Bukowski/Sean Penn (2 Viewers)

Johannes

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I wonder about the Bukowski/Sean Penn - relationship. They were considered as friends, as far as you can judge that from outside. I remember Sean Penn saying, that he was a fan of B.'s work and B. saying that he liked Penns briskness and style or something, while his feelings for Madonna weren't that positive. They both dedicated parts of their work to each other.

But how did they get in touch? Through the Barfly-process? Did Sean Penn just come by someday? Did they meet regularly and/or did they exchange letters? If yes, is anything of this correspondence available somewhere?

Anybody got informations on this one?
 
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I know from watching born into this that Sean had Bukowskis number and that they where friends. They probably met each other during the making of Barfly or during a sojourn in HollyWood.

Someone on here will have more detials.
:)
 
Yeah Barfly brought them together but Penn wanted his jingly jangly jewellery wearing buddy ( Bukowski took note) Dennis Hopper to direct the film which was a no goer as director was already in place...
 
...and the director was THE driving force behind making the movie. Removing him would have been easily the move of a world-class prick.

Movie stars and other people of great fame think that they can always have their way. In most situations, they get exactly what they want from everyone. It is refreshing to see that Hank stood by his man.

AND, Sean Penn is a great, great actor and a great, great humanitarian*, but he would have ben oh so wrong in that movie...

Bill

* Sean Penn still spends a LOT of time in Haiti helping rebuild. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40928936/ns/today-entertainment/ I seriously doubt that it is a publicity stunt. Those usually last a very short period of time and stop when the masses of camera crews go home.
 
*Sean Penn is a good guy. I doubt his open letter to George W Bush was a publicity stunt either.
With a celebrity "on top" the people's voice of discontent is given media coverage... that was an intelligent and honest act, imo.
 
I think Sean Penn has an honest admiration for Bukowski. I remember seeing him interviewed on the Actor's Studio and he referenced a poem by Bukowski, the one where a child looks out a train window at the ocean and says, "It isn't beautiful. is it?" I've read some of Penn's stories in Longshot magazine and they show the Bukowski influence in going for the unadorned line.
 
I Met A Genius

[...]
we came to the ocean
and we both looked out the window
at the ocean
and then he looked at me
and said ,

"It's not pretty."

it was the first time I'd
realized
that.
 
Probably. Were they all part of that Wallace Berman Venice Beach circle? I seem to remember hearing that Dean Stockwell wrote poems under a pen name... Dennis Hooper was in that crowd and he seems to have been friends with Sean Penn.
 
Hopper and Penn made the gang-themed film "Colors" together - pretty sure it was shot in Venice Beach and East LA. That's how they ended up approaching Buk about teaming up on "Barfly." Then getting shot down.
 
I seem to remember reading somewhere that Penn has the movie rights to 'Post Office'. Curious as to why that hasn't been made.

Is it me, or did Sean Penn actually carve a recede into his hairline? The thing looks unnatural. Looking closely, you can almost see the shadow stubble. Going for the Bukowski look, perhaps.
 
A few people have "owned" the movie rights to Post Office. At the moment, I don't know if anyone does. Typically you buy the movie rights to a book for a limited period of time. 40 years is a long time, and I think I've heard that just about everyone but my dog has owned them at on time or another.

The fact that it has never been made, despite being developed to the script stage at least once should tell you a little about how the money people in Hollywood feel about it. Barfly and Factotum were not exactly blockbusters. Few investors or studios want to hear, "This will be a great cult movie, you'll make back your investment in only 20 or 30 years!"
 
Point taken mjp. I suppose we'd have to find a juicy cameo for Johnny Depp's 'Captain Jack Sparrow' for that to fly. Still, I'd like to think, given Penn's affinity for Bukowski, and assuming he'd be involved in some capacity, that the project might be given some wings at some pt in time. Or maybe I'm just talking outta my ass. Likely the latter, but one can hope.
 
Yes Mr. Penn was a pall-bearer for Mr. Bukowski.

It wasn't mentioned in this thread before. There's an old thread about the funeral over here.
 
Somebody mentioned already, Mr. Penn carried Hank's coffin?
Here he is:

Hanks-funeral_Sean-Penn_b.JPG
 

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