RIP Ken Russell

[lashtal]

BBC Radio is reporting the death of the genius film maker Ken Russell. 

[stanforda]

It's so sad that he didn't receive the real recognition he deserved later in life. Even more overlooked was his ability as an occultist.
Even with low budgets and being filmed in his private studio/home, his later work was vibrant, and had the Ken Russell essence but was brilliantly pure, there was no one to mess around with his later films.

I hope The Devils is released in all its glory, un-cut and restored. Instead of the pathetic, butchered, upcoming 2012 release.


John.

[lashtal]

From 'Touchstones of Gothic Horror: A Film Genealogy of Eleven Motifs and Images' by David Huckvale...

Ken Russell's radio play The Death of Alexander Scriabin, first broadcast on BBC Radio Radio 3 on June 18, 1995, brought Crowley and Scriabin together in a satirical romp starring Oliver Reed as Crowley, who comes across Scriabin playing his "Black Mass" piano sonata while sacrificing a goat in St Basil's Cathedral in Moscow at midnight on Walpurgis Night. Both men were present in the capital in 1914, the time in which the play is set, so Russell's unlikely proposition could have happened. If it didn't, it really should have.

[Walterfive]

Sorry to hear it, he was a unique director with an amazing vision. I've been a life-long fan of Mr. Russell's work since "Tommy" and "Lizstomania" 35 years ago (when I was finally old enough to get into his films!), have seen many (if not all) of his earlier films and most recently enjoyed his "Fall Of The Louse Of Usher."  Genius of this magnitude does not occur often, his talents will be missed.

[the_real_simon_iff]

93!

What a loss! I love all his films and was quite curious into what this "Ken Russell is Aleister Crowley" thing would have turned. I am also one of the few who really adore his "big-budget" ALTERED STATES. A great story with amazing dialogue, terrific optical effects and a hilarious ending. If it only wouldn't have inspired this a-ha video...

Love=Law
Lutz

[phthah]

93 Lutz!

93!

What a loss! I love all his films and was quite curious into what this "Ken Russell is Aleister Crowley" thing would have turned. I am also one of the few who really adore his "big-budget" ALTERED STATES. A great story with amazing dialogue, terrific optical effects and a hilarious ending. If it only wouldn't have inspired this a-ha video...

Love=Law
Lutz

I also loved "Altered States" and saw it multiple times on the big screen back in the day! I also have the DVD that I still watch occasionally. It's one of my favorite movies. I always laugh at the part where Dr. Jessup's skeptical colleague takes his x-ray to the Radiologist, telling him that the architecture seemed somewhat unusual. The Radioligist's reply is, "Somewhat? This guys a fucking gorilla"! Of course, I can't recreate the Radiologist's accent, but that whole short scene is hilarious!

93 93/93
phthah