Based on short stories by cult author Charles Bukowski, Tales Of Ordinary Madness details the life of poet Charles Seiking (Ben Gazzara), a man who slides through the gutters of life with his pants unzipped. Describing a woman he stalks as “sexual sleaze,” he might be describing this film.  He lives for sleazy sex and always finds it.  This gritty film follows his travels in the seedy parts of the world and that is perhaps its only appeal.

Seiking meets a prostitute (lovely Ornella Muti) who’s bent on destroying herself.  She lives for the physical harm that she’s able to inflict upon herself.  So he falls in love with her.  He nearly destroys himself with the bottle, but doesn’t have the guts to risk it all. She dos.

Tales Of Ordinary Madness is anything but ordinary.  Since it describes survival of the least fit, it lacks any normal appeal. It’s quite disturbing to watch people destroy themselves.  But even more disturbing is the fact that I enjoyed disliking this film.  If you can watch it in one setting, congratulate yourself.  And if you want a perfect metaphor for depravity, grab a copy of this tape soon.