Movies by William S. Burroughs
As part of the cast:
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William S. Burroughs: A Man Within (2010)
Cast: William S. Burroughs, Peter Weller, David Cronenberg …
Directed by: Yony Leyser
Filmmaker Yony Leyser offers this fascinating portrait of Beat-era writer William S. Burroughs, a man whose sexuality, enthusiasm for guns and public struggle with opiate addiction made him a…
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Chelsea on the Rocks (2008)
Cast: Vito Acconci, Adam Goldberg, Donald Baechler …
Directed by: Abel Ferrara
As Hotel Chelsea, a New York City Bohemian treasure, faces a makeover at the hands of a new management company, filmmaker Abel Ferrara salutes the building's raucous past and formidable…
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Words of Advice: William S. Burroughs on the Road (2007)
Cast: William S. Burroughs, James Grauerholz, John Giorno …
Directed by: Lars Movin, Steen Møller Rasmussen
Featuring never-before-seen footage of Beat Generation author William S. Burroughs's (Naked Lunch) 1983 Copenhagen appearances and readings, this documentary highlights the iconic…
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Goth: The Ultimate Collection (2004)
Cast: Clock DVA, Psychic TV, William S. Burroughs …
This packed video contains releases from Goth Box (featuring tons of musical clips by Goth artists) and Gothic Industrial Madness (40 more clips from various Cleopatra Records artists) -- in…
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Corso: The Last Beat (2004)
Cast: Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs …
Directed by: Gustave Reininger
William S. Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, Ethan Hawke and Patti Smith appear in this biographical documentary about beat poet Gregory Corso (1930-2001), whose unstable…
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William S. Burroughs: The Final Academy Documents (2002)
Cast: William S. Burroughs
Footage from the Final Academy tour captures controversial writer William S. Burroughs -- whose works inspired the project -- reciting his prose at Manchester, England's Hacienda Club in…
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Condo Painting (2000)
Cast: Patrick Achdjian, George Condo, Allen Ginsberg …
Directed by: John McNaughton
The life and work of the gifted and free-spirited painter George Condo -- whose work both celebrates and mocks American popular culture -- is revealed in this free-form documentary that…
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Gothic Industrial Madness (2000)
Cast: Clock DVA, Foetus, Penal Colony …
A collection of 40 music videos from more than 25 gothic and industrial groups -- including Chrome, Frontline Assembly, Psychic TV, Pigface, Test Department, Rosetta Stone, Executive Slacks,…
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Show Stoppers (2000)
Cast: Bootsy Collins, Buckwheat Zydeco, Etta James …
Featuring memorable songs from a variety of musical genres such as funk, blues, rap and folk, this collection presents live performances from the likes of Bootsy Collins, Etta James, Dream…
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The Book of Life: 2000 Seen By... (1998)
Cast: Martin Donovan, Anna Kohler, Martin Pfeffercorn …
Directed by: Hal Hartley
This comedy about the second coming of Christ and the start of the apocalypse finds Christ (Martin Donovan) arriving in New York City on Dec. 31, 1999, pondering whether to fulfill his…
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Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles (1998)
Cast: Paul Bowles, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg …
Directed by: Jennifer Baichwal
American expatriate author and composer Paul Bowles -- best known for his influential 1949 novel The Sheltering Sky -- is the subject of this definitive documentary from Canadian director…
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The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg (1994)
Cast: Joan Baez, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg …
Directed by: Jerry Aronson
Allen Ginsberg, the founding father of beat poetry, attacked authoritarianism through his poems and political activism. This documentary chronicles Ginsberg's life from his childhood…
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Destroy All Rational Thought (1993)
Cast: William S. Burroughs
Filmed in Dublin in 1992, this documentary is an account of the Here to Go music and art festival created to celebrate the life and works of beat poets William S. Burroughs and Brion Gysin.…
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Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
Cast: Matt Dillon, Kelly Lynch, James LeGros …
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
In Gus Van Sant's unrepentant look at drug addiction, four junkies begin robbing pharmacies to fuel their habits. Soon, ringleader Bob, his wife and underlings Rick and Nadine take the…
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Heavy Petting (1989)
Cast: David Byrne, Frances Fisher, Sandra Bernhard …
Directed by: Obie Benz, Joshua Waletzky
Famous baby boomers who lived through the Sexual Revolution recall their sexual awakening during the squeaky-clean 1950s. The hilarious recollections -- courtesy of David Byrne, Spalding…
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Gang of Souls: A Generation of Beat Poets (1989)
Cast: William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Diane Di Prima …
Directed by: Maria Beatty
Filmmaker Maria Beatty's fascinating documentary revisits the prolific creativity and ravenous hunger for social change that was emblematic of America's beat poets, whose key…
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William S. Burroughs: Commissioner of Sewers (1986)
Cast: William S. Burroughs, Jurgen Ploog
Directed by: Klaus Maeck
An in-depth portrayal of controversial writer and cult icon William S. Burroughs, this compelling documentary combines interview and archival material, paintings, clips of Burroughs's…
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Jack Kerouac: What Happened to Kerouac? (1986)
Cast: Steve Allen, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg …
Directed by: Richard Lerner
Counterculture icon and On the Road author Jack Kerouac travels from fringe to fame and back again in this absorbing documentary. Numerous vintage TV clips reveal the troubled but undeniable…
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Decoder (1984)
Cast: William S. Burroughs, Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, FM Einheit …
Directed by: Muscha
In his 1984 cult film -- which features underground legends William S. Burroughs, William Rice and others -- director Muscha presents a world run by a repressive government that uses…
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Poetry in Motion (1982)
Cast: William S. Burroughs, Charles Bukowski, Allen Ginsberg …
Directed by: Ron Mann
With Charles Bukowski articulating the everyman view that poetry is irrelevant, self-indulgent, dull and nonsensical, two dozen North American poets -- including Allen Ginsberg -- provide the…
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William S. Burroughs: Thee Films: 1950s-1960s (1963)
Cast: William S. Burroughs, Antony Balch, David Jacobson …
Directed by: Antony Balch
In the 1950s and '60s, Beat writer William S. Burroughs and artist Brion Gysin collaborated with filmmaker Anthony Balch to translate their ideas in experimental art to film. Forgotten…
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Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922)
Cast: William S. Burroughs, Astrid Holm, Elisabeth Christensen …
Directed by: Benjamin Christensen
In this legendary Danish silent film, writer-director Benjamin Christensen traces the history of witchcraft and the occult, using reenactments to explore parallels with intolerant attitudes…