Movies About Poets/Poetry

  • Gary Jurechka
    18 years ago

    As a poet and fan of poetry, I've always been interested and collect(on DVD) movies regarding poets/poetry(even in the broad sense of the term).I am curious if anyone can list any other movies on this subject besides the ones I've listed below(I know there are more, but these were the only ones to come to my mind at the moment) and other members thoughts/comments on these films:

    1. The Basketball Diaries(about Jim Carroll)(This is a personal favorite, pretty close to the book of the same name and even featuring a cameo appearance by Jim Carroll-not only a fine 'street' poet but also put out 3 decent rock albums and spoken word cd's-recommend his book/ poetry collection FEAR OF DREAMING)
    2. Barfly (Bukowski)
    3. So I Married An Axe Murderer (Mike Myers as a coffeehouse poet-has a couple good(&funny) poetry reading scenes)
    4. Total Eclipse(I forget who this is based on-only saw part of it-believe it involves 2 poets-Leonardo Dicaprio stars)
    5. I Love Huckabees(again, a comedy with only a couple poetry references/readings by one character)
    6.Sylvia(think that's the title-about Sylvia Plath w/Gwenyth Paltrow)
    7.The Disappearance Of Garcia Lorca(Andy Garcia as Lorca-an excellent poet movie-unfortunately I only have a poor copy on vhs and for some reason this is only available as a German Region 2 dvd-If anyone has this and can burn a dvd copy(playable on U.S. dvd players), please contact me as this is such a superb movie)

    AS I said, I know there are more out there I can't think of and some I'm not aware of, so if anyone can add to this list, please do so.Thanks
    GaryJ

  • libby
    18 years ago

    Definitely "Dead Poets Society". What an amazing movie.

  • Gary Jurechka
    18 years ago

    Can't believe I forgot about DEAD POET'S SOCIETY, also one of my favorites.

    Not familiar with "BLUE CAR"-who's that about?

  • Gary Jurechka
    18 years ago

    I checked out the info on BLUE CAR(at Internet Movie Data Base) and it does appear to be an interesting movie, I will definitely be checking it out.Meanwhile, came up with some other poetry related films:

    GOTHIC(1986)or
    HAUNTED SUMMER(1988)
    -In checking into this movie I see there are two different versions of basically the same story, I believe it was Haunted Summer I saw.If anyone has info on the differences(besides cast/director--like if they are the exact same story-and where to find a dvd copy of Haunted Summer for region 1 dvd players))please let me know.I saw it years ago and was impressed, believe it is somewhat fictional but involves Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Percy Shelley and Lord Byron.It was full of interesting,fascinating almost surreal, dark dream sequence images and revolved around the creation of Mary's Frankenstein, but also dealt with the relationship of the three writers/poets.Gothic is available on dvd, Haunted Summer is not(as far as I know).

    STEVIE(1978)-Glenda Jackson recites bits & pieces of poems by Stevie Smith)

    IF I WERE KING(1938)(bits & pieces of poetry by Francois Villiions)

    NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE:A TRIBUTE TO JIM MORRISON(2001-though I believe this had an earlier release date)--A lot of info on The Doors & Jim Morrison-some bits of his poetry and song lyrics(another favorite of mine)

    THE DOORS(1991)-Oliver Stone film-uses some of Jim Morrison's poetry and lyrics(excellent performance of Morrison by Val kilmer, though a somewhat overblown story)

    LOOKING FOR LANGSTON(1989)-Langston Hughes

    TOM & VIV(1994)-T.S. Eliot

    MRS. PARKER & THE VICIOUS CIRCLE(1994)-Dorothy Parker

    POETIC JUSTICE(1993)-Mary Angelou

    SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE(1998)

    IL POSTINO(1994)-Pablo Neruda

    A PRINCE OF LOVERS(AKA THE LIFE OF LORD BYRON)(1922)-Lord Byron

    also to a lesser extent there are references or recitals of poems or bits and pieces of poems in the following movies:

    A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT(1992)-Edna St. Vincent Millay and William Wordsworth

    THE OUTSIDERS(1983)-Robert Frost's 'Nothing Gold Can Stay'

    THE CROW(1994)-John Milton and Edgar Allan Poe

    APOCALYPSE NOW(1979)-T.S. Eliot quotes from 'The Holow Men', 'Lovesong Of Alfred J. Prufrock'

    THE NOTEBOOK(2004)-Walt Whitman

    BLADE RUNNER(1982)-some Blake poems-'Tyger', 'The Fly', America:A Prophecy'

    SMOKE SIGNALS(1998)-on the soundtrack are some poem inserts by Sherman Alexie

    Here are the release dates on the other poet/poetry related movies mentioned above:

