Many Eyes, the new band formed by ex-Every Time I Die singer Keith Buckley, have announced their debut album, The Light Age, out September 6th. The single “Harbinger” can be heard now.
Continuing where he left off in Every Time I Die, Buckley helms a ferocious brand of metalcore in his new band, and “Harbinger” is perhaps the most aggro track from the group to date. A relentless beatdown of thrash riffs and sharp leads echoes the throat shredding screams of Buckley, who sounds as desperate as ever here.
Get Many Eyes Tickets Here
“‘Harbinger’ feels like the end of the world is suddenly happening, so that’s what the lyrics are about,” the singer commented via press release.
On the recordings for The Light Age, Buckley was joined by drummer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Bellmore and his brother, guitarist Charlie Bellmore. Nick also produced the record, with Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta serving as executive producer.
Continuing where he left off in Every Time I Die, Buckley helms a ferocious brand of metalcore in his new band, and “Harbinger” is perhaps the most aggro track from the group to date. A relentless beatdown of thrash riffs and sharp leads echoes the throat shredding screams of Buckley, who sounds as desperate as ever here.
Get Many Eyes Tickets Here
“‘Harbinger’ feels like the end of the world is suddenly happening, so that’s what the lyrics are about,” the singer commented via press release.
On the recordings for The Light Age, Buckley was joined by drummer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Bellmore and his brother, guitarist Charlie Bellmore. Nick also produced the record, with Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta serving as executive producer.
- 8/6/2024
- by Jon Hadusek
- Consequence - Music
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (Raven Jackson)
A film that feels uprooted from deep beneath the earth, Raven Jackson’s poetic, patient debut is a distillation of cinema to its purest form, a stunning patchwork of experience and memory. Tethered around the life of Mack, a Black woman from Mississippi, as we witness glimpses of her childhood, teenage years, and beyond, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt becomes a sensory experience unlike anything else this year. Shot in beautiful 35mm by Jomo Fray and edited by Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s collaborator Lee Chatametikool, there’s a reverence for nature and joy for human connection that seems all too rarified in today’s landscape of American filmmaking. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: VOD...
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (Raven Jackson)
A film that feels uprooted from deep beneath the earth, Raven Jackson’s poetic, patient debut is a distillation of cinema to its purest form, a stunning patchwork of experience and memory. Tethered around the life of Mack, a Black woman from Mississippi, as we witness glimpses of her childhood, teenage years, and beyond, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt becomes a sensory experience unlike anything else this year. Shot in beautiful 35mm by Jomo Fray and edited by Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s collaborator Lee Chatametikool, there’s a reverence for nature and joy for human connection that seems all too rarified in today’s landscape of American filmmaking. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: VOD...
- 1/5/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Catering directly to my interests, the Criterion Channel’s January lineup boasts two of my favorite things: James Gray and cats. In the former case it’s his first five features (itself a terrible reminder he only released five movies in 20 years); the latter shows felines the respect they deserve, from Kuroneko to The Long Goodbye, Tourneur’s Cat People and Mick Garris’ Sleepwalkers. Meanwhile, Ava Gardner, Bertrand Tavernier, Isabel Sandoval, Ken Russell, Juleen Compton, George Harrison’s HandMade Films, and the Sundance Film Festival get retrospectives.
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Carl Davis, who composed the scores for The French Lieutenant’s Woman, the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice and perhaps most famously Abel Gance’s epic 1927 silent film Napoléon, has died. He was 86.
Davis died Thursday after suffering a brain hemorrhage, his family announced.
“We are so proud that Carl’s legacy will be his astonishing impact on music,” they wrote on Twitter. “A consummate all-round musician, he was the driving force behind the reinvention of the silent movie for this generation, and he wrote scores for some of the most-loved and remembered British television dramas.”
Born in Brooklyn but living in the U.K. since 1961, Davis was hired by documentarians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill to create music for the 13-hour 1980 miniseries Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film and for Napoléon.
“My first score for a silent movie was Napoleon,” he said in 2010. “Five hours of it! It...
Davis died Thursday after suffering a brain hemorrhage, his family announced.
“We are so proud that Carl’s legacy will be his astonishing impact on music,” they wrote on Twitter. “A consummate all-round musician, he was the driving force behind the reinvention of the silent movie for this generation, and he wrote scores for some of the most-loved and remembered British television dramas.”
