Wordiezett So much average

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

AutCuddly Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

christopher-underwood Rather effective three part tribute to Charles Bukowsi ( even if the first part is based on the semi autobiographical tale by his author of choice, Joe Fante). The middle section is more predictable than the others and all fairly shocking. The movie mixes music and tempos as well as mood to give just the right bitter sweet flavour with more than a hint of romanticism and drunkenness to give this the authentic air. The attempted initiation of the young boy, the acute acne humiliations and the necrophilia are all hard to take but the film is dressed well enough and a smile lingers despite it all. It also has to be said that the director has managed to convey a real sense of Bukowski's writings/life and that is no small feat in itself.

robert_e_campbell this movie really has nothing to do with bukowski. there is the terrible acne, the yearning for love, and the alcoholism. other than that, when writer has made everything his own, and the people releasing this film should have billed it as "inspired by charles bukowski" not based of the poems of.it is told in 3 sections, and while the fist two sections are beautifully acted by the two boys/men playing "henry voss" (must not have gotten the rights to play henry chinaski), the 3rd and worst section is played by an actor trying to recreate Mickey Rourke in "Barlfy," only the make-up artists made him up to look even greasier. throw in masturbation with a 12 year old boy, a direct "elephant man" allusion, and an ending that makes one want to throw up, and you have a combination of ingredients that would make bukowski punch someone in the jaw. only i didn't even get that: i felt deflated and cheated. as a fan of bukowski's work, at arm's length, this is purely garbage.but i did get a kick out of thinking that it is possibly johnny depp playing guitar in the prom scene (which in bukowski's poem, he only looks through the window and observes, why the director decided to fictionalize this, i don't understand).rent this if you're a huge bukowski fan ready to be let down hard. it's in the same category of fante's "ask the dust" adaptation, about a struggling Italian writer in his teens, played by collin farrel.

bluemouse1122 I saw this movie when it came out in 1987, but it was released under the original title, "Love is a Dog From Hell." For years, I've searched for it under that name to no avail, until today. I saw it in a mid-sized theater in Washington, DC...and I was the ONLY...and I mean only...person in the audience! The owners lost money that day, but I wasn't complaining. This movie made such an impact upon me, and I cried big, salty tears. Any adolescent who has had acne and/or been socially awkward (hello, everyone?) can relate on some level to the protagonist's horror and pain and gut-wrenching loneliness. Not everyone would ultimately go to his extremes, perhaps, but nonetheless.... I recommend this movie for folks who like their movies without the happy, crappy endings tacked on...and which show life as it really can be in that roller-coaster period called being a "teenager." Great direction and acting, too.

coreyjwade This film deserves more props. It is absolutely charming, and in a very poetic way. The filming in itself is very smooth with each transition and has great purpose in every scene each of which converge, including the fine details. The shadows of the spreading rain drops during the masturbation scene is phenomenal. The build-up and execution of the dance scene is also about as romantic as I have seen.I can see why this film did not get the props it deserves. It has some controversial material, though it is all executed with superb and poetic class. The diversity of the three sequences are also extraordinary. Very effective imagery, and a story that is told so well that you know where it is going at the end. There are no tricks, just a heartfelt love story with Bukowskian flair. And after watching a documentary on Hank, I can say that this captures the work of the true man inside, not the reputation that he developed as a womanizer during one stage of his life.