Hubert Selby Jr: It/ll Be Better Tomorrow (2005)

An exploration into the life and art of the renowned author of "Last Exit To Brooklyn" and "Requiem For A Dream." Hubert Selby Jr., a self-described "scream looking for a mouth," against ... See full summary »

Directors:

Michael W. Dean, Kenneth Shiffrin

Writer:

Michael W. Dean (narration)

Stars:

Hubert Selby Jr., Susan Anton, Darren Aronofsky

Cast

Credited cast:
Hubert Selby Jr.	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susan Anton	...	Herself
Darren Aronofsky	...	Himself
Alexis Arquette	...	Himself
Amiri Baraka	...	Himself
Arthur Boyars	...	Himself
Bill Buell	...	(archive footage)
Ellen Burstyn	...	Herself
John Calder	...	Himself
Jem Cohen	...	Himself
Susan Compo	...	Herself
Luke Davies	...	Himself
Carmine 'Tony' DeFeo	...	Himself
Anthony Di Novi	...	Himself
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Narrator

Storyline

An exploration into the life and art of the renowned author of "Last Exit To Brooklyn" and "Requiem For A Dream." Hubert Selby Jr., a self-described "scream looking for a mouth," against all odds, reached international acclaim with his controversial novels. His is a classic story of the great American novelist, overcoming tuberculosis, drug addiction and financial ruin, Selby eventually triumphed in his life and penned seven of the most remarkable and distinctly American books ever written.

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Plot Keywords:

selby | drug addiction | novelist | requiem for a dream | author | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes to really live... you have to die a few times.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

It/ll Be Better Tomorrow

Filming Locations:

Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Squitten Pix LLC

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is taken from page 103 of Selby's novel "The Demon". The slash is included in Selby's typography.

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Quotes

Hubert Selby Jr.: The writer has no right to be there in the work. I don't have any right to impose myself between the people I'm creating on the page and the reader... and that, the responsibility of the artist is to transcend the human ego.

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Connections

Features Had Some Time (2003)

User Reviews

Insightful Glimpse Into A Difficult But Sagacious Literary Life

For those who've never heard of Selby, this film is a perfectly-pitched introduction to his life and writings. For those already familiar with Selby's astonishing literary creations -- LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN primary among them, of course -- HUBERT SELBY JR.: IT/LL BE BETTER TOMORROW provides a long-overdue insight into the man himself, painting a vivid and sensitive portrait of an individual attempting to live an artist's life in the latter half of the twentieth century. It sure ain't an easy row to hoe, but Selby's uncompromising approach to the challenge, coupled with the extraordinary humanity and kindness he exhibits, goes a long way toward explaining the genius at the heart of his art. There's a particularly moving segment depicting Selby doing his laundry (in the coin-operated room of his apartment building designed for that purpose) that dramatically reveals some of the tortuous physical sacrifices he was forced to undergo during his lifetime -- sacrifices that have been transmuted, by the alchemy of his literary gifts, into some of the most compellingly honest writing in the history of American literature. Highly recommended.