The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg is a 1993 film by Jerry Aronson chronicling the poet Allen Ginsberg's life from his birth and early childhood to his thoughts about death at the age of 66. The film has been completed and released a number of times due to changing technologies and world events. The first release of the film was in 1993 at the Sundance Film Festival after which it enjoyed an international festival run and USA theatrical run. At the time, Allen was still alive. When Mr. Aronson showed the film to Ginsberg, the poet is reported to have nodded his head thoughtfully and said, "So, that's Allen Ginsberg."
When Allen passed in 1997, Jerry Aronson decided to update the ending of the film to include the poet's passing, one shot of Ginsberg's headstone in New Jersey and a new recording of Paul Simon singing Allen's "New Stanzas for Amazing Grace" for closing credits.
The new DVD, released on July 2007 by New Yorker Video, includes interviews with Bono, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Johnny Depp, Hunter S. Thompson, Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, Joan Baez, Michael McClure, Norman Mailer, Amiri Baraka, Ken Kesey, William S. Burroughs, Anne Waldman and Timothy Leary - all of whom considered Allen a good friend.
In addition to the documentary, the DVD release contains a number of bonus features. These include behind-the-scenes footage with the likes of Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and Neal Cassady; excerpts from a Ginsberg memorial; and extended and updated interviews.
Famous quotes containing the words allen ginsberg, life, times, allen and/or ginsberg:
“angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to
the starry dynamo in the machinery of night,”
—Allen Ginsberg (b. 1926)
“On the death of a friend, we should consider that the fates through confidence have devolved on us the task of a double living, that we have henceforth to fulfill the promise of our friend’s life also, in our own, to the world.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The real pleasure of being Mick Jagger was in having everything but being tempted by nothing ... a smouldering ill will which silk clothes, fine food, wine, women, and every conceivable physical pampering somehow aggravated ... a drained and languorous, exquisitely photogenic ennui.”
—Anonymous “Chronicler.” Quoted in Philip Norman, The Life and Good Times of the Rolling Stones (1989)
“I see my light come shining
From the west unto the east
Any day now, any day now,
I shall be released.”
—Bob Dylan [Robert Allen Zimmerman] (b. 1941)
“Downtown Manhattan, clear winter noon, and I’ve been up all night, talking, talking, reading the Kaddish aloud, listening to Ray Charles blues shout blind on the phonograph”
—Allen Ginsberg (b. 1926)