Cheap Poetry in Motion (Video) (Ginsburg, Burroughs, Diprima) Price

Before the current poetry slam trend began, director Ron Mann presciently documented this series of poetic performances, including some by legendary writers who have since died (Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, John Cage, and Charles Bukowski). There's Ginsberg in a suit, dancing and accompanied by a band as he practically sings his poems, John Giorno demonstrating his admitted desire to be drunk or stoned during performances, Ntozake Shange contemplating slavery and stereotypes while modern dancers do their thing, and Amiri Baraka paying tribute to Bob Marley to the accompaniment of drums and a sax. Some of the performances are humorous, such as that of the white-haired Helen Adam, who sings her poems of love and LSD, and Kenward Elmslie, who chants his rhymes with a boom box playing background music on his lap. The 88-minute documentary is sandwiched by (and interspersed with) comments from Bukowski, who begins by dissing Tolstoy and eventually compares the creative process to that of producing excrement. Neophytes may get a little thrill when Bukowski predictably pours himself a drink as he profanely pontificates or when Burroughs growls his stories of violent, reeking losers; beat poet fans will feel nostalgic. --Kimberly Heinrichs

ACTORS:	Ginsburg, Burroughs, Diprima
CATEGORY:	Video
THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE:	01 January, 1982
MANUFACTURER:	Home Vision Entertainment
MPAA RATING:	NR (Not Rated)
FEATURES:	Color, NTSC
TYPE:	Documentary
MEDIA:	VHS Tape
# OF MEDIA:	1
UPC:	037429111635