Burroughs : the movie

Burroughs The movie

DVD - 2015

Made up of intimate, revelatory footage of the singular author and poet filmed over the course of five years, Howard Brookner's 1983 documentary about William S. Burroughs (Naked Lunch) was for decades mainly the stuff of legend; that changed when Aaron Brookner, the late director's nephew, discovered a print of it in 2011 and spearheaded a restoration. Includes on-screen appearances by Allen Ginsberg, Herbert Huncke, Terry Southern, and Lucien Carr.

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DVD/813.54/Burroughs
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Subjects
Burroughs, William S., > 1914-1997.
Authors, American > 20th century > Biography.
Biographical films.
Documentary films.
Feature films.
Video recordings for the hearing impaired.
Genres
Biographical films
Documentary films
Feature films
Video recordings for the hearing impaired
Published
[New York, New York] : The Criterion Collection [2015]
Language
English
Other Authors
Howard Brookner (film director)
Edition
Two-DVD special edition ; DVD edition ; full screen
Item Description
Originally produced as a motion picture in 1983.
1.33:1 aspect ratio.
Accompanying folded insert comprises an essay by Luc Sante (Burroughs that proud American) and collage artwork by Alison Mosshart.
Special features: New audio commentary by filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, who was a sound recordist on the film; audio interview with director Howard Brookner (1985) (24 min.); new interview with Brookner's nephew, filmmaker Aaron Brookner, who oversaw the film's restoration (16 min.); rare outtakes; footage from the 2014 New York Film Festival premiere of the film's restoration, featuring Q&A with Jim Jarmusch, Aaron Brookner, filmmaker Tom DiCillo, and William S. Burrough's friend and fellow writer James Grauerholz (27 min.); experimental edit of the film by inventor and photographer Robert E. Fulton III (1981) (23 min.).
Physical Description
2 videodiscs (90 min.) : sound, color with black and white sequences ; 4 3/4 in
Format
DVD, NTSC, region 1, 1.33:1 aspect ratio; monoaural; Dolby Digital.
Production Credits
Editors, Scott Vickrey, Ben Morris ; camera, Tom DiCillo, James Lebovitz, Mike Southon, Nicolas A. Stuthers, Richard L. Camp, Cathy Dorsey, Mike Southon
ISBN
9781681430782
Contents unavailable.
Review by Library Journal Review

After more than 30 years in limbo, Brookner's little-seen 1983 documentary profiling influential writer William S. Burroughs (1914-97) is now widely available following audio and visual restoration and remastering overseen by the director's nephew, Aaron Brookner. The film offers an intimate and stylish portrait of the Beat Generation author of Naked Lunch, Junkie, and other postmodernist works that made Burroughs a leading literary figure and controversial counterculture favorite. Footage includes lengthy but entertaining clips of an elderly Burroughs performing public readings, interacting with friends and fellow writers such as Allen Ginsberg, and talking to the director about his life and career, touching on fascinating topics such as his years as a struggling young writer, his worldwide travels, and, in a particularly compelling scene, the night he accidentally killed his wife. Abundant extras, including a 1985 audio interview with the filmmaker and a never-before-seen 30-minute edit, provide insight into both the original film and its reemergence. VERDICT Benefiting from a successful makeover, this captivating and entertaining film is an obvious must-see for literature buffs, students, and educators. [See Trailers, LJ 11/1/15.]-Douglas King, Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Columbia © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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