Ken Russell

[poliphilo]

Ken Russell, the veteran film maker, is preparing to release home made movies on the Web. He's got a project lined up called Braveheart Meets The Loch Ness Monster.

Russell made some very bad films back in the day- Tommy, Gothic, the Boyfriend. His work for the cinema was characterized by a total lack of subtlety and a failure to understand the need for pacing. Occasionally- as with the male nudity in Women in Love- he broke through barriers that needed breaking.

But before he stepped up to the big screen he did some amazing work on TV. Everyone of a certain age remembers his short film about Elgar- with the camera tracking a small boy as he rides his pony across the Malvern hills- but even better was his uncharacteristically moving film about Delius- A Song at Sunrise. And then there was his boat-burning film about Richard Strauss with it's bosomy Teutonic maidens, priapic caveman and nazi rapists. Back in his TV heyday each new Russell opus was a national event and, latterly, a national scandal.

I'm glad he hasn't mellowed and I'm glad he's back on the (very small) screen.
I don't suppose Braveheart Meets The Loch Ness Monster will be any good, but wouldn't it be fun it it was!

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's it. Russell is often crass but he's always been interesting. I don't think he's made a great film, but he's made a number of unforgettable ones.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I am reminded by all of this by Ed Wood, whose work I only know second-hand via Tim Burton and Johnny Depp.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Urgh. I reminded by all this OF Ed Wood.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I've never seen any of Wood's work either, but I love the Depp/Burton movie.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

I am in the mood to watch all sorts of weird documentaries.

I'm watching one today called The Salt Man of Tibet, and I don't know what it's about, but everyone is talking in Tibetan, and their fingernails are all very dirty.

A woman sang a long song about how she lived in a blue palace and something about a man on a horse.

I love this stuff.

Last night we watched a long, slow documentary about the explosion of Mt. St. Helens, but it took so long to explode that we got bored and watched Star Trek instead.

I've ordered a documentary about people who live underground in New York City. I can't wait till it gets here.

I LOVE DELIUS.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm rather partial to a bit of Delius myself.

I've probably seen that documentary about Mt St Helens. I think volcanoes, though spectacular, are essentially undramatic.

[happydog.livejournal.com]

Good old Ken, still nuts I hope. One of my favorites is Lair of the White Worm, which is hilariously over the top (the top of what? just about anything you can think of).

I am more than interested in seeing what Ken Russell is up to these days so if there is a web address where we can see these masterpieces, please let everyone know!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Lair of the White Worm but I can imagine....

I can't find the news story from which I pinched the information, but if I learn any more I'll share.

[happydog.livejournal.com]

Lair of the White Worm is awful, but it's awful in an extremely entertaining way. Amanda Donohoe is a snake vampire in bondage gear, if that helps. I loved it. Thanks for the info!