Film Review: The Final Academy Documents (William Burroughs)

This DVD made for one of the strangest viewing experiences I’ve ever had.

 

To begin with, the menu is vague about the contents.  I finally started at the beginning and played through to the end.  That presented me with two short experimental films involving William Burroughs, one or more public readings by Burroughs, and four (I think) readings/performances by John Giorno.  There were also ads for other DVDS, though those tracks did not provide very much in the way of information.

The public readings apparently formed part of a “Final Academy Tour” in the 1980s (and possibly earlier?) at the Hacienda Club in Manchester, England.  They included excerpts from (I believe) Naked Lunch dealing with the infamous/notorious Dr. Benway.

The experimental films, Ghosts at Number Nine and Towers Open Fire utilized a “cut-up” approach, little or no dialogue, and various added noises.

What can I tell you?  The first film is long (over twenty minutes) and disconnected.  The second film is not quite as long—but just as disconnected.  I can’t hold the “disconnected” against them, because that is part of the point, part of the artistic approach.  I watched them, after all; and, in a way, I enjoyed them; but once was probably enough.

I enjoyed Burroughs’ reading about Dr. Benway.  Nevertheless, is “enjoyed” ever the proper word to use when discussing Naked Lunch?  Well, it’s funny and grotesque—so I suppose “enjoyed” is the proper word!  And although Burroughs speaks and reads in a manner that resembles no one else I know of, this too is enjoyable in a macabre, rather twisted way.  This is not the way we generally train public speakers!

John Giorno—well, he proves one can talk over a musical background.  He’s passionate, certainly.  I got tired of his repetition of lines; but he has an interesting approach to poetry and recitation and I’m glad I got to see him in performance.

So, overall, I’m glad I watched this DVD, and I can recommend it, with reservations.  Unless you’re an avant-garde film buff, you may want to skip the two films.  And if you aren’t familiar with Burroughs or Giorno, you may want to approach this DVD with caution, “in measured doses.”