Born in Brooklyn but living in the U.K. since 1961, Davis was hired by documentarians Kevin Brownlow and David Gill to create music for the 13-hour 1980 miniseries Hollywood: A Celebration of the American Silent Film and for Napoléon.
“My first score for a silent movie was Napoleon,” he said in 2010. “Five hours of it! It...
- 8/3/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Glenda Jackson, the two-time Oscar winner who walked away from a hugely successful acting career to spend nearly a quarter-century in the U.K. parliament, only to make a comeback on the stage, died Thursday. She was 87.
Jackson died peacefully after a brief illness at her home in Blackheath, London, and her family was at her side, her agent Lionel Larner said in a statement. “Today we lost one of the world’s greatest actresses, and I have lost a best friend of over 50 years,” he said.
She recently completed filming The Great Escaper opposite Michael Caine, Larner noted.
The British actress collected a slew of honors that included best actress Academy Awards for Women in Love (1969) and A Touch of Class (1973); two Emmys for her performance as Elizabeth I in the BBC miniseries Elizabeth R (a role she also played in the 1971 film Mary, Queen of Scots); and a...
Jackson died peacefully after a brief illness at her home in Blackheath, London, and her family was at her side, her agent Lionel Larner said in a statement. “Today we lost one of the world’s greatest actresses, and I have lost a best friend of over 50 years,” he said.
She recently completed filming The Great Escaper opposite Michael Caine, Larner noted.
The British actress collected a slew of honors that included best actress Academy Awards for Women in Love (1969) and A Touch of Class (1973); two Emmys for her performance as Elizabeth I in the BBC miniseries Elizabeth R (a role she also played in the 1971 film Mary, Queen of Scots); and a...
- 6/15/2023
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Big Thief guitarist Buck Meek has readied his third solo album, Haunted Mountain. The complete LP arrives August 25th via the artist’s new label home 4Ad, while its title track is out now.
Produced by Meek’s resident pedal steel player Mat Davidson, Haunted Mountain was recorded live in two weeks at Sonic Ranch outside El Paso, Texas. Despite this raw approach, Buck Meek and Davidson aimed to create a considerably more polished record than their previous releases. Guitarist Adam Brisbin, drummer Austin Vaughn, bassist Ken Woodward, and keyboardist (and Buck’s brother) Dylan Meek joined the artists in playing in one big room, where cell phones, headphones, and even talking were prohibited.
Thematically, the new album is an exercise in love songs, a difficult feat, according to Buck Meek. “Not break-up songs, but an actual love song written in earnest? That is taboo now,” the artist said in a statement.
Produced by Meek’s resident pedal steel player Mat Davidson, Haunted Mountain was recorded live in two weeks at Sonic Ranch outside El Paso, Texas. Despite this raw approach, Buck Meek and Davidson aimed to create a considerably more polished record than their previous releases. Guitarist Adam Brisbin, drummer Austin Vaughn, bassist Ken Woodward, and keyboardist (and Buck’s brother) Dylan Meek joined the artists in playing in one big room, where cell phones, headphones, and even talking were prohibited.
Thematically, the new album is an exercise in love songs, a difficult feat, according to Buck Meek. “Not break-up songs, but an actual love song written in earnest? That is taboo now,” the artist said in a statement.
- 5/24/2023
- by Carys Anderson
- Consequence - Music
From the Swiss Alps to a submerged volcano in the Cyclades, Big Thief’s Buck Meek took to the mountains for his new solo album Haunted Mountain, out August 25.
Meek also accompanied the announcement with the title track, a serene pedal steel stunner he performs with his band in the below video. He co-wrote it with Jolie Holland, who collaborated with him on several of the tracks. “It’s about being humbled by the thing you’re drawing power from, only at which point an actual, fair relationship begins,” Meek said.
Meek also accompanied the announcement with the title track, a serene pedal steel stunner he performs with his band in the below video. He co-wrote it with Jolie Holland, who collaborated with him on several of the tracks. “It’s about being humbled by the thing you’re drawing power from, only at which point an actual, fair relationship begins,” Meek said.
- 5/24/2023
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
This article contains spoilers for "Shazam: Fury of the Gods."
Who bought Skittles from the concession stand prior to enjoying "Shazam: Fury of the Gods" in theaters this weekend? If you didn't, the movie itself attempts to brainwash us into buying Skittles — or at least buying them as a viable plot device.
