Naked Lunch

William Burroughs's writings made for a difficult, though not entirely inaccessible, film

Comments (0) By Olivia Flores Alvarez Thursday, Nov 12 2009

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A mixture of apocalyptic fiction and awful truth is the basis for the film Naked Lunch, based on the writings of William S. Burroughs. A dark, convoluted tale, Naked Lunch features William Lee (the Burroughs character played by Peter Weller) as an exterminator-turned-secret-agent-turned-loco who shoots his wife in the head during a William Tell routine. That's based on the real-life death of Burroughs's wife, whom he unintentionally shot and killed during a similar game at a party. Characters loosely based on Burroughs's friends Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg also factor in the story, as do giant bugs, living typewriters and a doctor who manufactures a street drug called Black Meat from the guts of huge centipedes. As complicated and challenging as Burroughs himself, Naked Lunch prompted critic Roger Ebert to write, "While I admired it in an abstract way, I felt repelled by the material on a visceral level." 8:30 p.m. Domy Books, 1709 Westheimer. For information, call 713-523-3669 or visit www.domystore.com. Free.
Mon., Nov. 16, 8:30 p.m., 2009