Chinaski, a notorious alcoholic, fighter and provocateur, wanders from bar to bar before regaining his shabby hotel room. One day, he meets the beautiful Wanda, also an alcoholic, and moves in with her.

Wanting to adapt Charles Bukowski's (Notes of a Dirty Old Man, or Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions, and General Tales of Ordinary Madness) semi-autobiographical stories and asking him to write the screenplay, Barbet Schroeder (More, Mistress) spent over 7 years building up this project, made possible by financial support from Francis Ford Coppola. A flamboyant and erratic film shot in the L.A. night, and graced by the presence of Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway.