Both Mr. Hackford and Mr. Schroeder are interviewed on screen, as are people who knew Bukowski at almost every stage of his life -- teenage friends, fellow workers from his days at the post office, girlfriends and Bukowski's wife, Linda.
With the splendid exception of Darlene Love, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, most of the vocalists interviewed on screen are not well known, even though they can be heard on many of the most popular and durable recordings of the past half-century.
It is achieved in Burns's signature style through prolonged immersion in the archival past (and the avoidance of any filmed re-creations of events for which no visual testimony exists), by the sustained quality of analytic narrative, by a stellar cast of voices (Eleanor's letters are read, piercingly, by Meryl Streep), and by the impeccable authority of those consulted or interviewed on screen.
That's the number of people interviewed on screen for the series--nearly all of them historical figures themselves in rock's evolution.
What's remarkable about the film (at the Vista) is that it was co-produced by many of the very same children we see being interviewed on screen.
Tarantino clashed with the Channel 4 News anchor during a fractious interview about on-screen violence, at one point telling Guru-Murthy: "I'm shutting your butt down".
Towelie's history is shown, using head interviews and on-screen captions (in a parody of "Intervention"), starting with years of drug addiction to cannabis, crystal meth, heroin and crack.
Mr. Lauer proceeded to display the Today interview on a screen, which showcased Mr. Brown's labyrinthine home in New Hampshire, complete with hidden doors and secret passageways.
One choice was to display the text of the interview on a screen while the dialogue is being spoken or sung.
Part of the problem is that after interviewing you on screen about your cable box, ZIP code and so on, the box dials a local number, updates itself with new software, restarts and then forgets everything you've typed.
