These Words I Write

Keep Me From

Total Madness

Film & Video


Among the many films made from adaptations of his stories, such as Cold Moon and Tales of Ordinary Madness, and even a documentary which he narrates, The Best Hotel on Skid Row, Bukowski wrote only one screenplay, Barfly, which faithfully reproduces the drama and compassion of Bukowski at his best.

This list includes two versions of Barfly screenplays, Bukowski documentaries, guest appearances, and film adaptations of his work.

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Barfly.
Schroeder, Barbet, dir.
Cannon Films Inc. and Cannon International. Burbank CA: Warner Home Video, 1987.
100 min. Videocassette.

Info available at Internet Movie Database.

Early in the film, Bukowski appears briefly as a bar patron in The Kenmore.

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Best Hotel on Skid Row.
Choy, Christine, dir.
Home Box Office, 1990.

Movie info at Cannes International Film Festival.

Charles Bukowski narrates.

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Bukowski: Born Into This.
Dullaghan, John, dir.
Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2003.
133 mins. DVD.
Info available at Internet Movie Database.
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The Charles Bukowski Tapes
The Charles Bukowski Tapes (4 Hours of Interviews & Poetry. Raw & Real).
Schroeder, Barbet, dir.
Les Films du Losange, 1985.
4 hours.

Barbet Schroeder interviews Bukowski and his wife Linda Lee.

Additional credits:

  • Piano: Jean Louis Valero
  • Camera: Steven Hirsh, Elliot Enzig Porter, Paul Challacombe
  • Editing: Barbet Schroeder, Paul Challacombe
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Crazy Love (Love is a Dog from Hell).
Dominique Deruddere, dir.
MMG (Belgian), March 1987.
Info available for this award-winning adaptation of three Bukowski shorts at Internet Movie Database and at the production company's web site. Deruddere also made a film version of John Fante's Wait Until Spring, Bandini. Deruddere also made a short, student film titled Wodka Orange (1982) with Bukowski-related content (my thanks to Greg Van Laecken for the information about Deruddere's films).
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Lune Froide (Cold Moon).
Bouchitey, Patrick, dir.
(French, black & white) 1991.
88 mins.
Internet Movie Database co-credits Bukowski with writing.
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Tales of Ordinary Madness.
Ferreri, Marco, dir.
Italy: Image Entertainment, 1982.
107 minutes.
Info available at Internet Movie Database.