Naked Lunch

David Cronenberg's 1991 cinematic exploration of the notorious William Burroughs novel is not so much an adaptation as a reinterpretation that merges the book with the author's own life. Peter Weller stars as Burroughs alter-ego Bill Lee, a drug addict and aspiring writer, who flees New York for the “Interzone” in North Africa after killing his wife, Joan (Judy Davis), in a narcotics-fueled game. Lee's bizarre odyssey is a deadpan journey into a surreal world of giant bugs that can speak, talking assholes (literally), and a living typewriter that responds to the words typed onto the page. Cronenberg, who wrote the screenplay, draws on salient elements from Burroughs' autobiography—including his friendship with fellow Beat figures Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsburg, and Paul and Jane Bowles; his job as an exterminator; and the “accidental” death of his spouse after he tried to shoot a glass off her head—making connections between Burroughs' life and the way the writer re-imagined those events in his fiction. In many ways, Naked Lunch is a film about the writing of the novel and the creative process in general, but the disturbing and grotesque hallucinatory imagery that is Cronenberg's trademark also make this an often unpleasant watch. Debuting on Blu-ray with a director-approved high-definition digital transfer, extras include audio commentary by Cronenberg and Weller, the 1992 documentary “Naked Making Lunch,” an illustrated essay on the special effects, audio recordings of Burroughs, stills galleries, and a booklet. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)