The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg

Admirers of Allen Ginsberg—influential Beat poet, genial activist, and Buddhist—will appreciate this generous double-disc compilation, the centerpiece of which is Jerry Aronson's director's cut of his documentary The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg, originally released in 1994 but slightly extended to cover Ginsberg's death in 1997 and re-released in 2004. Aronson's approach is straightforwardly chronological, combining archival footage (including excerpts from Ginsberg's television appearances with Dick Cavett and William F. Buckley) with extensive interviews, including comments by his brother, aunt, and stepmother. While there's an almost hagiographical tone to the film, Ginsberg seems fairly deserving, given his troubled family life and his genuinely mild, gentle demeanor. DVD extras include a veritable cornucopia of bonus material—a “making-of” featurette, a short on the making of Gus Van Sant's music video of “A Ballad of the Skeletons,” footage of Ginsberg reading his poems and commenting on his photographs, conversations between Ginsberg and others (Bob Dylan, William Burroughs, and Neal Cassady), and excerpts from Jonas Mekas' Scenes from Allen's Last Three Days on Earth as a Spirit, which the avant-garde director shot in Ginsberg's apartment shortly after his death. In addition, the second disc offers a series of remarks about Ginsberg from a slew of friends and fans (including Joan Baez, Bono, Paul McCartney, Stan Brakhage, Johnny Depp, and Philip Glass), as well as portions of the memorial service held for Ginsberg in New York. Serving up a fascinating portrait of an important literary and cultural figure in modern American life, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)