Jack Kerouac Movies
- 1995
Though technically an adaptation of Jack Kerouac's Beat generation novel The Subterraneans, Russian filmmaker Gleb Teleshov was more interested in having the tone, language, atmosphere and plot line echo the book rather than retell its story to the letter. Teleshov 's interpretation represents the Russian mythology surrounding Beatnik culture. Filmed entirely in black and white, he set his story in Russia in a place where alienated, directionless travelers hang out in smoky cellar cafes smoking innumerable cigarettes sharing marijuana-induced insights and the occasional bed when the jazz clubs close. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leonid Shevchenko, Konstantin Salnikov, (more)
- 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, Rovi
- 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, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Amram, Amiri Baraka, (more)
This biographical documentary tackles the legend of Jack Kerouac, one of the foremost writers of the Beat Generation. Kerouac started a beat that goes on; he's still a major influence in contemporary literature and poetry. The author first broke into prominence with his famous stream-of-consciousness novel On the Road, which landed him in a very public spotlight. Some of those interviewed here, which include Allan Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Steve Allen, and other notables, maintain Kerouac could not handle the fame, or the politicization of his ideas; others contend he was simply an alcoholic who died young because he could not handle his drinking. Director Richard Lerner uses archival footage, interviews with Kerouac, home movies, and other sources to pack a wealth of information into 96 minutes. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Allen, William S. Burroughs, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Coulter
- 1982
This documentary takes a look at the history of the beat movement, a revolution in culture and art that germinated in San Francisco in the 1950's, soon giving way to the great contributors to mid-century society, like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, and others. ~ Cammila Albertson, Rovi
- 1960
Based rather loosely on a novel by Jack Kerouac, The Subterraneans concerns a writer (played by George Peppard) who moves to San Francisco and falls in with a crowd of beatniks after falling in love with a French girl (Leslie Caron). The woman was black, not French, in Kerouac's novel, only the most obvious of the many areas in which this strays from the source material. Jazz great Gerry Mulligan has a small role as a saxophone-playing priest; jazz fans will also want to watch for cameos by Art Pepper, Shelly Manne, and Art Farmer. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leslie Caron, George Peppard, (more)
- 1959
Robert Frank's half-hour, black-and-white short film Pull My Daisy has also been released under the title The Beat Generation, and for good reason. Featuring narration written and performed by author Jack Kerouac, the film presents an affectionate portrait of beat culture at its height through the jazzy retelling of a long, rambling evening filled with literary improvisation, philosophical discussions, and playfully foolish behavior. The fun begins when poets Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso, who portray themselves, converge on the apartment of one of their friends for a day of beer drinking and poetic discourse. They soon learn that their friend and his wife are planning to host a young bishop and his family for dinner and decide to stay around until evening. As the day continues, a number of other colorful characters also drop in; when the bishop arrives, and the poets begin to goad him with their loopy yet earnest questioning of religion and other institutions, things take on the flavor of an impromptu party. The film was shot on a minimal budget and without sync sound, which serves to further place the emphasis on the film's true star, the rhythmic prose of narrator Jack Kerouac. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
