Burroughs: The Movie explores the life and times of controversial Naked Lunch author William S. Burroughs, with an intimacy never before seen and never repeated. The film charts the development of Burroughs' unique literary style and his wildly unconventional life, including his travels from the American Midwest to North Africa and several personal tragedies. Burroughs: The Movie is the first and only feature length documentary to be made with and about Burroughs. The film was directed by the late Howard Brookner. It was begun in 1978 as Brookner's senior thesis at NYU film school and then expanded into a feature which was completed 5 years later in 1983. Sound was recorded by Jim Jarmusch and the film was shot by Tom DiCillo, fellow NYU classmates and both very close friends of Brookner's.

This film, which incorporates the plots of four Damon Runyon stories, takes place in and around a grand New Year's Eve party in 1928. The guests, many of whose lives intertwine during the evening, include Harriet (Julie Hagerty), the rich society doll throwing the bash; the aptly named Feet Samuels (Randy Quaid), who is about to sell those body parts to a doctor; and Hortense (Madonna), the ballsy, money-hungry showgirl Feet has a crush on. There's also "The Brain" (Rutger Hauer), a mob boss with many girlfriends -- who's walking around with a knife in his stomach; Regret (Matt Dillon), so named for his chronic inability to pick a winning racehorse; and many other colorful characters, all of whom will make this one night to remember.