简介：“ItwasalittledifficulttoseeoldfriendBilllookingatmeasifIwasarobotsenttocheckhimout.AndalsotobesuggestedbyhimthatIexaminehimtoseewhohewasrepresenting,becauseheassumedthateverybodywasanagentatthatpoint.Notnecessarilyforthegovernmentatall;anagentforagianttrustofinsectsfromanothergalaxyactually.WomenweresuspectasbeingagentsandBurroughsthoughtthatmaybeyouhadtoexterminateallthewomen,orgetridofthemonewayoranother.Evolvesomesortofmalethatcouldgivebirththroughparthenogenesis.”<--AllenGinsberg Ah,thelategreatWilliamSewardBurroughs,whatacard!Hardcoredrugaddict,extrememisanthrope,literaryoutlaw,loverofteenageboys,experimentalshotgunpainter…andabitofanutcase.Evenadmirersoftheman’swork(asIam,findingsomeofitveryinspirational,ifprettycreepy;tome‘TheMarket’sectionfrom‘NakedLunch,’oneofmyall-timefavouritebooks,hassomeofthemostbeautifulprosepoetryeverwritteninit)wouldhavetosaythathewasadisturbinggenius,livinginthetheoreticalworldinhisownheadandtranscribingwhathefoundinthereinhisfictionaswhatheactuallybelieved.WhenhetalkedabouttheusefulnessofScientologyorthecurativepowersoforgoneboxesorabouthimbeingarepresentativeofalieninsecttrustshewasn’tkidding,andhe’soneofthesepeoplewhoseachievements,toadegree,thatyoucanadmirefromafar.Afterall,theabovestatement,comingfromamanwhoshothisownwifeintheheadandwhosubsequentlybecameevenmoreenamoredofgunsthanhehadbeenbeforethetragicevent,isafrighteningprospectindeed. However.It’salwaysinterestingtoseethemanreadhisownwork(which,ashasbeennotedbefore,addsagreatdealtotheprose;hetrulywasahilariousperformer,withhisdesert-dryvoiceandwit,whichreallybringthewordsonthepagebeforehimtolife(lookfortheold,now-deletedabridgedWarnerBrothersreleaseof‘NakedLunch’ifyouwanttohearafinereading),asthisDVDistestamentto.ItpresentsclipsfromareadingdonebyElHombreInvisibleinBerlinon5/9/1986,wherehereadssegmentsfromworkslike‘TheWesternLands,’(hisattemptatwritinghisownBookofTheDead)‘NakedLunch’and‘RooseveltAfterInauguration’amongstothers.Thesereadingsarepresentedwithclipsoffilmsmadeofthetextback-projectedbehindthem,tovaryingdegreesofeffectiveness,alongwithaselectionofBurroughs’ownpaintingsorappearancesinfilms‘DrugstoreCowboy’.Theclipsofoldexperimentalfilmslike‘GhostsatNo.9’and‘TowersOpenFire’lookveryinteresting,andI’dpersonallylovetoseetheminfull. FormingthemeatoftheDVDisaninterviewwithBurroughsconductedbyauthorJurgenPloog,whoisaprettybrightguy;you’dhavetobetointerviewthesubjectofthisfilm.Nevertheless,it’sfuntoseeBurroughscorrectingPlooganumberoftimesontheexactcorrectusageofwords,likesomecrotchetyoldEnglishteacherintolerantofmistakesfromapupil.Subjectsraisedincludethewordasvirus,death,dreams,anevolvedhumanitygettingofftheplanetearthintospace(chuckling,Burroughswrylynotesthatanypost-humanorganismachievingescapevelocityfromterrafirmawouldhavetoresemblesomesortofmutantjellyfish,becausewewouldn’tneedourbonesinspace),cut-ups(aninterestingifsomewhatpointlessliteraryexperiment,atleastinitsmoreextremeforms–it’sactuallyaprettygoodwayofrepresentingthepsycheanditsstream-of-consciousnessperceptionsonthepage)andmore. It’salwaysfuntohearBurroughsdroningawayinhisnasalatonalemotion-freedictionabouthisoftenweirdandwonderfulandwackytheoriesaboutlife,thelooneyuniverseandeverything,butthereisnothingherethatanyhardcorefanoftheman’swon’thaveheardbefore,Ishouldimagine.Andthat’sjusttheultimateproblemwiththisDVD.Goodasitis,itdoesn’tshowcaseanynewmaterial,andpresentsitscontentssomewhathaphazardly,withoutrhymenorreason.It’sjustaBurroughspick-and-mixhodgepodgeandshouldbetakenassuch.Completistsoftheman’sworkwillwanttobuythis;everybodyelsewon’tcaretoomuch,especiallyassomanypeoplefindhiswordworkeitherdistastefulorconfusingorboth.Thisisdefinitelyworthwatching,butittellsnorealstoryandattheendwillleaveyouscratchingyourheadandthinkingitcouldhavebeensomuchmore.Damnedbyfaintpraiseindeed.…