    Total Eclipse-1995
    Dead Poet's Society-1989
    I (heart) Love Huckabees-2004
    The Basketball Diaries-1995(Carroll also recites a couple poems on the movie soundtrack in addition to a couple songs by his band.He also has a couple cd recordings/readings-PRAYING MANTIS and POOLS OF MERCURY-think both are out of print-I have extra copies of both if anyone is interested)
    The Disappearance Of Garcia Lorca-1997
    Blue Car-2002
    So I Married An Axe Murderer-1993
    Barfly-1987
    Sylvia-2003

    I know there are also collections of poetry readings such as the Def Jam series, and some tribute documentaries(I know there is a Kerouac cd with various artists reading his work-Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Johnny Depp, etc., also pretty sure there is a Tupac Shakur doc/film with his poetry/lyrics involved, (know for sure there is a cd-rose in the concrete or something like that-my daughter was a fan and I got it for her when it came out) so I would include these documentaries and related films/video collections in this topic also.

  • HOLLY ARMER
    18 years ago

    I've read that book, it's amazing. I really enjoyed it.

  • Gary Jurechka
    18 years ago

    Has there ever been a movie made about Edgar Allan Poe?
    I know some of his works have beeen made into film (Fall Of TheHouse of Usher, Murders in The Rue Morgue and I think a very old one based on The Raven(?)) But Poe himself led such a short, tragic life with so much hapening and mysterious circumstances surrounding his death, I just can't believe no one has made a film on his life.

  • Gary Jurechka
    18 years ago

    Okay, so who wants to help me write a screenplay for a Poe biography/movie?
    (Just kidding?)

  • Gary Jurechka
    18 years ago

    Thanks for the Poe information, however upon checking into the movies listed at that link, most were not on the man but on his stories.Or were TV movies.The couple that were based on his life were both rated as poor(the latest being a 1942 biopic) and none are to be found on dvd.
    I was meaning I couldn't believe no one had done a big budget more modern picture(They've done so many lesser poets and writers,with not nearly the actual trauma, tragedy and drama and mystery of Poe's true life).But thanks again, a couple might be worth checking into if I can ever find copies.And I will check out Equilibrium when I get a chance.

  • HOLLY ARMER
    18 years ago

    Stage Beauty, is another one that wasn't mentioned. It's brilliant.

  • Gary Jurechka
    18 years ago

    I just finished watching the biography/documentary of Bob Dylan's early years:
    NO DIRECTION HOME:BOB DYLAN(2005)
    This is an amazing (but long) film.Not only does it cover one of musics greatest poetic songwriters, but it also mentions the Greenwich Village poetry scene in New York in the 60's.It also has references/poem quotes of poets Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Charles Plymell, Jack Kerouac, and others, and it also has a few interviews with Allen Ginsberg(must've been within a few years of his death), and older footage of the poet in the 60's..I was really impressed with this dvd and highly recommend it, even to the casual Dylan fan.Watching this film makes me wish I'd been born about ten years earlier(but at least I was able to see him perform at Woodstock 1994-it was amazing, the sun was setting behind the stage and the sky was filled with beautiful hues of orange and red and gold with a few surreal looking cloud wisps(I have an awesome photo of it)-Dylan is a true legend-both as a musician and a poet)This film is so interesting and truly fascinating in many aspects.

  • AGirlWorthFightingFor
    18 years ago

    Vincent Price did a bunch of Poe related stuff.

    I saw his telling of "The Raven."

    O, god! not good. kind of funny. feh. B+ movie.

    THE LIBERTINE with Johnny Depp is a more recent one. I haven't seen it. Critics panned it. My Depp-obsessed friend loved it. but she also thought his version of Chocolate Factory was better because of Depp. so I don't take her criticism seriously.

  • HOLLYWOODxBANGBANG
    18 years ago

    'The Rose That Grew From Concrete' was a really great piece of work by Tupac. He has a lot of good songs out there but what he did with this just blew me away.
    I Love Huckabees was also a really good movie, i would recommend that to any of you in here that haven't seen it yet, you just might like it.
    -Jenna xo

  • Gary Jurechka
    18 years ago

    Recently rewatching an older movie-AMERICAN POP by Ralph Bakshi-animated, there is a scene where an animated Allen Ginsberg reads part of 'HOWL'. Also the new release of Apocalypse Now has an extra of Marlon Brando reading an entire T.S. Elliot poem.Both are worth checking out.

    Gary Jurechka

  • Twisted Heart
    18 years ago

    I rented blue car and liked it so much that I had to buy it. Loved it.... Loved it.... Loved it.

    Happiness
    Jeannie