Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981)
"Storie di ordinaria follia" (original title)

Poet/lecturer Charles Serking awakens from his alcoholic haze long enough to take a bus back to L.A. and plunge into an orgy of drink and sexual depravity.

Director:

Marco Ferreri

Writers:

Marco Ferreri (scenario), Sergio Amidei (scenario),

Stars:

Ben Gazzara, Ornella Muti, Susan Tyrrell

7 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ben Gazzara	...	Charles Serking
Ornella Muti	...	Cass
Susan Tyrrell	...	Vera
Tanya Lopert	...	Vicky
Roy Brocksmith	...	Barman
Katya Berger	...	Girl on beach
Hope Cameron	...	Hotel proprietor
Judith Drake	...	Widow
Patrick Hughes	...	Pimp
Wendy Welles	...	Runaway
Stratton Leopold	...	Publisher
Anthony Pitillo
Jay Julien
Peter Jarvis
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean-Paul Boucher

Storyline

After a lecture where a poem is read out to a group of bored students, the alcoholic and sex addicted poet, Charles Serking, meets a young girl backstage. Then he travels to Los Angeles, and has sex with bizarre women. When Charles meets the gorgeous self-destructive prostitute Cass in a bar, he finds his soul mate and falls in love for her.

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Plot Keywords:

alcoholic | poet | bar | belt | reference to ronald reagan | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 September 1981 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Tales of Ordinary Madness

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

23 Giugno, Ginis Films, Alpes International Paris

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Charles Serking: What's your name?
Vera: Vera.
Charles Serking: Did you enjot it, Vera?
Vera: Yeah, like being raped! When I got off the bus, I thought you'd lose your nerve. Most men are cowards in the broad daylight.
Charles Serking: Cock-teaser!
Vera: [Smoking a cigarillo] I want you to be mean to me. Next time I want you to... use your belt.
Charles Serking: I don't wear a belt. You're gonna have to lend me one.
Vera: [She gives him a wide black belt and exhales deeply on the cigarillo] Come on, Tiger, whip me. I want you to beat me before you stick it in me!
[...]

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Crazy Credits

'Copyright' is spelt as 'copyrigth'.

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Soundtracks

"Rock-a-bye-baby"
(uncredited)
Traditional Anglo-American nursery rhyme and ballad
Sung by Ben Gazzara

User Reviews

better than air

Charles Bukowski is one of the most important men to have ever lived. His work is of the ages and I would put thousands of his passages up against the work of all those writers generally considered great. What all that has to do with this movie is not very much. As a film it falls short of the mark as it wanders like a drunk through the streets trying to give us a snapshot of sorts, a month in the life of the great Charles Bukowski. As for reality, I am sure that the Buk was pretty much drunk all the time and wasted lots of time with dirty women but that was his business. I am just glad that he put in some heavy time at the typewriter. I am also grateful for this film as it provides another document, a bit of proof that Charles Bukowski was real. Ben Gazarra does a nice job painting this particular picture of Chuck but it is not a performance that would alone make this a rental for the upcoming acting students. For a more realistic approach check our Mickey Rourke in Barfly. There is a very beautiful Italian actress (Ornella Muti) in this picture who plays the main love interest. She is worth the price of rental or even a bloated DVD purchase. I doubt that Bukowski ever had a girl this beautiful but that's the movies for ya.