Microcinema DVDs - Words of Advice - William S. Burroughs on the Road

2010-05-27 Pop Damage
By Steve Foland

Suitable for the die-hard Burroughs fan and newcomers alike, Words of Advice gives us an enjoyable record of the Burroughs performance tours focusing specifically on his appearances in Copenhagen in 1983. This footage was clearly the impetus for the project, and where the film really shines.

2010-05-15 Movie Habits
By John Adams

If you are a Burroughs devotee, Words of Advice is a four-star event … despite having little new material (much of the archival footage of the younger Burroughs has been seen elsewhere). Movin and Rasmussen do a darned good job of editing the clips that are shown. And the images are exceptionally crisp, which makes me wonder if they have been cleaned up. We’ve come to the point in Burroughs Studies where any new bit of information, no matter how minute, becomes an event, so I say fans of Old Bill rejoice and watch Words of Advice.

2010-05-25 DVD Verdict
By Gordon Sullivan

If it were necessary to preserve one artist for posterity to stand in and for the 20th century, William S. Burroughs would be near the top of my list of choices. First, because he was experimental. He worked in numerous genres and wasn't afraid to bring new techniques to his novels. Second, because he was a multimedia artist. He's most famous for Naked Lunch, but Burroughs was invovled in the making of films, spoken word albums, musical collaborations, and visual arts like painting. Although he never pushed any of these experiments as far as he pushed the novel, his eclecticism seems appropriate to the 20th century. Third, he's just plain influential. From musicians to directors to other writers, so many people have been touched by Burroughs work. He was an elder brother to the Beats (and therefore is at least partly to blame for the subsequent free-love movement, although he has little direct connection) and a godfather to many punks before influencing the sonic avant-garde in the '80s and '90s. Finally, he's international. His travels in America, Europe, and Morocco have obviously influenced his work, making him a truly international artist even as his work seems to so often address an American situation. It's unsurprising then, that Burroughs has been the subject of documentaries, and thanks to Words of Advice: William S. Burroughs On the Road, audiences can see what the great author was like in performance.

Burroughs career had an odd trajectory. He made something of a splash when Naked Lunch was first released in 1959, but he was largely absent from the cultural scene from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s. After stint in London he returned to New York City in the mid-70s, and put himself among the cultural intelligentsia like Andy Warhol. Through that association and a string of speaking tours he raised his profile considerably. When he returned (and embarked on these tours) he was no longer the young, experimental writer, but had morphed into a strangely paternal cultural critic, and his satirical streak was as wide as ever. In 1983, one of Burroughs' speaking tours brought him to Copenhagen, and much of his visit was filmed. This footage languished for 20 years, until filmmakers Lars Movin and Steen Moller Rasussen discovered it. The footage wasn't enough to warrant its own release, so the pair decided to combine scenes from Burroughs tour with reminisces by friends, colleagues, and scholars to present a picture of Bill Burroughs.

Words of Advice is a very rare thing in documentary: a film that will appeal equally to the uninitiated and the long-time fan. Whereas most documentaries either present a superficial overview of the subject suitable for newcomers or dive directly into esoterica, Words of Advice balances the never-before-seen footage (sure to appeal most to longtime fans) and more general interviews (that provide a nice intro for new viewers).

The 1983 Copenhagen footage is simply a treasure. Watching Burroughs read (even at the age of 69) is a treat, as he's obviously enamored of his material, and he animates it as only he can. As biographer Barry Miles has pointed out, "Many people have said they didn't really understand Burroughs until they heard that voice the voice of a banker saying all those outrageous things." He's right; there's something in the cadence of Burroughs' speech, his dry, clipped voice and the way he draws certain syllables out that makes his most prosaic passages outrageous and his most outrageous seem prosaic. The ardent fan might wish he read from more diverse material, as this reading focused on the then-new Red Night or Last Trilogy, but that's just nit picking. The footage isn't solely confined to Burroughs' reading, however. We also see footage of one of his in-store appearances. He seems much more relaxed and natural with his eager fans than I would have expected. There's also a few snippets from an interview he did for a local television show.

These moments with Burroughs are intercut with interview footage from numerous sources. They include several scholars (including Ann Douglas from Columbia University), friends/colleagues like manager/editor James Grauerholz and poet John Giorno, and assorted individuals like the man who owns the bookstore that Burroughs appeared in during the 1983 tour. There's no unified attempt to tell Burroughs' story or present a standard biographical portrait. Instead, the scholars tend to discuss why Burroughs is important and how he fits into contemporary culture, the friends and colleagues reminisce about the man and his habits, while the miscelanous group provides insights into Burroughs appearance in Copenhagen.

The DVD looks as good as it can considering the source. The original 1983 footage seems to be in remarkably good shape, and the contemporary footage seems to have been shot with digital video. So, there's a bit of noise, and colors accuracy isn't much to write home about, but none of these problems detracts from the program. The audio is a simple stereo mix that keeps the talking audible. Subtitles would still have been nice, but I never had serious trouble understanding anyone. Interestingly, this disc is a flipper. One side is formatted for the NTSC standard, and the other is PAL. The PAL side includes Danish subtitles. Extras start out with the inclusion of the "almost complete" footage of Burroughs reading in Copenhagen on October 29th, 1983. There's also a few more extended remarks from Ann Douglas and a pair of short tribute films.

Words of Advice is a remarkable document that clearly shows William S. Burroughs in his prime, while also giving a glimpse into why he's so important to our culture. Fans of the author are going to want to own this fantastic release, if only for the 30 minutes of Burroughs reading available as an extra.

