BEATNIKS REJOICE!
The film adaptation of the famous book from the Beat Generation, On the Road, will be out in theaters Friday, December 21, and New York City is going WILD in celebration of Jack Kerouac’s scandalous work. A staple of writing from the Beat Generation, On the Road celebrates youthful freedom and a break from the constraint of society. The film adaptation of the book is written by Jose Rivera and directed by Walter Salles, who worked together on the film adaptation of Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara’s autobiography, The Motorcycle Diaries. The film stars big name actors such as Sam Riley, Kristen Stewart, and Garrett Hedlund, and features Kirsten Dunst, Amy Adams, Viggo Mortensen, and Steve Buscemi.
If you’re looking to get into the spirit of the 1950s and 1960s counterculture in honor of On the Road, you can catch these hip happenings throughout NYC.
Beat Poetry Slam at the Nuyorican (NYC)
Tuesday, December 11
The Nuyorican Poetry Café is hosting an On the Road-themed poetry slam featuring poets from literary journals and poetry clubs across the city. Come compete in the slam, or just listen and snap!
A Week of Road Movies: Directed and Selected by On the Road director, Walter Salles (NYC)
December 14-20, IFC Center
The IFC Center in New York will be screening a week of films by On the Road director, Walter Salles, as well as some he personally selected as his favorites. Check out the list of films and screening times here.
Beatnik Photo Walk with Lomography (NYC, San Francisco)
Saturday, December 15 at 1 PM
Spend a fine Saturday on a guided photo tour through West Village, lead by the camera and film company Lomography. The tour will take you through the West Village, stopping at all the places where the Beatniks used to frequent. These locations are haunted with the ghosts of figures of the counterculture. A San Francisco date of this photo tour will be announced soon.
On the Road-Inspired Dinner at Luoro in the West Village (NYC)
Saturday, December 15
Chef Dave Santos of Um Segrado Supperclub prepared an On the Road-inspired menu at Luoro, his newly opened West Village restaurant. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, December 4.
Catch a Free Screening of On the Road and Beatnik Dance Party (NYC)
Sunday, December 16 at 7 PM
Join the Knitting Factory and Brooklyn Vegan for a FREE advanced screening of On the Road. If you stick around after, a real hip dance party will follow with live Bebop band, the Stan Killian Trio.
Beat Week at the Blind Barber (NYC, LA)
December 16-19
From December 16 to 19, all hot shaves and haircuts at the Blind Barber locations in NYC and Los Angeles will come with a special Kerouac-inspired cocktail. Tuesday, December 18 at Blind Barber NYC and Wednesday, December 19 at Blind Barber LA, will be special nights of original On the Road drinks in the kind of revelry of which Kerouac would approve.
On the Road Screenwriting Workshop (Brooklyn, NY)
Monday, December 17 from 7 PM – 10 PM
Want to learn to be a screenwriter? On the Road screenwriter Jose Rivera is teaching a workshop at 3rd Ward, an art workspace in Brooklyn! The cost is $100 dollars for members of 3rd Ward or $125 for non-members.
On the Road Advanced Screening with the Screenwriter, Jose Rivera (NYC)
Wednesday, December 19 at 6:30 PM
The Morgan Library Museum will host a special advance screening of On the Road two days before its release, with a Q&A session to follow. This is an opportunity to get inside the creative mind of the man who recreated one of the most highly acclaimed novels in history on film. RSVP at [email protected] to reserve your spot on a first come, first serve basis.
Photo via IFCCenter.com.
