A grotesquely humorous concoction, cooked up by Canadian director David Cronenberg with a little help from America's favorite underground novelist, William Burroughs. The Burroughs novel from which the movie is adapted is nearly devoid of narrative, but Cronenberg has sidestepped this
problem by making a film
about the writing of
Naked Lunch. The movie combines elements from Burroughs's life--particularly the accidental shooting of his wife during a drunken game of "William Tell"--with scenes from several of his books to tell the story of his transformation into a writer. It
opens in New York City in the early 1950s, where Burroughs's alter ego, Bill ...
Released:
1991
Rated:
R
Length:
115 mins