J.W. Coop Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

J.W. Coop Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 25, 2025

Cliff Robertson's "J.W. Coop" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. There are no supplemental features on the release. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

After wasting ten of his best years behind bars, Texas rodeo cowboy J.W. Coop (Cliff Robertson) returns to civilian life determined to make up for them as quickly as possible. But it is not long before he realizes that a lot has changed. His mother has lost her mind. His best pals, some of them once fearless troublemakers, have stepped aside and let younger guys dominate their old stomping grounds. Cops have started issuing tickets to drivers operating cars with bad exhaust pipes. Striptease joints have multiplied like locusts and begun charging a dollar for a Toro.

Hot Pistol Billy (Wade Crosby) has figured out how to dominate the rodeo business with a new theory, too. “The less you hurt, the more you’re up. And the more you’re up, the more chances you got to win. The more you win, the more points towards the finals.” Last year, Hot Pistol Billy racked up sixty grand and bought a charter plane to take him wherever there is a rodeo to be won. Now, he would do three in a single day. Hot Pistol Billy has even hired himself a financial adviser to tell him when and where to invest his cash.

Despite realizing that he would need a miracle to get enough wins and reach the rodeo finals in Oklahoma, Coop hits the road and starts competing in local events. Somewhere in West Texas, while waiting for someone to give him a ride, Coop bumps into Bean (Cristina Ferrare), a hippie with an irresistible smile, and, against all odds, the two begin falling in love. But because Coop is quite a bit older than Bean, the two pretend that they are simply enjoying each other’s company. As he comes dangerously close to matching Hot Pistol Billy’s success, Coop then asks Bean to marry him, but she quietly walks away, forcing him to reevaluate his entire life.

Robertson’s directorial debut, J.W. Coop, is a stunning piece of Americana that follows the steps of Budd Boetticher’s masterpiece Bullfighter and the Lady. It simply chooses not to cross the Southern border and spend time in Mexico, where many legendary rodeo cowboys and bullfighters went to train and consequently earned their reputations.

Despite taking full advantage of Robertson’s well-known dry sense of humor, J.W. Coop is a genuine hard-hitter. It reveals what a narrow, extremely dangerous path a rodeo cowboy would have to stay on just to get a chance to be in the same conversation with a proven winner like Hot Pistol Billy. J.W. Coop also rightfully highlights the fact that a professional rodeo cowboy is destined to be a road creature and, for obvious reasons, spend plenty of his time being a loner.

Several segments address the ongoing socio-cultural transformation of America, but huge political events, like the Vietnam War, or their ripple effects, are never placed under the spotlight. Instead, Robertson floods J.W. Coop with authentic footage from various rodeos. The most impressive footage is from the finals in Oklahoma, which Coop chooses to enter with a broken leg, fully aware that he cannot erase Hot Pistol Billy’s lead. The close-ups of the raging bulls and sweaty cowboys here are as striking as the ones seen in Francesco Rosi’s visual stunner The Moment of Truth.

J.W. Coop Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, J.W. Coop arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The release is sourced from an old master, likely prepared some years ago, which was supplied by Sony Pictures. The master is a bit rough and produces visuals that occasionally could look somewhat rough, too. However, there are no traces of problematic digital corrections, so even the rougher visuals still have fine organic qualities. Virtually all close-ups look lovely, and many of the wider panoramic shots are not too far behind them. Obviously, the stock footage reveals more pronounced fluctuations, but they are all inherited. Color balance and reproduction are good. However, some primaries and supporting nuances can be richer and healthier, and if they are, the dynamic range of the visuals will be superior as well. In some areas, small blemishes and marks can be spotted, but there are no large and distracting cuts, scratches, warped or torn frames to report. Ultimately, J.W. Coop can and should look better and more attractive on Blu-ray. However, as is usually the case, older masters that emerge from Sony Pictures' vaults still have fine organic qualities and treat older films right. The master that was used to prepare this release of J.W. Coop accomplishes this, too. (Note: This is a Region-Free BLu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

J.W. Coop Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

While the overall quality of the audio is very good, I had to turn up the volume a bit because in certain areas some of the crowd and external noises easily spread out, creating small but unmissable unevenness. It is how the original soundtrack was finalized, so even if J.W. Coop is fully restored in 4K and the audio redone, this limitation will be replicated. Dynamic intensity is pretty good, but even the rodeo footage is unlikely to impress audiophiles who appreciate the potency of contemporary soundtracks.

J.W. Coop Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unfortunately, there are no bonus features to be found on this release.

J.W. Coop Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is odd that J.W. Coop does not share even a fraction of the reputation Junior Bonner has amongst knowledgeable film collectors. As sacriligious as it may sound, Cliff Robertson's character is more convincing than Steve McQueen's, and there is a lot Robertson also does behind the camera that is very impressive. J.W. Coop is incredibly easy to compare to Budd Boetticher's Bullfighter and the Lady too, which is a minor masterpiece, but for years, the proper version of this film was virtually impossible to see. Imprint Films' Blu-ray release is sourced from an older, somewhat rough master, supplied by Sony Pictures. However, it still offers a fine presentation of J.W. Coop, and is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.