The Best Hotel On Skid Row (1 Viewer)

[grahamcooke]

In an interview with Mary Ann Swissler in 1990 (Sunlight Here I Am, p258-9), there is mention of a HBO documentray called "The Best Hotel On Skid Row" which Bukowski narrated. Apparently it was also screened at Cannes. It's listed on IMDB.

Has anyone seen this? Is it still available anywhere?

Graham.

 

[cirerita]

It pops up on eBay now and then...

 

[mjp]

...Usually in barely viewable form. The bootlegs of this that have been around for the past few years all seem to be from the same crappy source.

 

[Bukfan]

Has anyone seen this? Is it still available anywhere?

I've seen it some years ago on tv. It's a film about some people living in a cheap hotel permanently. You hear about their fates an so on.
There's very little Buk in it. You hear his voice a little bit in the opening of the film and in the end and that's it. Maybe 5 min. all together.It was so disapointing to me that I erased it after having taped it. Well, maybe I should have kept it since it's part of "Bukdom". Those who have'nt seen it have'nt missed much...

 

[xxedgexx]

I recently acquired a copy of this. I actually think it's very good. The hotel is within spitting distance of my apartment. Buk narrates the entire documentary. Definitely a better gig than lets say, Supervan.

Aside from any Buk involvement, I think it's a really well done documentary regarding life on Skid Row.

 

[mjp]

A good copy? Where, pray tell?

 

[Skygazer]

http://www.openculture.com/2013/05/bukowskis_narrates_the_best_hotel_on_skid_row.html

Think this is the full documentary.

 

[zobraks]

If you prefer to watch this documentary offline (like yours truly), download it from here. It's a RAR archive (149 MB) with a FLV file (playable by VLC Player or the likes) inside.
You're welcome.

 

[Bukfan]

I tried the link but the site says, "Forbidden. You don't have permission to access/proxy.php on this server."

 

[Black Swan]

Bukfan, I tried SG's link and it works. The second from zobraks didn't work. You need the VLC player.

 

[Bukfan]

Right, SG's link works fine, but zobraks does'nt. That was the one i meant. No big deal though.
You don't need the VLC player to watch the one on Open Culture, but when I need a player I always use the VLC one. It "chews" just about all formats.

 

[zobraks]

The second from zobraks didn't work. You need the VLC player.

It works and you only need a(ny) player that can play FLV (flash video) files. After you download and unpack the RAR archive, that is (it won't play instantly, of course).

As Bukfan already said, VLC media player plays just about everything you can find around, so I heartily recommend it. It's free and easy to use.

P.S. You can convert FLV files to AVI (playable by any crap media player) online, by using this service. I haven't tried it, though.

 

[skiroomalum]

Wait, is this the I.T. department, or should we now call the I.T. department?

 

[Skygazer]

No biggie skiroom, take your FLV's, RAR's, VLC's, APB's and suchlike, then just run out of the room hollering for help, no need to feel downtrodden or cast asunder.

 

[zobraks]

The trouble with the Internet is you can't use it for more than a month without learning something.
Even IT related.

 

[skiroomalum]

I must be the exception that proves the rule.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I kinda thought Buk would be exploated, but the lines he reads are pretty strong. Worth wztching.