I admired the underlying message, and the seemingly clever imagery. I loved the unique atmosphere that is similar to Terry Gilliam's Brazil. And I was fascinated by the gorgeous animation and the designs of the animatronic bugs. But I think this movie is very self-indulgent for its own good. Very, very self-indulgent that the most important action in the movie, which led to all its series of events, happened very quick and there wasn't enough focus on it.The movie's biggest concern is using metaphors that I really didn't care to figure out what they stand for. Therefore, I wasn't engaged with the story nor the characters. Also, the tone of the movie is very slow and cold exactly like the acting.I'm really frustrated because Naked Lunch is my first Cronenberg film, and I was ready to enter his universe, and to be presented to his distinctive directorial style and to his wonderful work as I heard and read many times. That being said, Naked Lunch won't be my last Cronenberg movie because I really felt there was something special and really good deep inside this movie in spite of the fact that I didn't like it.(6/10)

Like most, or rather all, of Cronenberg's movies, this is utter tripe.It's like he always writes scripts the second he regains conciseness after ingesting a second helping of peyote.Of course this was originally written by Will Burroughs, but he's just as much of a twisted lunatic as Croney.The film itself actually has quite a few big names in it, but that just means you get to watch actors you've seen in better movies act like they're not really sure what's going on, or why the hell they signed up for this mess.If you do decide to watch this, be prepared for numerous conversations about homosexuality, and excessive drug use. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but as I've always said, I only support gay marriage if both chicks are hot...

This is beyond a Challenge. It is an Impossibility, Yet it Can be Done. Attempting, and Ultimately Succeeding, to Review a Film that was made from an Unfilmable Book. The Book, it might even be said was a Book that was Unwriteable, But yet it WAS Written.The Paradoxes and Ironies abound. They Bounce around the Works of William S. Burroughs and David Cronenberg with a Symbiosis that is Rare, but it does Occur. This could be Called "A Happening".The Melding of these Twisted Minds could Never Result in anything Approaching Linear. It's as Futile as returning a Pretzel to its Doughy Larval State. But yet, Here it is. Cronenberg's Movie has a Beginning, a Middle, and an End. So do the Books of Burroughs. Trying to make Sense of the Surreal, both the Writer and the Director never Expect, although Require, the Reader and the Viewer to do so.It's the Attempt, the Trying that is the Thing. Involvement, Participation, Thinking. Just the Process is the least an Artist can Expect from the Patrons. Peter Weller Embodies Burroughs in Mind and Stature, and He is the surprisingly Witty and Confused "Grounding" for the Audience to Glaum ahold of as this Trip to the "Interzone" Gets Underway. Good Luck with that, because, You See, Mr. Lee (Burroughs) is too High most of the Time to be anywhere Near the Ground.The Plot doesn't Thicken, as Things Unfold, It's more like the Plot Solidifies into a Madness of the Mind. It's that Kind of Movie Cronenberg Made and that Kind of Book that Burroughs Wrote. Get Involved with this Film Only if You have the willingness to Expand Your Consciousness and Entertain the Creative Minds of the Dangerous. The Thoughts and Images of the Unthinkable. It will be a Challenge. Are You Up For it? If Not, it's Better to Stay Down there Where You Are.

Naked Lunch is definitely the kind of flick that'll get most "thinking" people either burping, or farting, or, most likely, doing both at the same time, long before the picture is even over the rainbow. I'm not kidding.Naked Lunch is gastronomical! It's when you stop to consider that one of the main characters in Naked Lunch is in actuality a "talking" sphincter (it's true), that this will excuse any foul response to this poor-excuse-of-a-movie, without any apologies required.I have to say that it was actually really comical at times when this babbling butt-hole and Bill (Peter Weller) were engaged in one of their many screwy conversations, or whatever. I mean, what, in the hell, are you supposed to say to a sphincter? Go ahead! Try talking to your own sometime and see what kind of a response you inevitably get from it.It did kind of strike me ironically that, here in Naked Lunch, it just happened to be this extremely vocal arsehole who was calling all the shots with Bill, ordering him around, and telling him to do this and that. Yeah, irony-of-ironies, Bill, a grown man, is being bossed and bullied around by, of all things, Sir Admiral Anus . It's, naturally, all fun and games at first, but, typically, as novelties often go, this gabbing, little Corn-hole gets to be a total pain-in the-butt (literally) after a short while.It took (of all the lopsided-minds in this world) the most whacked-out one of them all (director, David Cronenberg) to bring Naked Lunch to the big screen. Any idiot with half a brain in his head could have told this nut (which I'm sure they did) that the William Burroughs' novel of the same name was impossible to film. But, Cronenberg, believing himself to be creating the work of a genius from the work of another genius forged ahead like a real, little trooper and produced an utterly awful film. Bravo, Cronenberg! You can have your Naked Lunch, and eat it, too.I won't even try to outline the ludicrous plot of Naked Lunch, 'cause, let's face it, there ain't one. In that way it's exactly on par with the Burroughs' novel.Right from the start Naked Lunch is absolutely nonsensical to the nth degree. The story runs off in so many different tangents, seemingly all at once, that it will make your poor, little head spin-spin-spin. I'd confidently say that you'd probably have more luck getting a clear story just talking to your own sphincter, rather than try to piece together Naked Lunch's rectal-mess.So, as I suggest, leave all your worldly troubles behind you and come on down to the Breakfast Club where they're serving a scrumptious Naked Lunch for your Last Supper.