1991
Directed by David Cronenberg
In addition to having seen this movie, I also read the book. Really, a lot of homework to do for a story I did not enjoy in print or on screen.
William Lee works as an exterminator, who is having a bad reaction to the bug powder. He believes he is a secret agent who received a mission to kill his wife (who is also addicted to bug powder). So it's almost like Total Recall, only grosser and with less attractive people.
William Burroughs is one fucked up man and as a writer he receives more attention for his strangeness than his actual talent. He saw the world, and the writing profession, in a very ugly way, which we are forced to sit through here. I suppose it would appeal to some people; the aesthetics and the whole structure are quite unusual. But it doesn't take a lot of skill to portray a world in such a dirty, disgusting way; optimism and beauty are much harder, and much more rewarding, to produce.
Not my cup of tea. Are we done with Cronenberg yet?
RATING: *----
Interesting Facts:
Cronenberg's first non horror film. Is it, though?
"It doesn't take a lot of skill to portray a world in such a dirty, disgusting way; optimism and beauty are much harder, and much more rewarding, to produce."
ReplyDeleteclap, clap, clap. You are absolutely right!
The movie is disgusting but that's not news in a Cronenberg's film. My main point of contention is that he turned an essentially gay novel into a homophobic film.
You can read this article by Al Weisel on the matter:
http://www.davidcronenberg.de/gaylunch.html
Thanks Alex! Interesting article. Hilarious and also cringy that his response to why he couldn't deal with the homosexuality as "I'm not gay." Apparently every filmmaker has to directly experience whatever they are portraying in a movie.
DeleteI can't imagine what Pasolini would have to do to film Salò; if that were the case.
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