This. Is. Awesome. If you are even somewhat amused by the latter-filmed film The Big Lebowski and it’s somewhat meandering nature and great characters, well, this might be a bit of that basis. Written by and based on the works of Charles Bukowski, and presented by Francis Ford Coppola. This is a slice of life film that is hard to beat. That might include a lot of drinking. An unhealthy amount, really. But I don’t judge.
Instead of a plot summary because, well, there is a plot technically, but that’s besides the point. So you will get a few quotes from the film. I know, out of context, but fuckn hell. This is basically just a stream of great gems. That just happen to be fully drunken. So, full DMR approval. I can’t do justice to them, you need to watch it play out for full enjoyment. And honestly, even if you don’t like the beers or the whiskeys, you can still laugh and nod as the truths be spilled like a cheap draft beer at a hole in the wall bar you always drive by but never dare to go in, perfectly encapsulted here at The Golden Horn. A Friendly Place. It says it in neon on the sign out front, so it must be true!
“Nobody in the neighborhood can swallow paste like I can!”
“You’re outta line here, you can’t just swoop down on a man’s food like that!”
“Fuel”
“She looks like a distressed Goddess”
“Don’t you hate cops?” “No, but I seem to feel better when they’re not around”
“So you hired a dick to find an asshole”
“He’s as right as any of us.”
Holy shit. There’s a lot more. I wrote them down, but honestly, a lot of them are a bit kinda hard to read right now because, well, drinks. Regardless your take on aspects on culture, old or new, left or right, up or down, this is a movie everybody should see at least once. Bukowski had an interesting take on life, and was pretty good in expressing that in the abstract. Some call it poetic. Others think it’s trash. Maybe it’s just drunken ramblings put to paper. Mickey Rourke really shines in this role, as does Faye Dunaway as his distressed goddess. It’s an odd philosophy here that is captured perfectly. And the ending is as great as the beginning. Plus a great snapshot of those bars some may consider sleazy, but others consider home.
