William s burroughs words of advice, burroughs on the. A man within won the van gogh award for best biography, amsterdam international film festival, the netherlands, along with the gold kahuna award, honolulu international film festival, hawaii. Burroughs, yony leyser manages only to find his shell. A man within, the first and only posthumous documentary about this legendary figure. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Oct, 2010 featuring neverbeforeseen archival footage of burroughs, as well as exclusive interviews with colleagues and confidants including john waters, patti smith, iggy pop, gus van sant, genesis breyer. Burroughs with many currents of americas outlaw cultural tradition. Born the heir of the burroughs adding machine estate, he struggled throughout his life. Burroughs was a primary figure of the beat generation and a major postmodernist author whose influence is considered to have affected a range of popular culture as well as literature. Director yony leyser interviewed on this disc as one of the many extras explains how his fascination with burroughs and his work led to his pursuit of telling the. Narrated by peter weller and featuring neverbeforeseen archival footage of burroughs, as well as exclusive interviews with colleagues and confidants including john waters, patti smith, iggy pop, gus van sant, sonic youth and david cronenberg, yony leysers william s.
For those of you who dont know, william seward burroughs was born in 1914 within a very prosperous family the burroughs adding machine co. A man within is the first fulllength documentary to look at the entire life of the beat and punk icon, author of. A man within proves that peter weller has starred in other movies except for robocop, namely naked lunch which is. Burroughs cover photo by juergen vollmer, new york, 1976. After being kicked out of film school, he moved to lawrence, kansas, and began his passionate first feature film, william s. The man was literary lsd and tried to free people from the bondage language and media has on consciousness. Burroughs wrote with the conviction of someone who understood the secret shapers of the universe, or someone who had lost his mind. A tender, vibrant portrait of the life and work of a beat generation icon, william s. With fred aldrich, laurie anderson, amiri baraka, jello biafra. Featuring archival footage of burroughs, as well as interviews with confidants such as john waters, patti smith and iggy pop, the film, set to a soundtrack by patti. Burroughs reads from the place of dead roads and the cat inside.
Burroughs a man within explores the controversial writer and junkie, who infamously shot and killed his own wife and wrote about his debauched lifestyle as a narcotics fiend, travelling the globe inhabiting and haunting cities like a phantom. Docu does real justice to the beat writer, gun nut and literary icon. Nov 17, 2010 a man within is a sort of genealogy of hip that connects william s. The sydney film festival, set to have taken place in june in australias most. Yony leyser has produced an interesting and sometimes enlightening experience even for myself, who has read much of burroughss work, and many books about him. Watch the clip titled the rebel for the film william s. A man within touches only briefly on naked lunch and its impact, and most of his 17 other novels arent even mentioned in the film.
Now folks, if youll just step this way, youre about to witness the complete all american deanxietized man. And director yony leyser has come up with an ending that will take your breath away. The film is narrated by peter weller, with a soundtrack by patti smith and. Burroughs reach an audience by supporting it through the 2010 slamdance film festival. A man within is a sort of genealogy of hip that connects william s. A man within docu does real justice to the beat writer, gun nut and literary icon. A man within proves that peter weller has starred in other movies except for robocop, namely naked lunch which is based on the works and life of william. A man within combines vintage film with current footage of those who knew, worked with, loved, and were influenced or mentored by burroughs, including former. His thoughts were clouded yet always concise and his work as a writer, traveler and consumer of controlled substances revealed profound ideas on human sexuality, humanity, u. This compilation of interviews, candid video and news footage proves only the futility in any attempt to penetrate the armour of a man who spent his entire life under the scrutinising eye of the art world. A man within is an intimate documentary that breaks the surface of the troubled and brilliant world of one of the greatest authors of all time. Featuring neverbeforeseen archival footage of burroughs, as well as exclusive interviews with colleagues and confidants including john waters, patti smith, iggy pop, gus van sant, genesis breyer.
Though some of the film s most striking moments come from readings in which. Jun 14, 2010 the film features never before seen footage of william s. Season 12 2m 3s an iconoclast who himself became an icon, william burroughs explored the outer boundaries of. The film is narrated by peter weller, with a soundtrack by patti smith. Season 12 2m 3s an iconoclast who himself became an icon, william burroughs explored the outer boundaries of culture and. Yony leysers new documentary seeks to find a man within the controversial writer, wife killer and drug addict. Yony leyser is a 25yearold filmmaker living in chicago, illinois. A man within expressed some powerful ideas about his life and work. The film is narrated by peter weller, with a soundtrack by patti smith and sonic youth. A man within sheds a lot of lightsometimes fractured lighton the life of the influential yet enigmatic beat poet william s.
This is the first documentary depicting burroughs as the complex man he was, defying. February 5, 1914 august 2, 1997 was an american writer and visual artist. Born the heir of the burroughs adding machine estate, he. Louis gave birth to the wildest beat writer of them all. Born the heir of the burroughs adding machine estate, he struggled throughout his life with addiction, control systems, and self. Yony leysers new documentary seeks to find a man within the. The film was named as one of 2010s top 10 movies by sight and sound magazine. Godfather of punk iggy pop on his disapproving dads final words to him at 72, the punk rocker has stopped stage diving, and is even crooning over a jazzier groove in his latest album, free william s. A man within is a 2010 independent american documentary film directed by yony leyser about william s.
Director yony leyser interviewed on this disc as one of the many extras explains how his fascination with burroughs and his work led to his pursuit of telling the story of burroughss life. A man within andris i like burroughs work and he certainly was an interesting character but i thought this documentary was kind of boring especially because most of the interviewees were just bad. A man within, about one of the most interesting icons of the 20th century. Though some of the film s most striking moments come from readings in which burroughs recites his own work in his dry, craggy monotone, leyser has placed his focus on the man behind the work. The film is narrated by peter weller, with a soundtrack by patti smith and sonic. A man within offers a concise summary of burroughs life and works. The film uses archival footage and interviews with john waters, patti smith, iggy pop, gus van sant, genesis breyer porridge, sonic youth, laurie anderson, amiri baraka, jello biafra, and david cronenberg. A man within is a probing look at the man whose works at once. Burroughs, as well as exclusive interviews with his closest friends and colleagues including john waters, genesis porridge, laurie anderson. A man within streaming on kanopy, realeyz, hoopla or for free with ads on tubi tv. Oct 21, 2010 culture film features william s burroughs.
Burroughs, featuring previously unreleased footage and interviews with his friends and colleagues. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing william s. Burroughs was one of the first writers to break the boundaries of queer and drug culture in the 1950s. The movie is the first and only documentary to be made about and with the full participation of writer william s. Mar 12, 2011 yony leyser is raising funds for william s. William burroughs, unabridged our town chicago reader. Bouroughs some of the best actors, filmmakers and writers of the century assemble in william s. A man within investigates the life of the legendary beat author and american icon.
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