2010-05-25 blogcritics.org
By Greg Barbrick

Words Of Advice is a fascinating mix of material chronicling the later years of writer William S. Burroughs. The catalyst for the film was the discovery of some previously unknown footage documenting a reading Burroughs did in Copenhagen in 1983. Filmmakers Lars Movin and Steen Moller Rasmussen then added interviews and other footage to tell the story. What emerges is a compelling portrait of a man who lived life on his own terms, all the way to the end.

The film begins outside of the house Burroughs shared with longtime companion James Grauerholz in Lawrence, Kansas. This little red home certainly does not look like the domicile of such a celebrated literary outlaw. It is about as bucolic a setting as one could imagine. This was probably part of its perverse charm for Burroughs, who had lived all over the world.

We are then taken to Copenhagen, and the reading. Only excerpts are shown; the full half-hour appearance is in the extras section. But what we do see is vintage Burroughs. His vocal modulations were one of a kind, and just listening to him read his work is mesmerizing. He was there specifically to promote the just-published Cities Of The Red Night, part two of what has become known as The Last Trilogy. The accompanying titles are The Place Of Dead Roads (1981) and The Western Lands (1987).

The bulk of Words Of Advice consists of recent interviews with friends and scholars. In addition to Grauerholz, there are recollections from John Giorno, Hal Willner, Jennie Skerl, Ann Douglas and others.

John Giorno takes us inside "The Bunker," which was Burroughs' New York City residence from the mid-'70s on. This former YMCA room seems perfect for the author. The film includes some tantalizing home movies of parties held there, featuring guests such as Steve Buscemi and Patti Smith milling about.

Speaking of home movies, Wayne Propst has some great stuff of Burroughs' legendary weapons collection. Propst was a Kansas friend, and shows some of the writer's cannons, flame-throwers, and knives. The knife Kurt Cobain gave him is outstanding, a dangerously beautiful weapon.

The DVD extras include the aforementioned full reading in Copenhagen, plus a separate interview with Ann Douglas and two short tribute films titled "One Shot I" and "II."

Words Of Advice is a solid overview of the last 20 years of William Burroughs' life, and as such is recommended.

2010-05-21 KC Active
By Loey Lockerby and Dan Lybarger

If you grew up in Kansas during the 1980s or â€˜90s, chances are you knew that William S. Burroughs, the infamous author of The Naked Lunch, lived in Lawrence. Several of my friends boasted of how they were going to meet the man whose drug-inspired, anti-authoritarian writings required a great deal of effort to soak in.

I never got my chance before he died in 1997 (and I donâ€™t think my friends did either), but watching Words of Advice: William S. Burroughs (available at Micromedia.com) gives viewers a chance to see what the writer and multimedia innovator was like in his final years.

It must have been entertaining and occasionally enlightening. The centerpiece of the documentary is a previously unseen 1983 reading he gave in Copenhagen during a tour of Scandinavia . With his flat, nasal voice and sleepy demeanor, Burroughs hardly seems charismatic. Nonetheless, heâ€™s a polished performer with an astonishing sense of timing and an acidic humor. The film also includes a fascinating appearance he made on Saturday Night Live.

Hearing talking heads rave about his work gets a little old. His better stuff speaks quite well for itself. Some of his lesser-known novels anticipated the rise of AIDS and other social ills before they entered the public consciousness.

There are dozens of treats for local fans. His longtime companion James Gauerholz leads viewers on a tour of the authorâ€™s comfortable but not audacious home. The only sign of some of the dark themes that Burroughs explored is the frightening number of firearms he kept in his place. Even scarier, Burroughs took up driving late in life and unintentionally terrorized the streets of Lawrence. While he had overcome his heroin addiction, the writer still enjoyed booze, tobacco and marijuana up until the end of his life. Perhaps we can all sleep at night, knowing that he gave up driving himself, and the car is still on the front lawn of the house. (N/R) Rating: 4.

Extras: The unedited 1983 reading, some short tribute films, a statement by Columbia University professor Ann Douglas and a collectable booklet.

2010-05-13 Disc Dish
By Laurence Lerman

Words of Advice uses William Burroughs’s 1983 tour of Scandinavia as its jumping off point for a feature-length look at the touring and readings conducted by Naked Lunch author during the Seventies and Eighties.

Sparked by the discovery of never-before-seen footage of Burroughs giving a reading at Copenhagen’s Booktrader store, filmmakers Lars Movin and Steen Møller Rasmussen set out on the road themselves to record new material and fill us in on the story of both Burroughs’ later literary works and the growth of his inimitable spoken word career. What we came away with after viewing the film was that if you were looking for a speaker with a unique performance style, then Burroughs was your man.

As can be seen in the footage from the Copenhagen performance (which is presented nearly in its entirety in the supplemental section), Burroughs approach would find him simply sitting at a table on the stage in his rumpled jacket and tie and delivering clipped, clever one-liners like some sort of demented W.C. Fields. Some of our favorite witticisms and observations include “Thou shalt not blow pot smoke into the face of thy pet” and “Beware of whores who say they don’t want money.” He also has plenty to say about such rich subjects as organized religion, space travel, Jack Kerouac, kitty cats, medical procedures and gooey insects.

Among the handful of talking heads who are hand to their insights into Burroughs’ later and final years are his companion/assistant James Grauerholz, music producer Hal Wilner and poet John Giorno, who shared a bill with Burroughs—as well as a Manhattan apartment—when he launched his performance career with a landmark reading at St. Mark’s Church in the East Village in 1974.