Lawrence Ferlinghetti Movies
Though historians often group Lawrence Ferlinghetti in a clique with Kerouac, Burroughs, Ginsberg and the other icons of beat culture during the '50s and '60s, a number of key differences exist; like the others, Ferlinghetti authored and published numerous volumes of literature (social activist poetry, in his case), but uniquely, he never personally celebrated the trademark beat lifestyle of trekking out on the road, hitchhiking all over America and taking a series of random jobs; instead, he found and occupied a far more individualistic and sedentary role, as the founder and proprietor of the iconic City Lights bookstore and book publisher in San Francisco, one of the primary publishing outlets and sellers of countercultural literature (indeed, a focal point for it). Ferlinghetti participated in a number of documentaries, as well, including the 1984 Kerouac and the 2007 Obscene (about Grove Press founder Barney Rosset). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2007
- NR
To countless avant-garde novelists, filmmakers, and playwrights, publisher Barney Rosset -- proprietor of the legendary Grove Press -- qualifies as an undisputed hero. Via scores of in-court legal battles, Rosset fought aggressively and valiantly to defend the release of works as varied as William S. Burroughs' novel Naked Lunch, Henry Miller's novel Tropic of Cancer, and Vilgot Sjöman's classic arthouse film I Am Curious (Yellow). As co-directed by Neil Ortenberg and Daniel O'Connor, the documentary Obscene builds a case not only for the idea that Rosset was utterly indispensable in the battle for freedom of speech that descended on America in the late '60s and early '70s, but that he deserves hearty praise for championing works that pushed accepted moral standards into theretofore unacceptable territory. Via a combination of extensive archival footage and interviews, Obscene traces Rosset's professional and personal life, beginning with his early years at the Parker School and Swarthmore through his involvement in the armed forces and his presence in the Manhattan avant-garde with wife Joan Mitchell during the late '40s and early '50s. The film places heaviest emphasis on (and devotes most of its screen time to) Rosset's censorship battles for various works during the mid- to late '60s, before moving into an exploration of his troubled subsequent years that were marked by financial difficulty, violent attacks from disapproving groups, government surveillance, and a host of other complications. Interviewees include Rosset, Al Goldstein, John Waters, Gore Vidal, John Sayles, and Ray Manzarek. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barney Rosset, Amiri Baraka, (more)
When a San Francisco homicide detective with a keen eye for criminal profiling is fired for botching the arrest of a notorious serial killer, his subsequent effort to reinvent himself as an insurance claims case-investigator leads him to study a series of perplexing wrongful deaths in this comedy starring Joseph Fiennes, Winona Ryder, Tim Blake Nelson, and Wilmer Valderrama. Michael Burrows (Fiennes) isn't your typical detective. Though Detective Burrows is a paranoid obsessive-compulsive who faints at the sight of blood, his remarkable insight into the criminal mindset has nevertheless made him a valuable asset to the San Francisco Police Department. When Detective Burrows' idiosyncrasies allow the feared "North Beach Killer" to elude capture, however, he is fired by his superiors. Upon offering his unique skills to a doubting insurance company, Burrows is given 30 days in which to prove he can sort out the legitimate claims from the false ones. Now, as Burrows makes for the Midwest in the company of hard-nosed field agent Siri Tyler (Ryder), the film student (Valderrama) who has been following the former detective for his thesis follows the pair as they investigate a series of forehead-slapping deaths, including that of a powerful executive who attempts to prove that his high-rise window is unbreakable and a pair of English tourists who fatally misinterpret the "cruise control" function on their rented RV. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Fiennes, Winona Ryder, (more)
The sixty-five minute, avant-garde experimental film Joy of Life opens as a feature on the day-to-day experiences of a militant lesbian in the San Francisco Bay area, and her bittersweet, occasionally heartbreaking search for love and lust. It then uses these themes as a springboard, segueing, free-form, into a documentary exploration of lesbian sexuality, Frank Capra's 1941 classic Meet John Doe, and the history of the Golden Gate Bridge as a point of departure for suicides. In voice-over, Lawrence Ferlinghetti delivers his poetic elegy to Frisco, City of Light, while the late Weldon Kees (rumored as a Golden Gate jumper) composed the music used in the film. Writer-director Jenni Olson authored this picture, which premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and received high praise from The San Francisco Examiner and The Village Voice. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Directed by William Tyler Smith, The Third Mind is a video montage of images, poetry, and music that chronicles the artistic joint venture of Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and Beat poet/playwright Michael McClure. The "third mind" (as described by Beat guru William Burroughs) that evolves from the collaboration of these two icons from the '60s is seen from conception to performance in this 58-minute film, which not only explores the history behind the partnership of Manzarek and McClure, but also what is behind the creative process. The film features comments from Jim Carroll, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, and others. ~ Kristin Alynn Hussein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 1994
- Add On the Road with Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats to QueueAdd On the Road with Jack Kerouac: King of the Beats to top of Queue
Jack Kerouac penned such books as On the Road and The Dharma Bums, which captured the essence of the bohemian life that he came to personify. This documentary follows him on the road from the life of a beatnik in New York City, and across the country to California, as he set out to find America and himself. Archival photographs, film clips, interviews with those who knew him, readings from his books, and scholarly commentary provide insight into this icon of the Beat generation. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1987
In the U.S., in the 1950s, contemporary jazz was becoming more and more esoteric, and a small group of writers, poets and musicians who were hip to that beat were exploring the cracks in the American dream. Meanwhile, the Cold War and insistently cheerful and upbeat attitudes were being promoted by Dale Carnegie and his many imitators. America was never so prosperous, so virtuous, or so happy, and the writers and artists of the Beat generation were among the first to see the worm in that particular apple. Because so many of them couldn't get enthusiastic about the Cold War, they were derisively called "beatniks," the "nik" being an imitation Russian diminutive. In this 1980s documentary, surviving eminences from that period discuss the times and their experiences. Among those appearing are Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac's daughter and wife, William S. Burroughs, Amiri Baraka (a.k.a. LeRoi Jones) and others, while archival footage gives viewers a taste of other greats of the period. The former Tonight Show host and author Steve Allen narrates. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Amram, Amiri Baraka, (more)
- 1984
In this romantic, sentimental homage to America's well-known Beat writer Jack Kerouac, director John Antonelli combines readings from Kerouac's works, footage of the writer with figures such as Steve Allen and William Buckley, views of his home and favorite locales, commentary by fellow writers like the late Allen Ginsberg, and scenes in which Jack Coulter takes the role of Kerouac. A jazz score enhances this docudrama. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Coulter
