i recently saw the movie Factotum, based on Charles Bukowski's book of the same name. the young actor who played Henry Chinaski (the alter ego hero of Bukowski's writings), one Matt Dillon, did a fairly fine job. He has a bright future ahead of him in the movies i think. i wouldn't be surprised to see him more often.
one thing that confused me was Chinaski, as played by Dillon, was left-handed in the movie. lefties are always shocking to us righties (i mean, when you give someone a pen to write something down and they start writing with their left hands, you can't tell me that shocks you...it's not natural). i was unaware that Chinaski/Bukowski was a lefty. if not, then Dillon did a horrible job portraying Chinaski. if you're any kind of an actor you switch your dexterity based upon the character you're inhabiting. it's rule #1 in acting. or possibly rule #2. i'm not real sure.
one last thing about the movie is Lily Taylor and Marisa Tomei are also in it. and Ms. Tomei is nekkid, for you horndogs out there. it's a fine movie, a bit slow and without much plot (the hallmark of Bukowski novels), but worth the $6 on PPV.
the other day i received the two newest broadsides of the Guerilla Poetics Project. these are broadsides #5 and 6. i plan on going out this weekend to stick them in books around the Salt Lake Valley. i've mentioned the GPP here before, so don't make me do it again (though i will). visit the site, read the manifesto, see what it is all about. then, if you like what you read and agree with our philosophy, purpose and tactics, join us!
i received word from Eric DeJaeger in Belgium that my bilingual chapbook, the uncertainty principle, will be out soon. it will feature a bunch of my short poems in English and their French translations as interpreted by Mr. DeJaeger. i am very excited about this book and will update when it is released, which shouldn't be long.
and, lastly, i haven't spoken very much lately about Hemispherical Press as i've not really done much of late. there are 4 releases on the docket, though, and the first, Or. by David Michael McNamara, a small book of 5 poems, will be out shortly. future releases included chapbooks by Owen Roberts, C. Allen Rearick and Hosho McCreesh.
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8 comments:
Hey justin,
Matt Dillion has been around for a long time. In fact, way back in the late 70's he made a movie, his first, I think, called Over the Edge. And I was going to marry him! :) I've heard about this movie and want to see it but my attention span for movies since Griff was born is next to none. I fall asleep everytime.
Can't wait to see the online chapbook thinger. Too cool to see your words in another language!
:)
Kat-
I know about Matt Dillon, just kidding a little. It seemed odd such a pretty boy would play someone like Bukowski, who's not so pretty...but he did a fine job.
as for the bilingual chapbook, it won't be online. it'll be an actual, real-life, honest-to-goodness, mini-sized book.
:)
Yeah, I can see that. When I think Bukowski I do not think Matt Dillion. :) But then again, I've only seen picture of Bukowski when he was old and his nose was the size of of a foot!
Oh, I thought you said the chap would be both. Either way, I want to read it.
:)
j
lookin forward to all four of those chapbooks, onward Hemispherical Press – and of course your very own words in another language chapbook.
I own Factotum on dvd (gift) and really do like the film – it got good reviews from critics, or at least those I read but not so good from fans, well some fans – the main criticism being that Dillon was to pretty – well, yes, we all know that Bukowski was no male model but neither was he the elephant man, so after some doubts I just went with it and enjoyed the humour in the film, which I thought was one of its more appealing traits – being fired and walking out of taxi company
“Can you call me cab?”
classic!
congrats on the bilingual chap, baby! I look forward to reading it, and confounding myself with my rusty ass french.
good on the hempress releases, I await anxiously...
thanks...yeah, my french is beyond rusty. i know deja vu and merci..and..well, that's about it. other than that line from the song Lady Marmalade.
i hope the HemPress releases are as good as i think they'll be.
brian,
yeah, that scene with the cabs was pretty funny...i just get the feeling that Buk's life is best read on paper and not watched on film...Barfly, too, was okay...it's just not good....
but, Factotum was better and there were some funny parts.
jb:
i saw the movie too, not bad...
congrats on the bilingual chap...
and the work coming out from
hemispherical press sound great...
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