Burroughs cover photo by juergen vollmer, new york, 1976. A man within offers a concise summary of burroughs life and works. Burroughs was one of the first writers to break the boundaries of queer and drug culture in the 1950s. Oct 21, 2010 culture film features william s burroughs. Burroughs reads from the place of dead roads and the cat inside. 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 touches only briefly on naked lunch and its impact, and most of his 17 other novels arent even mentioned in the film. 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 is a probing look at the man whose works at once. Watch the clip titled the rebel for the film william s.
The sydney film festival, set to have taken place in june in australias most. The film is narrated by peter weller, with a soundtrack by patti smith and sonic. 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. The movie is the first and only documentary to be made about and with the full participation of writer william s. 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. A man within expressed some powerful ideas about his life and work. A man within is a sort of genealogy of hip that connects william s. Though some of the film s most striking moments come from readings in which. Nov 17, 2010 a man within is a sort of genealogy of hip that connects william s. The man was literary lsd and tried to free people from the bondage language and media has on consciousness. The film is narrated by peter weller, with a soundtrack by patti smith and sonic youth.
Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing william s. 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 investigates the life of the legendary beat author and american icon. 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. Born the heir of the burroughs adding machine estate, he. A tender, vibrant portrait of the life and work of a beat generation icon, william s. 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. Burroughs, featuring previously unreleased footage and interviews with his friends and colleagues. Burroughs, yony leyser manages only to find his shell. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Born the heir of the burroughs adding machine estate, he struggled throughout his life. 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. A man within is the first fulllength documentary to look at the entire life of the beat and punk icon, author of. 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.
February 5, 1914 august 2, 1997 was an american writer and visual artist. Born the heir of the burroughs adding machine estate, he struggled throughout his life with addiction, control systems, and self. Burroughs reach an audience by supporting it through the 2010 slamdance film festival. 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.
And director yony leyser has come up with an ending that will take your breath away. 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. A man within, about one of the most interesting icons of the 20th century. A man within proves that peter weller has starred in other movies except for robocop, namely naked lunch which is. The film is narrated by peter weller, with a soundtrack by patti smith and. Burroughs, as well as exclusive interviews with his closest friends and colleagues including john waters, genesis porridge, laurie anderson. 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. Now folks, if youll just step this way, youre about to witness the complete all american deanxietized man.
Docu does real justice to the beat writer, gun nut and literary icon. 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. A man within is a 2010 independent american documentary film directed by yony leyser about william s. A man within, the first and only posthumous documentary about this legendary figure. 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. A man within streaming on kanopy, realeyz, hoopla or for free with ads on tubi tv.
Jun 14, 2010 the film features never before seen footage of william s. Yony leysers new documentary seeks to find a man within the controversial writer, wife killer and drug addict. 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. Louis gave birth to the wildest beat writer of them all. With fred aldrich, laurie anderson, amiri baraka, jello biafra. 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. Burroughs wrote with the conviction of someone who understood the secret shapers of the universe, or someone who had lost his mind. For those of you who dont know, william seward burroughs was born in 1914 within a very prosperous family the burroughs adding machine co. William burroughs, unabridged our town chicago reader. A man within docu does real justice to the beat writer, gun nut and literary icon.
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 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 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. Bouroughs some of the best actors, filmmakers and writers of the century assemble in william s. A man within sheds a lot of lightsometimes fractured lighton the life of the influential yet enigmatic beat poet william s. Yony leyser is a 25yearold filmmaker living in chicago, illinois.
This is the first documentary depicting burroughs as the complex man he was, defying. Burroughs with many currents of americas outlaw cultural tradition. In a collaboration between burroughs and director howard brookner the film explores burroughs. Yony leysers new documentary seeks to find a man within the. Season 12 2m 3s an iconoclast who himself became an icon, william burroughs explored the outer boundaries of culture and. After being kicked out of film school, he moved to lawrence, kansas, and began his passionate first feature film, william s.
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