The Life And Times Of Allen Ginsberg | Desertcart KSA
The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg
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Product Description Product Description For 25 years, Academy Award®-nominated director Jerry Aronson accumulated more than 120 hours of film on Allen Ginsberg, resulting in this comprehensive portrait of one of America s greatest poets, author of Howl and other groundbreaking poems. The DVD includes exclusive and revealing interviews with his friends, family and contemporaries as well as never-before-seen materials made public through the close friendship forged between subject and filmmaker. The film acts as a contextual overview of the last 60 years of American culture, from the Beat era through the uncertainty of current times. Special Features Exclusive Interviews; Making Of Featurette; Ginsberg poem readings; Further extended and deleted scenes featuring Bob Dylan, William Burroughs, Neal Cassady; Photo gallery; Theatrical Trailer; Memorial for Allen Ginsberg; and more Review Fiercely funny and moving --Rolling StoneSplendid! A great American story --Los Angeles TimesA very rich slice of cultural history, lovingly presented. --Boston Globe
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About the Actor Irwin Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 April 5, 1997) was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, economic materialism and sexual repression. Ginsberg is best known for his epic poem "Howl", in which he celebrated his fellow "angel-headed hipsters" and harshly denounced what he saw as the destructive forces of capitalism and conformity in the United States. In October 1955, Ginsberg and five other unknown poets gave a free reading at an experimental art gallery in San Francisco. Ginsberg's "Howl" electrified the audience. According to fellow poet Michael McClure, it was clear "that a barrier had been broken, that a human voice and body had been hurled against the harsh wall of America and its supporting armies and navies and academies and institutions and ownership systems and power support bases." In 1957, "Howl" attracted widespread publicity when it became the subject of an obscenity trial in which a San Francisco prosecutor argued it contained "filthy, vulgar, obscene, and disgusting language." The poem seemed especially outrageous in 1950s America because it depicted both heterosexual and homosexual sex at a time when sodomy laws made homosexual acts a crime in every U.S. state. "Howl" reflected Ginsberg's own homosexuality and his relationships with a number of men, including Peter Orlovsky, his lifelong partner. Judge Clayton W. Horn ruled that "Howl" was not obscene, adding, "Would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemisms?" In "Howl" and in his other poetry, Ginsberg drew inspiration from the epic, free verse style of the 19th-century American poet Walt Whitman. Both wrote passionately about the promise (and betrayal) of American democracy, the central importance of erotic experience, and the spiritual quest for the truth of everyday existence. J. D. McClatchy, editor of the Yale Review, called Ginsberg "the best-known American poet of his generation, as much a social force as a literary phenomenon." McClatchy added that Ginsberg, like Whitman, "was a bard in the old manner outsized, darkly prophetic, part exuberance, part prayer, part rant. His work is finally a history of our era's psyche, with all its contradictory urges." His achievements as a writer as well as his notoriety as an activist gained him honors from established institutions. For example, his collection The Fall of America shared the annual U.S. National Book Award for Poetry in 1974. Other honors included the National Arts Club gold medal and his induction into the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, both in 1979. Ginsberg was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1995 for his book Cosmopolitan Greetings: Poems 1986 1992. See more
Reviews
4.7
All from verified purchases
A**R
Greatest American poet of the 20th Century
He reads a lot of his idiosyncratic poems throughout the vid, and it doesn't put him in a box; this is him, Allen Ginsberg. Greatest American poet of the 20th Century, ya!
T**S
poet and muse Allen Ginsberg (Deluxe Two-Disc Set)
The extraordinary life and times of Allen Ginsberg are profiled in this straightforward tribute documentary. I can't recall gaining any new insights or knowledge of Ginsberg, *but* I had already done my homework on the Beats and all that when, like so many others, I was a fascinated teenager. What I did experience was again being made aware of how much Ginsgerg's life connected with and that it was better through his having been a part of it. Not only was he a Beat poet but a great muse to many, many artists. I dare say I find that aspect of his life the most interesting. America is better because Ginsberg lived. He was a peacemaker, an activist, and a really nice and lovable guy. This film serves as a solid introduction to the famous countercultural icon's story as it is told with ample footage and through many interviews with his many famous friends and admirers: Beck, Bono, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Johnny Depp, Hunter S. Thompson, Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, Joan Baez, Michael McClure, Norman Mailer, Amiri Baraka, Ken Kesey, William S. Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Anne Waldman and Timothy Leary... Excerpts of discussions with William Buckley and Dick Cavett are also included. The DVD set includes over 6 hours of extras. Must have for fans.
J**K
BEAT / NOT BEATEN
here's the deal ----> despite the statement on the box that the film-maker has collected some 120 hours of material over the years, the doc itself is a scant 84 mins. !!! this results in a mere sketch of what the title promises ... i am a beat era aficionado & have spent a large part of MY life collecting materials & am quite familiar w/ everyone's story in that great american saga ... there are some VERY significant epochs in allen's life that are completely over-looked ... that said ... this collection's strength lies in the EXTENSIVE , not formally "edited" to fit in the other part of the set , extras ... indeed a whole disc's worth ... SO , overall , for the price , i would recommend this set ... though you may not be aware of what's missing ...
H**R
Four Stars
Excellent documentary- perfect for Beat lovers.
A**N
Highly recommend.
Tremendous.
E**L
Ginsberg
For anyone familiar with Allen Ginsberg's work, this set is a great introduction to his life and times. To someone not familiar with his work, it is an excellent introduction to one of America's great poets, in the tradition of Walt Whitman. To someone who is curious about the "Beat" generation, this is a great inroduction to some of the best-known names of that time. Well worth the money, and well worth several viewings.
J**N
A marvelous, heartfelt and very well researched film about ...
