DVD released: April 24th, 2007
Approximate running time: 73 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Full Frame
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo
DVD Release: Heretic Indie Films
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: $19.95

Starbucking is the story about a man who calls himself winter who has made it his goal to visit every corporate owned Starbuck’s coffee shop. Winter has visited over 6,000 different corporate owned Starbuck’s coffee shop’s since he started his journey in 1997. Will Winter ever achieve his goal or has he set himself up for an unattainable goal?

Obsessions’ we all have them and even though we like to think that we are in control and stop any time we like the truth is that this is not always an easy task. In 1997 when Winter when he began his project which later became an obsession to visit every corporate owned Starbuck’s shop in there where only about 1,400 locations and that number more then quadrupled in the span of eight years.

Winter besides visiting all these locations also acquires a drink from every one of them and some days like the one when he visits twenty nine locations in one day must be difficult even for an experienced caffeine consumer like Winter. This part of the film where Winter visits twenty nine locations in one day is my favorite part of the documentary as it perfectly captures his obsession and subsequent disintegration at its peak. Director Bill Tangeman does a solid job capturing the essence of his subject Winter and the footage used in the film gives a balanced look at his obsession and his personal life. Identifying with Winter is not difficult since we all have our own private obsessions’.

The DVD:

Starbucking was shot on video and is shown in its original full frame aspect ratio. The quality of transfers is very good with life like flesh tones and faithfully reproduced colors. The image is clean and details look sharp through out.

This release comes with only one audio option a Dolby Digital stereo mix in English. There are no problems with hiss, distortion or any other sound defects. For a documentary the audio mix does an excellent job capturing and presenting what is being said and the ambient sounds around those being interviewed.

Extras for this release include seven deleted scenes that while interesting it is easy to see why they are not in the final cut. Other extras for this release include trailers for other films currently available on DVD from Heretic Films. Rounding out the extras is a thoroughly insightful audio commentary with director Bill Tangeman and Winter. They discuss in-depth every moment of the documentary as it appears on the screen and they also talk about some footage that is no longer in the documentary due to rights issues. Overall this audio commentary makes a excellent companion piece with the main feature.

Starbucking is a fascinating and engrossing story about the pitfalls of obsession. Heretic Films gives Starbucking a solid DVD release, recommended.

For more information about Starbucking and other titles released by Heretic films visit their website.