Hey all,
Finally saw Born Into This two nights ago. I happened upon it at Blockbuster when I wasn't even specifically looking for it; such a fortuitous finding, I had to rent it. It did make me shake my head in disgust to notice that there was but one lonely copy, yet the store was advertising their purchase of 130 copies of some crappy comedy whose name I can't even recall now, "just for all of you!" Sheesh.
Overall thoughts: I enjoyed it, and to be honest, I did learn a few things. I never knew too much about B's later life. I think it sort of glossed over the "controversy" of whether B actually spent 10 years or whatever in a Philly bar, acting as everyone's gofer, which is both good and bad.
I like the balance they struck between sentimental poems/moments and stereotypical poems about beer shits and cheap whores. The point where B read a poem about Linda King and wept on camera was particularly poignant. I think those are the kind of poems that the general public might not find typical of B when they only know him as the "poet of the people on the street."
As for the DVD extras, I only watched the home video made by Linda Lee, which was great. It was a kind of B that I'd never really seen in the Bukowski Tapes, yet it was still the same man, and he read his poems with the same weight, emotion and magically light-hearted efficacy as ever. I did try to start watching the Bono reading and the silly thing about "blowing my hero" (I couldn't stand that lady's voice!), but didn't get very far with either of them.
So yeah, overall, good stuff. Glad I watched, and I'd surely watch it again when I get a chance. Thanks for reading.