acts ("suck c--k," "dildo up the ass"); several sex acts (in bed, threesome kissing in pool); a girl's tatoo features naked breasts; sex scenes in the pool an... More

    Sexual slang ("you chasin' tail?", "faggot," "p--sy"); frequent references to sex acts ("suck c--k," "dildo up the ass"); several sex acts (in bed, threesome kissing in pool); a girl's tatoo features naked breasts; sex scenes in the pool and in bed show naked breasts and bottoms; man entwined on sofa with two women in underwear; mother appears at door in sheet, telling her daughter to leave her alone so "I can screw your father." Close

  • Violence:

    Repeated graphic violence; graphic shooting in rap music videos (blood spurts from victims' chests); fights involve breaking glass table/windows, bloody injuries, broken arm, kicks to crotches, a boy punching out girls; a "crew" breaks into... More

    Repeated graphic violence; graphic shooting in rap music videos (blood spurts from victims' chests); fights involve breaking glass table/windows, bloody injuries, broken arm, kicks to crotches, a boy punching out girls; a "crew" breaks into "enemy"'s home and destroys furniture, TV, etc. (one boy defecates on a rug); murder victim-to-be is shown begging for his life and is then shot anyway (blood all over ground); mother discusses three suicide attempts. Close

  • Consumerism:

    Beer logos visible at convenience store; Members Only jacket; Outbacks Steakhouse, Scarface poster in bedroom.

What Parents Need to Know

About Alpha Dog

Parents need to know that this movie is a focuses on older teens and twentysomethings who do and deal drugs (some encouraged by parents who also smoke pot), have sex, drink, smoke, lie, and cheat. There is a lot of violence, including shootings, fights, bloody injuries, a nasty broken arm (it cracks loudly), kicks, a boy knocking girls to the ground, a "crew" destroying an enemy's home, and a murder in which the duct-taped victim tearfully begs to be spared. Sex scenes (in bed and in a pool) show naked bottoms and breasts (one father invites his son to join him and the two women he's with). Language includes hundreds of "f--k"s, plus other familiar obscenities and racist, sexist, and homophobic terms.

Families Can Talk About

Families can talk about the idea of bad parenting as a theme of the movie. How are the parents in the movie ineffective? How does the younger characters' behavior (violence, sex, drug use) reflect what they see on television and in their own homes? Do they have any other options? Do those options change after the kidnapping? How would you describe the characters' goals? How do the girls and young women respond differently (compare, for instance, Julie and Susan)? Do you think starring in a movie like this will affect Justin Timberlake's reputation/popularity? Why do you think he decided to take the part?