On the one hand, it is admittedly funny when "Fury of the Gods" likens the rainbow-colored candy to ambrosia, the nectar of the gods. Steeped in both DC superhero mythology and pop Greek mythology, the movie builds up unicorns as a fearsome, misanthropic threat, only for the youngest member of the Shazamily, Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman), to entice one out of the darkness with Skittles. Having a cute kid sell the idea that Skittles hath charms to soothe the savage beast is an amusing flourish.
On the other hand, the joke wears out its welcome when the "Taste...
Who bought Skittles from the concession stand prior to enjoying "Shazam: Fury of the Gods" in theaters this weekend? If you didn't, the movie itself attempts to brainwash us into buying Skittles — or at least buying them as a viable plot device.
On the one hand, it is admittedly funny when "Fury of the Gods" likens the rainbow-colored candy to ambrosia, the nectar of the gods. Steeped in both DC superhero mythology and pop Greek mythology, the movie builds up unicorns as a fearsome, misanthropic threat, only for the youngest member of the Shazamily, Darla Dudley (Faithe Herman), to entice one out of the darkness with Skittles. Having a cute kid sell the idea that Skittles hath charms to soothe the savage beast is an amusing flourish.
On the other hand, the joke wears out its welcome when the "Taste...
- 3/19/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and filmmakers and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Dan Mecca and Conor O’Donnell, along with special guests, present a new podcast bi-weekly.
Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter or on Facebook. Subscribe on Soundcloud, iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
In celebration of our 50th episode, check out the library of all episodes in alphabetical order below, including the films discussed.
50th Episode
Ben Affleck
BounceChanging LanesForces of NatureHollywoodland
The Avengers Edition – Part 1 & Part 2
The Brothers BloomIn the Heart of the SeaKill the MessengerThe Nanny DiariesThe Perfect ScoreThe Singing Detective
Angela Bassett
Strange DaysSunshine StateSupernovaVampire in Brooklyn
Warren Beatty
Dick TracyThe FortuneMcCabe and Mrs.
Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter or on Facebook. Subscribe on Soundcloud, iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
In celebration of our 50th episode, check out the library of all episodes in alphabetical order below, including the films discussed.
50th Episode
Ben Affleck
BounceChanging LanesForces of NatureHollywoodland
The Avengers Edition – Part 1 & Part 2
The Brothers BloomIn the Heart of the SeaKill the MessengerThe Nanny DiariesThe Perfect ScoreThe Singing Detective
Angela Bassett
Strange DaysSunshine StateSupernovaVampire in Brooklyn
Warren Beatty
Dick TracyThe FortuneMcCabe and Mrs.
- 5/7/2020
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
J Balvin has released three collaborative performance videos with Vevo, with songs taken from his latest album Colores. He kicked off his mini-series of performances last week with “Amarillo.”
In his latest clips, the Latin music star performs inside of a tarp-covered set. His outfits and the color of the set change depending on which song he’s performing: “Azul,” “Negro” and “Rojo.” J Balvin is the latest artist to participate in Vevo’s live performance series, following Khalid, Future, Karol G, Miley Cyrus, Chika and more.
Colores, released earlier this month,...
In his latest clips, the Latin music star performs inside of a tarp-covered set. His outfits and the color of the set change depending on which song he’s performing: “Azul,” “Negro” and “Rojo.” J Balvin is the latest artist to participate in Vevo’s live performance series, following Khalid, Future, Karol G, Miley Cyrus, Chika and more.
Colores, released earlier this month,...
- 4/3/2020
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
It’s safe to say that J Balvin leads one charmed life. The Medellín-born artist entered 2020 as a second-time Grammy nominee for 2019’s Oasis, his joint album with Puerto Rican comrade Bad Bunny. At the year’s onset, Balvin’s reggaeton-house single featuring the Black Eyed Peas, “Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life),” had topped several charts across the globe, from the U.S. to Romania. Then at this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, where Jennifer Lopez and Shakira proudly flaunted their Latinidad before millions of American viewers, Balvin was...
- 3/27/2020
- by Suzy Exposito
- Rollingstone.com
There are three immediate standouts on J Balvin’s new album Colores: “Azul,” with its relentlessly hummable hook written in part by the formidable Justin Quiles, “Gris,” which weaves pinprick guitar lines around a gnawing beat, and “Arcoíris,” which transforms Buena Vista Social Club’s classic “Chan Chan” into a modern dancefloor killer.
