Why isn't Barfly available on dvd?
You watch barfly for Mickey Rourke, not Charles Bukowski
You watch Bukowski: Born into This (2003) for Charles Bukowski
Barfly is not a a dramatization of actual historical events – at least not according to Hank and the wife
Amazon had a re-release of “Barfly” listed late last June. I just checked, though, and don’t see that it’s available at all. What a shame! It’s soooo good.
I guess I’m one of the lucky ones insofar as I’ve had this on DVD from the first time it was released. I’ve played it so many times for so many friends. Everyone loves it.
I heard about Barfly only recently. Strangely ’cause it was mentioned when I read about a John Adams piece included in the film. :D I read up on it and saw a couple clips and it looks great.
Barfly is excellent but really….there are so many NON-FUCKIN’ AMERICAN UNRELEASED FILMS,WHY DO WE NEED AN URGENT TRANSFER OF YET ANOTHER AMERICAN FILM ON FUCKIN’ DVD DAMMIT???
Dimitris: Uh, maybe because there are people who haven’t seen it, but would like to? :D
Dimitris: the hand is being raised by a helicopter, but the kid sitting on the pier seems surprised……
i’m not gonna name the hundreds of Balkan film titles that DEMAND OF A FUCKIN’ DVD RELEASE because i’m gonna hijack this thread and i don’t want to out of respect of Barbet ;)
(alright,out of respect for Faye too,hehe)
To be fair I don’t think the OP was ‘demanding’ a release, but merely asking about any information for a possible future one. :)
Just take it easy now, Dimitris, we’re all friends here . . . .
[S. shouts, MOVE IN!!!!]
“Why isn’t Barfly available on dvd?”
alter this denomination with several other threads….alter this denomination with more threads regarding a Criterion release….for the love of Artemis alter it with any kind of these threads,do you see the deja vu i’m seeing?
“The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall”
But he didn’t mention Criterion.
As long as I could get Barfly on dvd, I wouldn’t mind. A criterion release with re-mastered picture and sound is always good.
Curtis: Have you checked Amazon? I saw they have used ones for sale for pretty decent prices.
There’s a lot worse films than Barfly, what with all the fuss about re-releasing it? I mean Factotum itself is nothing compared to Barfly.
@ OP: If it’s any help, there is a torrent out there for Barfly, so there’s how you can watch it.
I don’t like Barfly. That said, it should be available to those who want to watch it, as should all of your Balkan films, all of the Indonesian ones, etc etc. Just because someone wants one film to be released doesn’t mean they don’t want the others to be released. I think it’s less understandable that something as local and popular as Barfly isn’t released, than foreign films which have little chance of garnering any mainstream attention. Hate to be cynical, but y’know. It’s a business.
It’s been a while since I saw it but I remember it being a bit mannered and somewhat lacking the raw wildness of Bukowski’s prose. It felt very “arty.” I think Roarke was good but also seemed like he was frcing himself to try tot sound like someone else, sorta like Nicholson in Hoffa.
I too am sorry it isn’t available for those who want to see it. I might like to see it again so I can be reminded of the days when i was obsessed with Bukowski without having to re-read any of his books.
“I think it’s less understandable that something as local and popular as Barfly isn’t released, than foreign films which have little chance of garnering any mainstream attention. Hate to be cynical, but y’know. It’s a business.”
the conservative highlight of the day,hooray!
of course,it would only come from a Westerner,predictable….
and to think i love Barfly dammit….
I checked Amazon.com and they seem to have the film on VHS and PAL DVD, along with the book version of the film.
I didn’t like the film either, mainly because everyone was overacting their inebriation + Mickey Rourke insisted on using a pseudo-Bob Dylan inflection in every line of dialogue. Nonetheless, it should be readily available for those who liked it or are interested in Bukowski’s work.
I met Barbet Schroeder while he was planning this film and he seemed to have the concept down but (at least I think) the casting did in the movie. But there are some memorable lines:
Wanda: I can’t stand people, I hate them.
Henry: Oh yeah?
Wanda: Do you hate them?
Henry: No, but I seem to feel better when they’re not around.
dp
tp
Dimitris: “Barfly is excellent but really….there are so many NON-FUCKIN’ AMERICAN UNRELEASED FILMS,WHY DO WE NEED AN URGENT TRANSFER OF YET ANOTHER AMERICAN FILM ON FUCKIN’ DVD DAMMIT???”
Dimitris, I think you’re overreacting. A good movie is a good movie regardless of the country of origin. I’ve heard great things about “Barfly” and would like to see it myself. Why does it matter to you if it’s American or not? Keep in mind, I would also like to see many non-fuckin American movies released on DVD as well. Chill out man!
“Why does it matter to you if it’s American or not?”
because American films always,always dammit get the priority in releases,for the love of Artemis,this is prejudice….YESSSSS,IT IS ALRIGHT IF BARFLY DOESN’T GET A FUCKIN’ INSTANT RELEASE,WE HAVE SO MANY AMERICAN FILMS WITH SPECIAL EDITIONS LABELED IN THEIR FUCKIN’ COVER,IT’S GETTING SICK!!!!
American films always get priority for releases? Are you speaking about Hollywood films, in which a studio like Universal Entertainment releases a movie into theaters and then releases it on DVD through it’s home entertainment department? That, of course, is expected. Hollywood only wants to release movies that they think the masses will pay for, then release it on DVD through their own company (usually).
Alright, so let’s disregard that. Are you implying that companies like Criterion, Masters of Cinema, and Kino give priority to American films?
Ironic that you say this is prejudice when you seem to be prejudice against a film’s release solely by the fact that it an American movie (directed by a French filmmaker).
Personally, I don’t care WHERE the movie comes from all I care about is if it’s good. I’m equally disappointed that “Barfly” hasn’t been released as much as I am about a Satyajit Ray film not getting it’s release. A movie doesn’t suddenly become more important to me just because it wasn’t made by a American.
Oh no, not the american films with special editions labeled in their fucking covers! Those are the worst ones!
I’d rather see plenty of Canadian films get dvd releases immediately, especially over something as barely interesting as Barfly, but they won’t, because they won’t move as many units. Yeah it’s cynical, yeah it’s a conservative view point, but yes, it’s also the way these things work. And to say that it could ‘only come from a westerner’ is a stupid jab at a perception that should be universal.
From what I’m getting from your really poorly expressed thought processes you have the same perception I do, that American films will get released first because they are more likely to make money, but whereas I have made peace with that and hope that people get to see the movies they want no matter what country, you seem to think that if Barfly doesn’t get released that’ll equal more opportunity for foreign releases, which isn’t how this system works, boy-o.
I don’t won’t to be this guy but coughtorrentcough.
I hate to say it but Barfly is available to rent on itunes (uk).
Bukowski writes about the making of the film in his book Hollywood.
Well said Joshua W, well said
Curtis
A friend of mine told me about a film from the late 80’s where Mickey Rourke plays Charles Bukowski. After watching Factotum, I am very intrigued to see another Bukowski docudrama. Locating a copy of Barfly has been a real chore, though. Does anyone know if it is going to be re-released…or is that one going to stay on my want-to-watch list forever?