Naked Lunch

[calzephyr]

Oh man, it took us about two weeks to watch this movie. Part of the problem is that I knew it wasn't the kind of movie you watch with friends or if you're in a really good mood. I've never been able to stomach David Cronenberg movies - except for A History of Violence, they tend to be all quite weird, which is an understatement. Videodrome was positively terrifying. If homosexuality and drug use bother you, definitely skip this one. What does it mean when a movie makes you uncomfortable? I'm not sure at the moment...but I was really surprised by what an excellent actor Peter Weller is. Apparently he turned down Robocop 3 to film this movie instead.

Cronenberg certainly doesn't hold back in Naked Lunch which is more autobiographical than derived from William S. Burrough's book. I picked the movie out because I was too young to watch it when it came out. It was a unique way to approach the subject matter because the book is so wildly offensive, graphic and bizarre that I'm sure it would induced vomiting on a mass scale. At the same time, it's an artfully constructed movie with close attention paid to colour and detail and filled many visual metaphors. The one I liked most was that of the talking typewriters that resemembled cockroaches. Come to think of it, the story is something of a beat-era version of The Matrix in which reality is frequently called into question. Layering and themes of duplicity and paranoia abound.

Comments

[equusmaximus.livejournal.com]

I saw this waste of my life about 15 years ago with several friends, on the recommendation of another friend who absolutely loved it. We all absolutely hated it (as you can probably tell by my opening sentence) and wondered how it could have possibly been worse. The movie made no sense at all, and the only reason we watched it all the way through was that we kept thinking, "It's got to start making sense, they've got to tie up the loose ends..."

Not only did they not tie up the loose ends, they made more of them! I can only think that maybe you have to be stoned on cockroach powder (as is the main character of the film) to truly appreciate this abomination. :P

I heard that it took Fifty Years to translate the book into a screen-play. Frankly, I think they should have taken another fifty years, and saved a lot of us the misery. :/

[calzephyr77.livejournal.com]

Ah, it's certainly art movie that requires the viewer to know more about the background of the film than what is presented.

I did expect something to wrap up near the very end, but then it sort of loops back to the second Joan being killed again. This ending only really makes sense if you know that had it not been for the real life Joan's death, William S. Burroughs would not have become a writer. I don't think they could have made a movie out of it before 1991 because of the homosexuality.

I liked it, but it wasn't the best literary adaptation out there (and not the worst...) but I can see your point of view. Either you love it or hate it.

Have you seen Bubba Ho-Tep? Zip is sending it out to us...it seems to be another kind movie in the same weird vein, except it has Bruce Campbell :-)

[equusmaximus.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm, can't say that I have. If it's in the same vein as Naked Lunch, I can't say that I'd be willing to waste my time on it. These "artsy" movies are lost on me; I'd much prefer a good sci-fi or fantasy flick. Another "horrible" movie in the "artsy" genre was "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" which got rave reviews, but everyone in the audience when I went to see it hated it.

Similarly, John Updike is supposed to be one of the greatest writers of our time, yet I can't stand his stuff. I guess if you're an emo masochist it's enjoyable, at least that's the impression I got from it. Everything I've ever read of Updike's was dour and depressing. Must have been the life of the party in his time... %)

[troubleagain.livejournal.com]

I love Peter Weller, but I love him when he's being all History and Art Professor dude.