All three tracks feature contributions from the Haitian-born, New York-based artist-producer Michael Brun. Brun has been working with Balvin intermittently since 2018; he also introduced the Colombian superstar to Mr. Eazi, leading to their essential collaboration “Como un Bebe.
All three tracks feature contributions from the Haitian-born, New York-based artist-producer Michael Brun. Brun has been working with Balvin intermittently since 2018; he also introduced the Colombian superstar to Mr. Eazi, leading to their essential collaboration “Como un Bebe.
- 3/20/2020
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
In English, Spanish, or any other language you can throw at him, Colombian superstar J Balvin has a sixth sense for a smash hit. Between 2016’s Energía and 2018’s Vibras, the singer-songwriter established himself as the globe-trotting James Bond of reggaeton with chart-toppers like “Ginza” and “Mi Gente.” He then upped his game as a vocalist opposite Bad Bunny in 2019’s Oasis. But on Balvin’s fourth studio album, Colores, Balvin seems more dedicated to fine-tuning his signature sound than to crafting the Next Big Hit.
Don’t let the...
Don’t let the...
- 3/20/2020
- by Suzy Exposito
- Rollingstone.com
Colombian superstar J Balvin had slated his upcoming fourth studio album, Colores, for a March 20th release. However, the artist announced that he would expedite its release for Thursday, 7 p.m. Est — or 6 p.m. in his native Medellín.
Colores will be available for streaming exclusively on Spotify Thursday night and presented as a visual album dubbed the Colores Experience. For each of the 10 songs, all named after colors, Balvin himself will lead a guided meditation that channels the color and explain its relationship to the music.
“The idea of...
Colores will be available for streaming exclusively on Spotify Thursday night and presented as a visual album dubbed the Colores Experience. For each of the 10 songs, all named after colors, Balvin himself will lead a guided meditation that channels the color and explain its relationship to the music.
“The idea of...
- 3/19/2020
- by Suzy Exposito
- Rollingstone.com
After enjoying much fanfare at his Super Bowl halftime performance, Colombian superstar J Balvin has dropped a gory new visual for his latest single, “Rojo.” The new song, as well as previously released songs “Blanco” and “Morado,” will feature on his upcoming album Colores, which is set for release in March and is available for pre-order.
The Colin Tilley-directed video serves as a cautionary tale to not be distracted while driving and to remain present. In the affecting clip, Balvin is en route to witness the birth of his daughter at the hospital.
The Colin Tilley-directed video serves as a cautionary tale to not be distracted while driving and to remain present. In the affecting clip, Balvin is en route to witness the birth of his daughter at the hospital.
- 2/28/2020
- by Suzy Exposito and Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
When one thinks of filmmaker Ken Russell, one thinks “excessive”, “lurid”, and “over the top”. But there’s an honest to God beauty in the profane as seen through his eyes. Simply put, you can choose to experience a Russell film or ignore it, but they will always live on as messy, indulgent, yet heartfelt works. Personally, these are a few of my favorite things; and when Russell directed his flights of ripened fancy towards a piece of horror, the results could be spectacular like The Lair of the White Worm (1988), a hilarious and ribald tribute to Hammer, Aip, and Amicus.
Released just in time for Halloween in the U.S. by Vestron Pictures, Lair brought in less than its $2.5 million budget at the box office and the reviews were mixed. This was really nothing new for Russell, who by this point in the game was either revered or reviled...
Released just in time for Halloween in the U.S. by Vestron Pictures, Lair brought in less than its $2.5 million budget at the box office and the reviews were mixed. This was really nothing new for Russell, who by this point in the game was either revered or reviled...
- 7/28/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
Notting Hill star Emma Chambers died after suffering a heart attack at the age of 53, says BBC executive Producer Jon Plowman.
Plowman told UK’s Radio 4: “It’s no age to have a heart attack, as I understand it.”
Chamber’s agent John Grant confirmed the actress’ death on Saturday, claiming natural causes.
“We are very sad to announce the untimely death, from natural causes, of the acclaimed actress Emma Chambers,” Grant told Entertainment Weekly. “Over the years, Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work. She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed.
Plowman told UK’s Radio 4: “It’s no age to have a heart attack, as I understand it.”
Chamber’s agent John Grant confirmed the actress’ death on Saturday, claiming natural causes.
