Program Note
Bill Lee is an exterminator who discovers his wife’s using his pesticide as a recreational drug, and follows her, only to become an addict himself. Hallucinating that he is a secret agent guided by a giant beetle, he is suddenly assigned to kill his wife, “an Interzone” agent-to-be, and he succeeds. Now on the run, Bill is ordered by the beetle to infiltrate the Interzone and send out reports, which, in turn, becomes the completed book he can’t remember writing.
Naked Lunch is a surreal adaptation of the 1959 William S. Burroughs novel by body horror maestro, David Cronenberg. It is a fictionalized account of Mr. Burroughs’s journey in authoring his book, featuring stunning visuals and unique non-linear storytelling. Combined with Howard Shore’s colorful film score and the one-of-a-kind performance by Peter Weller as Bill, the film delivers a nightmarish, but engrossing experience to the viewer. Even after 30-plus years, such an effect still lingers on. (Jongsuk Thomas NAM)