riddle@ut-sally.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) (11/12/84)
I saw "Burroughs: the Movie" last night. I'm not up to a full review
(otherwise I'd be posting this to mod.movies), but I'd like to offer a hearty
recommendation.
"Burroughs" is basically a film biography of William S. Burroughs, author of
"Junky," "Naked Lunch" and "Cities of the Red Night" among other works.
A u t o biography might be an even better word because of the strong role
Burroughs himself plays in making us understand his life. The footage is a
hodge-podge of interviews Burroughs and his friends have given over the years,
old avant-garde B&W shorts he and his beat buddies clowned around in,
selections from the public readings he has given at college campuses and punk
clubs of late, as well as new material shot for this film. Burroughs
certainly is a cooperative subject for a documentary: not only does he let the
camera pry into the most private details of his present and past life, but he
proves that he is still quite capable of outrageousness even at his current
advanced age. When he and his friends don theatrical garb and act out scenes
from his novels -- well, I won't put any spoilers here, but let me say that
some of them have to be seen to be believed.
Although I've never made it through any of Burroughs' work before except
"Junky," seeing this movie has definitely revived my interest in it. I'd
recommend the film to anyone who has ever either read Burroughs with pleasure
or who wants to learn what in the hell other people see in him.
--- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.")
--- {ihnp4,harvard,seismo,gatech,ctvax}!ut-sally!riddle