“We are very sad to announce the untimely death, from natural causes, of the acclaimed actress Emma Chambers,” Grant told Entertainment Weekly. “Over the years, Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work. She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed.
- 2/26/2018
- by Jodi Guglielmi
- PEOPLE.com
Actress Emma Chambers, who starred in the 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill alongside Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, has died at the age of 53.
“We are very sad to announce the untimely death, from natural causes, of the acclaimed actress Emma Chambers,” agent John Grant said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
“Over the years, Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work,” Grant continued. “She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed. At this difficult time we ask that the privacy of the family and loved ones be respected.”
Chambers played the...
“We are very sad to announce the untimely death, from natural causes, of the acclaimed actress Emma Chambers,” agent John Grant said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
“Over the years, Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work,” Grant continued. “She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed. At this difficult time we ask that the privacy of the family and loved ones be respected.”
Chambers played the...
- 2/24/2018
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Actress Emma Chambers, who starred in the 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill alongside Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, has died at the age of 53.
“We are very sad to announce the untimely death, from natural causes, of the acclaimed actress Emma Chambers,” agent John Grant said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
“Over the years, Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work,” Grant continued. “She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed. At this difficult time we ask that the privacy of the family and loved ones be respected.”
Chambers played the...
“We are very sad to announce the untimely death, from natural causes, of the acclaimed actress Emma Chambers,” agent John Grant said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
“Over the years, Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work,” Grant continued. “She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed. At this difficult time we ask that the privacy of the family and loved ones be respected.”
Chambers played the...
- 2/24/2018
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
“She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed.
Actress Emma Chambers, best known for Notting Hill and The Vicar Of Dibley, has died aged 53, her agent has confirmed.
According to a statement she died of natural causes on Wednesday evening.
Her agent John Grant said: “We are very sad to announce the untimely death, from natural causes, of the acclaimed actress Emma Chambers.
“Over the years, Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work.
“She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed.
“At this difficult time we ask that the privacy of the family and loved ones be respected.”
Our beautiful friend Emma Chambers has died at the age of 53. We’re very very sad. She was a great, great comedy performer, and a truly fine actress. And a tender, sweet, funny, unusual, loving human being. pic.twitter.com/vLQcRcv2Ex
— emma...
Actress Emma Chambers, best known for Notting Hill and The Vicar Of Dibley, has died aged 53, her agent has confirmed.
According to a statement she died of natural causes on Wednesday evening.
Her agent John Grant said: “We are very sad to announce the untimely death, from natural causes, of the acclaimed actress Emma Chambers.
“Over the years, Emma created a wealth of characters and an immense body of work.
“She brought laughter and joy to many, and will be greatly missed.
“At this difficult time we ask that the privacy of the family and loved ones be respected.”
Our beautiful friend Emma Chambers has died at the age of 53. We’re very very sad. She was a great, great comedy performer, and a truly fine actress. And a tender, sweet, funny, unusual, loving human being. pic.twitter.com/vLQcRcv2Ex
— emma...
- 2/24/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Dan Ireland offers his rememberance of “Uncle Ken.”
A benefit of having such an eclectic stable of gurus is that our well of experience and stories about working in the business — often with and for giants — is increasingly deep. A number of our gurus, then, have Ken Russell (who died this past weekend) stories. Bernard Rose shared such a story in 2008. And Dan Ireland remembers the man just below.
One of the great joys of my life was my wonderful association with the great, the brilliant, the bad boy of British Cinema himself, Uncle Ken Russell.
Being an early devotee of Women In Love, The Music Lovers, The Devils, The Boyfriend, Savage Messiah, Mahler, Tommy, Altered States, Crimes of Passion and just about anything he did, I once tried in vain to get him to attend a tribute that I, along with my partner Darryl Macdonald, organized at the Seattle...
A benefit of having such an eclectic stable of gurus is that our well of experience and stories about working in the business — often with and for giants — is increasingly deep. A number of our gurus, then, have Ken Russell (who died this past weekend) stories. Bernard Rose shared such a story in 2008. And Dan Ireland remembers the man just below.
One of the great joys of my life was my wonderful association with the great, the brilliant, the bad boy of British Cinema himself, Uncle Ken Russell.
Being an early devotee of Women In Love, The Music Lovers, The Devils, The Boyfriend, Savage Messiah, Mahler, Tommy, Altered States, Crimes of Passion and just about anything he did, I once tried in vain to get him to attend a tribute that I, along with my partner Darryl Macdonald, organized at the Seattle...
