CHELSEA HOTEL MANHATTAN : Joe Ambrose's footage of Chelsea Hotel veteran Herbert Huncke

Joe Ambrose’s footage of Beat saint Herbert Huncke in conversation with Spencer Kansa – I Mostly Travelled on the Road – will be shown for the first time in Sydney later in April.

Says Ambrose: “I met Huncke via Spencer when he was on the road promoting an edition of The Evening Sun Turned Crimson. I filmed him that same night and met up with him subsequently at his 80^th birthday party in ..Bruges.., ..Belgium.. and, then again, back in ....London..... He was one of the most exceptional men I’ve met. It’s hardly surprising that he featured as a character in books by his pals like Burroughs’ Naked Lunch and Kerouac’s On the Road. The title I’ve given to the film derives from a comment Huncke made during the conversation. It also provided the tag line for a track featuring Huncke and Chuck Prophet which I produced with Frank Rynne.”

The Sydneyscreening is part of a Huncke night being curated by Jack Sergeant to celebrate the publication of his history of Beat cinema, Naked Lens. The headline film will be Herbert and Louis by Laki Vazakas, which offers the most compelling portrait of this primal talent and is itself a work of cinematic literature. By turns heartbreaking, visionary, and shocking this compelling film is not to be missed.

The movies will be shown at the Mu-Meson Archives at Crn Parramatta Rd & Trafalgar St Annandale, West Sydney on April 23^rd. The $10 admission includes supper. Jack’s book will be available to purchase. Ph 9550-1078 for details

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