A marvelous, heartfelt and very well researched film about a genuine mensch. Where are you now when we need you, Allen?
C**L
Ginsberg was so far ahead of his generation and a brilliant poet!
Mr. Ginsberg was so far ahead of his generation and a brilliant poet!!!
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Irwin Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 April 5, 1997) was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, economic materialism and sexual repression. Ginsberg is best known for his epic poem \"Howl\", in which he celebrated his fellow \"angel-headed hipsters\" and harshly denounced what he saw as the destructive forces of capitalism and conformity in the United States.
In October 1955, Ginsberg and five other unknown poets gave a free reading at an experimental art gallery in San Francisco. Ginsberg's \"Howl\" electrified the audience. According to fellow poet Michael McClure, it was clear \"that a barrier had been broken, that a human voice and body had been hurled against the harsh wall of America and its supporting armies and navies and academies and institutions and ownership systems and power support bases.\" In 1957, \"Howl\" attracted widespread publicity when it became the subject of an obscenity trial in which a San Francisco prosecutor argued it contained \"filthy, vulgar, obscene, and disgusting language.\" The poem seemed especially outrageous in 1950s America because it depicted both heterosexual and homosexual sex at a time when sodomy laws made homosexual acts a crime in every U.S. state. \"Howl\" reflected Ginsberg's own homosexuality and his relationships with a number of men, including Peter Orlovsky, his lifelong partner. Judge Clayton W. Horn ruled that \"Howl\" was not obscene, adding, \"Would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemisms?\"
In \"Howl\" and in his other poetry, Ginsberg drew inspiration from the epic, free verse style of the 19th-century American poet Walt Whitman. Both wrote passionately about the promise (and betrayal) of American democracy, the central importance of erotic experience, and the spiritual quest for the truth of everyday existence. J. D. McClatchy, editor of the Yale Review, called Ginsberg \"the best-known American poet of his generation, as much a social force as a literary phenomenon.\" McClatchy added that Ginsberg, like Whitman, \"was a bard in the old manner outsized, darkly prophetic, part exuberance, part prayer, part rant. His work is finally a history of our era's psyche, with all its contradictory urges.\"
His achievements as a writer as well as his notoriety as an activist gained him honors from established institutions. For example, his collection The Fall of America shared the annual U.S. National Book Award for Poetry in 1974. Other honors included the National Arts Club gold medal and his induction into the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, both in 1979. Ginsberg was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1995 for his book Cosmopolitan Greetings: Poems 1986 1992.
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Greatest American poet of the 20th Century, ya!"},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"4.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"T***S"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2008","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n poet and muse Allen Ginsberg (Deluxe Two-Disc Set)\n \n","reviewBody":"The extraordinary life and times of Allen Ginsberg are profiled in this straightforward tribute documentary. I can't recall gaining any new insights or knowledge of Ginsberg, *but* I had already done my homework on the Beats and all that when, like so many others, I was a fascinated teenager. What I did experience was again being made aware of how much Ginsgerg's life connected with and that it was better through his having been a part of it. Not only was he a Beat poet but a great muse to many, many artists. I dare say I find that aspect of his life the most interesting. America is better because Ginsberg lived. He was a peacemaker, an activist, and a really nice and lovable guy. This film serves as a solid introduction to the famous countercultural icon's story as it is told with ample footage and through many interviews with his many famous friends and admirers: Beck, Bono, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Johnny Depp, Hunter S. Thompson, Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, Joan Baez, Michael McClure, Norman Mailer, Amiri Baraka, Ken Kesey, William S. Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Anne Waldman and Timothy Leary... Excerpts of discussions with William Buckley and Dick Cavett are also included. The DVD set includes over 6 hours of extras. Must have for fans."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"3.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"J***K"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2015","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n BEAT / NOT BEATEN\n \n","reviewBody":"here's the deal ----> despite the statement on the box that the film-maker has collected some 120 hours of material over the years, the doc itself is a scant 84 mins. !!! this results in a mere sketch of what the title promises ... i am a beat era aficionado & have spent a large part of MY life collecting materials & am quite familiar w/ everyone's story in that great american saga ... there are some VERY significant epochs in allen's life that are completely over-looked ... that said ... this collection's strength lies in the EXTENSIVE , not formally \"edited\" to fit in the other part of the set , extras ... indeed a whole disc's worth ... SO , overall , for the price , i would recommend this set ... though you may not be aware of what's missing ..."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"4.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"H***R"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2017","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Four Stars\n \n","reviewBody":"Excellent documentary- perfect for Beat lovers."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"A***N"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2019","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Highly recommend.\n \n","reviewBody":"Tremendous."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"E***L"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2009","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Ginsberg\n \n","reviewBody":"For anyone familiar with Allen Ginsberg's work, this set is a great introduction to his life and times. To someone not familiar with his work, it is an excellent introduction to one of America's great poets, in the tradition of Walt Whitman. To someone who is curious about the \"Beat\" generation, this is a great inroduction to some of the best-known names of that time. Well worth the money, and well worth several viewings."},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"J***N"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2016","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n A marvelous, heartfelt and very well researched film about ...\n \n","reviewBody":"A marvelous, heartfelt and very well researched film about a genuine mensch. Where are you now when we need you, Allen?"},{"@type":"Review","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"5.0"},"author":{"@type":"Person","name":"C***L"},"datePublished":"Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2015","name":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n Ginsberg was so far ahead of his generation and a brilliant poet!\n \n","reviewBody":"Mr. Ginsberg was so far ahead of his generation and a brilliant poet!!!"}],"aggregateRating":{"@type":"AggregateRating","ratingValue":4.5,"bestRating":5,"ratingCount":8}}