- 11/30/2011
- by Danny
- Trailers from Hell
Oscar-nominated maverick found inspiration for his work in music and literature
After a film career full of wild drama, gaudy conflagrations and operatic flourishes, the director Ken Russell died quietly in hospital on Sunday afternoon at the age of 84, after suffering a series of strokes. – effecting a quiet, discreet exit from the comfort of his hospital bed. "My father died peacefully," said his son Alex Verney-Elliott. "He died with a smile on his face."
Known for his flamboyant, often outrageous brand of film-making, Russell made movies that juggled high and low culture with glee and invariably courted controversy. His 1969 breakthrough, the Oscar-winning Women in Love, electrified audiences with its infamous nude wrestling scene, while 1971's The Devils – a torrid brew of sex, violence and Catholicism – found itself banned across Italy and was initially rejected by its backer, Warner Bros. His other notable films include Altered States, The Boy Friend and Tommy,...
After a film career full of wild drama, gaudy conflagrations and operatic flourishes, the director Ken Russell died quietly in hospital on Sunday afternoon at the age of 84, after suffering a series of strokes. – effecting a quiet, discreet exit from the comfort of his hospital bed. "My father died peacefully," said his son Alex Verney-Elliott. "He died with a smile on his face."
Known for his flamboyant, often outrageous brand of film-making, Russell made movies that juggled high and low culture with glee and invariably courted controversy. His 1969 breakthrough, the Oscar-winning Women in Love, electrified audiences with its infamous nude wrestling scene, while 1971's The Devils – a torrid brew of sex, violence and Catholicism – found itself banned across Italy and was initially rejected by its backer, Warner Bros. His other notable films include Altered States, The Boy Friend and Tommy,...
- 11/29/2011
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
Legendary British filmmaker Ken Russell, the notorious director famous for boundary-pushing films such as Women in Love, Altered States and The Devils, has died at 84 following a series of strokes.
For an artist who's been called an iconoclast, a maverick and a genius — one with a professed love for consciousness-altering drugs — Russell (born July 3, 1927) got his start in a fairly conventional manner. Following a stint in the service, Russell worked as a photojournalist to minor acclaim before going to work at the BBC as a director in 1959.
While at the BBC, Russell made a series of historical documentaries, still regarded as impressive for their impressionistic visual technique. This is the beginning of the flamboyant style that became synonymous with the name Ken Russell. Many of these television films focused on renowned composers, including Edward Elgar, Richard Strauss and Claude Debussy. Interestingly, this is subject matter Russell would return to often...
For an artist who's been called an iconoclast, a maverick and a genius — one with a professed love for consciousness-altering drugs — Russell (born July 3, 1927) got his start in a fairly conventional manner. Following a stint in the service, Russell worked as a photojournalist to minor acclaim before going to work at the BBC as a director in 1959.
While at the BBC, Russell made a series of historical documentaries, still regarded as impressive for their impressionistic visual technique. This is the beginning of the flamboyant style that became synonymous with the name Ken Russell. Many of these television films focused on renowned composers, including Edward Elgar, Richard Strauss and Claude Debussy. Interestingly, this is subject matter Russell would return to often...
- 11/28/2011
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
Kathleen Turner, Anthony Perkins, Crimes of Passion Provocative, Controversial Director Ken Russell Dead at 84: Women In Love, Tommy, The Devils Valentino (1977) was another much-talked about biopic. (Perhaps not too surprisingly, decades later Ken Russell would write a positive commentary on a horrendously sensationalistic Valentino biography.) Reviews for the film starring Rudolf Nureyev as silent-film idol Rudolph Valentino were mostly negative. Audiences, for their part, opted instead for Stars Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Three years later, Russell went Hollywood with Altered States, a bizarre, philosophical, hallucinogenic sci-fier starring William Hurt as a scientist who undergoes genetic regression. Written by Oscar winner Paddy Chayefsky, with whom Russell clashed on the set, the costly Warner Bros. release was a major box-office disappointment. Another Us-based effort, the Belle du Jour-like 1984 sex drama Crimes of Passion, earned Kathleen Turner a Best Actress Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association...
