"Roy had communicated, days earlier, to the Zen Master that I was a drunk - unreliable - either faint-hearted or vicious - therefore during the ceremony, don't ask Bukowski for the rings, because Bukowski might not be there. Or he might lose the rings, or vomit, or lose Bukowski."

Bukowski goes off the rails as the best man at a wealthy Hollywood "zen wedding" with his singular viewpoint and sharp insights. He's the only one to bring a gift, and the only one to demand the Zen Master's ears in return.

"The rich understand; they just don't do anything about it."

OBIE winner Will Patton (Remember the Titans, The Good Wife, Armageddon) recreates Bukowski in his visceral prime, along with every eye-popping character in his life, each adversary, lover, and stranger in a lost city.