New DVDs of live readings (3 Viewers)

mjp

Founding member
New DVDs of live readings!

This from Dennis Del Torre, who owns the footage of a Bukowski reading at the Viking Inn (short excerpts of which can be seen in Born Into This). He's got a DVD release almost ready to hit the streets, but now:

Hey there. This project takes more twists and turns. Turns out that the Redondo Beach, Sweetwater Club reading WAS taped. Same thing as me. He sat on it for 25 years and is now preparing to release it. So we have been talking, the three of us, and plans are underway to release them as a boxed set. I am planning to come to San Pedro to meet with Linda and this fellow - Jon Monday - to go over everything. That should be around Feb.10th. Maybe we could meet?

A box set of live readings on DVD? Sounds like good things are happening...

The Viking Inn, if you don't know, was in Vancouver and the reading took place in 1979. Included are "The Secret Of My Endurance," "The Nine Horse," "Combat Primer," "Born Into This," and tons of others from the era. Primo vintage stuff. The DVD should be great.
 
Just heard from Dennis again and he'll be in town on the 28th of Feb. If I can make it to the meeting between him, the fellow who shot the Sweetwater reading, and Linda, I'll report back. I've been invited, but they rescheduled to a day I'm really tied up, so we'll see.

I assume they want to use the site as sort of a grassroots hype builder, which I have no problem with if the product is good. Hell, they don't have to do anything, just sprinkle a few copies around in here and the word of mouth will take care of itself.

Anyway, I'll keep you updated.
 
Some more words...

Free Copies

DVD Giveaway

Competition Time

:p
 
Went to dinner tonight with Jon Monday, Dennis Del Torre and Linda at Linda and Hank's favorite Japanese restaurant in San Pedro. Jon is the fellow who taped the Sweetwater reading in Redondo Beach in 1980 (the same reading the Hostage CD is taken from - Bukowski's final live poetry reading), and Dennis taped the Viking Inn reading in Vancouver a few months earlier (late '79).

Well, the good news is both readings are going to be released - worldwide - separately but simultaneously, this summer. Possibly as soon as July, but with anything like this you have to accept the possibility of delays. But both readings are definitely being released this year.

These are high quality, legit releases that are coming out with Linda's blessing. It was actually Linda that introduced Jon and Dennis - each of whom thought they had the last documented reading. Turns out Jon did, but both will be well worth a look. An embarrassment of riches for Bukowski fans who have had - well, nothing, as far as vintage live readings are concerned.

The only other legitimate release of a reading is Black Sparrow's Bukowski at Bellevue, which is dry, dry, sleepy-dry, and not the highest quality. Interestingly Jon says the current Bukowski at Bellevue DVD is a legit release (the distributor told him he bought it from John Martin), but Linda says it's an unauthorized bootleg. They both seem very sure of their positions, so I'll just leave that out there as-is. heh.

Maybe I'll type more on the dinner tomorrow or later this week.
 
thanks for sharing this, mjp.

Does Linda know anything at all about this forum?

oh, by the way, did you remember to ask her about B being occasionally bisexual? :D
 
cirerita said:
Does Linda know anything at all about this forum?
Yeah, but just from these other guys, I think. I don't think she's really online herself.

oh, by the way, did you remember to ask her about B being occasionally bisexual? :D
Somehow that wasn't a topic of conversation. I don't know how I could have neglected to bring it up. Maybe next time. ;)

I don't think she'd take too kindly to such a suggestion, actually, if anyone ever did bring it up. She's very protective of Bukowski and his history and legacy. And she also seems to have a very good memory. Someone brought up a story of Taylor Hackford filming Bukowski puking in a toilet before the San Francisco reading that was part of the KCET Bukowski documentary, and she said, "Oh bullshit!" and went into a detailed account of what really happened, and how it could have appeared that he was puking, but he was really mock-wretching over some extra cheap wine someone had put into his hand...impressive recall there.
 
Heard from Dennis Del Torre again, and he says the final product is in Linda's hands for approval. Once they have that, they are going to start shopping the project(s) to distributors.

So the releases are still moving forward. I'll let you know when I hear more.
 
Excellent! I'm impressed, mjp. You're there at the heart of it. Thanks for sharing this insider news with us common rabble.

David
 
mjp said:
And she also seems to have a very good memory. Someone brought up a story of Taylor Hackford filming Bukowski puking in a toilet before the San Francisco reading that was part of the KCET Bukowski documentary, and she said, "Oh bullshit!" and went into a detailed account of what really happened, and how it could have appeared that he was puking, but he was really mock-wretching over some extra cheap wine someone had put into his hand...impressive recall there.

Was this segment used in "Born Into This" ? It did seem that Buk was kidding around.
 
Excellent news. Always fear that this sort of thing will somehow vanish at the last minute... Good that this one's on the way out...
 
Yeah, but just from these other guys, I think. I don't think she's really online herself.

Somehow that wasn't a topic of conversation. I don't know how I could have neglected to bring it up. Maybe next time. ;)

I don't think she'd take too kindly to such a suggestion, actually, if anyone ever did bring it up. She's very protective of Bukowski and his history and legacy. And she also seems to have a very good memory. Someone brought up a story of Taylor Hackford filming Bukowski puking in a toilet before the San Francisco reading that was part of the KCET Bukowski documentary, and she said, "Oh bullshit!" and went into a detailed account of what really happened, and how it could have appeared that he was puking, but he was really mock-wretching over some extra cheap wine someone had put into his hand...impressive recall there.

Damn it! I wanted to believe that Buk was puking literally seconds before he walked on stage. Now you've ruined it for me. haha.
 
... a story of Taylor Hackford filming Bukowski puking in a toilet before the San Francisco reading that was part of the KCET Bukowski documentary, and she said, "Oh bullshit!" ...

Damn it! I wanted to believe that Buk was puking literally seconds before he walked on stage. Now you've ruined it for me. haha.

Linda King was at that reading. To my knowledge, Linda Lee was Not.

According to MM, Buk did in fact very often puke right before a reading.
 

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