- 11/28/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
The first review I ever wrote — God help me — was of a movie directed by Ken Russell, the high-trash visionary of over-the-top British psychodrama who died Sunday at 84. It was 1975, the fall of my senior year in high school, and my friends and I had gone to the opening night show of Tommy, the deluxe, star-packed big-screen version of the Who’s rock opera. (Elton John as the Pinball Wizard! Tina Turner as the Acid Queen! Ann-Margret writhing in beans and suds! Jack Nicholson leering!) I thought parts of the movie were amazing, but it had a certain jaw-dropping vulgar psychedelic shamelessness that,...
- 11/28/2011
- by Owen Gleiberman
- EW - Inside Movies
Following a series of strokes, British film director Ken Russell died on Sunday at the age of 84. Russell was famed for being experimental and flamboyant with his films which had heavily sexual overtones and often rebelled against the otherwise rigid and subdued tone used by other famed British filmmakers. It earned him the nickname 'The Fellini of the North'.
Russell first came to notice with 1967's "Billion Dollar Brain", the third film in the Michael Caine-led Harry Palmer spy drama series based on Len Deighton's books. Two years later he directed his signature film - an adaptation of Dh Lawrence's "Women In Love".
'Women' scored numerous Oscar nominations and featured the now infamous nude wrestling scene between Oliver Reed and Alan Bates that broke the taboo of full frontal male nudity on camera in a mainstream film.
That lead to numerous films in the 1970's that have since become infamous.
Russell first came to notice with 1967's "Billion Dollar Brain", the third film in the Michael Caine-led Harry Palmer spy drama series based on Len Deighton's books. Two years later he directed his signature film - an adaptation of Dh Lawrence's "Women In Love".
'Women' scored numerous Oscar nominations and featured the now infamous nude wrestling scene between Oliver Reed and Alan Bates that broke the taboo of full frontal male nudity on camera in a mainstream film.
That lead to numerous films in the 1970's that have since become infamous.
- 11/28/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Following the sad death of director Ken Russell yesterday, James looks back at his sometimes stunning body of work...
While his best years were clearly long behind him, the passing of director Ken Russell, one of the undoubted titans of post-war British cinema, still feels like a huge loss for the world of film. Contrarian, provocateur and a lover of excess in all its forms, Russell was a filmmaker whose work was rarely restrained, seldom safe and almost always memorable, although not necessarily for the right reasons.
Despite a childhood desire to be a ballet dancer, it was as a photographer that Russell initially made his name, and it was through this route that he secured a job in 1959 within the BBC.
Working as an arts documentarian during the 1960s, Russell honed his craft, creating a series of artful, evocative films, mainly focusing on composers such as Debussy, Elgar and Strauss.
While his best years were clearly long behind him, the passing of director Ken Russell, one of the undoubted titans of post-war British cinema, still feels like a huge loss for the world of film. Contrarian, provocateur and a lover of excess in all its forms, Russell was a filmmaker whose work was rarely restrained, seldom safe and almost always memorable, although not necessarily for the right reasons.
Despite a childhood desire to be a ballet dancer, it was as a photographer that Russell initially made his name, and it was through this route that he secured a job in 1959 within the BBC.
Working as an arts documentarian during the 1960s, Russell honed his craft, creating a series of artful, evocative films, mainly focusing on composers such as Debussy, Elgar and Strauss.
- 11/28/2011
- Den of Geek
Ken Russell, who has died aged 84, was so often called rude names – the wild man of British cinema, the apostle of excess, the oldest angry young man in the business – that he gave up denying it all quite early in his career. Indeed, he often seemed to court the very publicity that emphasised only the crudest assessment of his work. He gave the impression that he cared not a damn. Those who knew him better, however, knew that he did. Underneath all the showbiz bluster, he was an old softie. Or, perhaps as accurately, a talented boy who never quite grew up.
It has, of course, to be said that he was capable of almost any enormity in the careless rapture he brought to making his films. He could be dreadfully cruel to his undoubted talent,...
It has, of course, to be said that he was capable of almost any enormity in the careless rapture he brought to making his films. He could be dreadfully cruel to his undoubted talent,...
- 11/28/2011
- by Derek Malcolm
- The Guardian - Film News
Featuring Ian McKellen in his first starring role, 1981's Priest of Love explores the latter years of novelist D.H. Lawrence, picking up his story in 1914. The film, directed by Christopher Miles and adapted by Alan Plater from a biography by Harry T. Moore and the letters and writings of Lawrence, moves quickly, establishing that the writer married a German woman, flitting ahead a year later to the public burning of his book The Rainbow for alleged obscenity, and then settling for a while in 1924, as he moves to the United States. It feels like being tossed into the deep end of a man's soul, but McKellen proves to be a solid anchor. The actor, 41 at the time, had many years of...
- 7/23/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Michael York dashes onto the cinematic scene as the blundering but very enthusiastic D'Artagnan in Richard Lester's hugely enjoyable period comic romp. The late great Roy Kinnear is the long-suffering vassal of aristocratic swordsmen Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain and Frank Finlay, whilst Raquel Welch and Faye Dunaway shine as heroine and villainess, respectively. Producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind filmed the following year's sequel back-to-back with this more successful first part, which approach they would revisit shortly for Superman and Superman II. Dumas with wit, energy and integrity.
Notable Quotable: "That man in his time has insulted me, broken my father's sword, had me clubbed to the ground, laid violent hands on the woman I love! He is inconvenient. "
Martin Anderson
Mike Nichols and Buck Henry achieve what seemed impossible, at least on the evidence of an earlier attempt: to transliterate the pitch-dark war humour of Joseph Heller into a cohesive,...
Notable Quotable: "That man in his time has insulted me, broken my father's sword, had me clubbed to the ground, laid violent hands on the woman I love! He is inconvenient. "
Martin Anderson
Mike Nichols and Buck Henry achieve what seemed impossible, at least on the evidence of an earlier attempt: to transliterate the pitch-dark war humour of Joseph Heller into a cohesive,...
- 5/12/2011
- Shadowlocked
Kino Lorber will release the 1981 biographical film drama Priest of Love starring Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings) as famed author D.H. Lawrence on Blu-ray and DVD on June 21.
Ian McKellen (ctr.) and Janet Suzman are D.H. and Frieda Lawrence in Priest of Love.
Directed by Christopher Miles, the movie deals with the later years in the life of writer D.H. Lawrence (McKellen), his wife Frieda (Janet Suzman, Max) and their friend Dorothy Brett (Penelope Keith, TV’s To the Manor Born) after they have moved to the U.S. following the banning and burning of Lawrence’s latest novel, The Rainbow. Staying at the home of wealthy art patron Mabel Dodge Luhan (Ava Gardner, Mogambo), in Taos, New Mexico, Lawrence ponders his life, literature and sexuality before contracting tuberculosis and returning to Europe, where he writes the work for which he is best remembered, Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
Ian McKellen (ctr.) and Janet Suzman are D.H. and Frieda Lawrence in Priest of Love.
Directed by Christopher Miles, the movie deals with the later years in the life of writer D.H. Lawrence (McKellen), his wife Frieda (Janet Suzman, Max) and their friend Dorothy Brett (Penelope Keith, TV’s To the Manor Born) after they have moved to the U.S. following the banning and burning of Lawrence’s latest novel, The Rainbow. Staying at the home of wealthy art patron Mabel Dodge Luhan (Ava Gardner, Mogambo), in Taos, New Mexico, Lawrence ponders his life, literature and sexuality before contracting tuberculosis and returning to Europe, where he writes the work for which he is best remembered, Lady Chatterley’s Lover.
- 4/12/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Horses as life-size puppets? The wrong soldier executed? Michael Morpurgo has had to challenge his own preconceptions when seeing his books adapted for stage or screen. But with Spielberg's War Horse film forthcoming and The Rainbow Bear a ballet, he's getting used to good surprises
To me it's all storytelling. After centuries of stories dominated by the written word, we may sometimes forget that, for many generations before, the telling of stories was almost entirely an oral tradition, with a little help from travelling players and singers and bands. These storytellers adapted, reinvented and recreated all the time, to reflect changing times and tastes.
As a maker of stories, originally written for the readers of books, I am always alert to the possibilities of finding new and inventive ways of telling them, of bringing them to a wider audience. To begin with, I never imagined anyone would think of adapting...
To me it's all storytelling. After centuries of stories dominated by the written word, we may sometimes forget that, for many generations before, the telling of stories was almost entirely an oral tradition, with a little help from travelling players and singers and bands. These storytellers adapted, reinvented and recreated all the time, to reflect changing times and tastes.
As a maker of stories, originally written for the readers of books, I am always alert to the possibilities of finding new and inventive ways of telling them, of bringing them to a wider audience. To begin with, I never imagined anyone would think of adapting...
- 8/20/2010
- by Michael Morpurgo
- The Guardian - Film News
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