Ken Russell on DVD

[Gordon]

There are hundreds of titles that have the IMDb-Amazon sign-up link - many of them have existed for years. I don't trust them! But I do hope that their release of Performance and Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner will open the floodgates to many British classics.

[Lino]

There are hundreds of titles that have the IMDb-Amazon sign-up link - many of them have existed for years. I don't trust them!

But it's not a sign-up link. You cannot vote for it. It's the kind that has served me for indication for many, many titles that have recently been surfacing on DVD.

Trust me, with the Superman releases now behind their backs (and thank the Lord for that), Warner is stepping into gear again. I have high hopes for 2007.

I really wished that we had some real Russell connoisseurs around here because I would love to know the differences between Rick Wakeman's original Lisztomania score and the later remastered one.

[Gordon]

I hope that I am wrong and that you are right, my Portugeuse pal.

[Nothing]

what is the quality like on the luminous films disc? is the new footage simply cut in from the kermode doc or do they have access to the extended cut?

[Anonymous]

what is the quality like on the luminous films disc? is the new footage simply cut in from the kermode doc or do they have access to the extended cut?

Click here

[BrianInAtlanta]

I really wished that we had some real Russell connoisseurs around here because I would love to know the differences between Rick Wakeman's original Lisztomania score and the later remastered one.

I've got both discs. Wakeman's original was narrated by Paul Nicholas (Richard Wagner) and assembled in the manner of Wakeman's other albums The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Journey to the Centre of the Earth. It was rejected by A&M for the final soundtrack as released. I've included the track listing below:



1. The Scene
2. The Metronome
3. The Country Sword Dance
4. Free Song
5. The Freudian Dream
6. Dante Period
7. Orpheus Song (vocal: Roger Daltrey)
8. For The Chop
9. Hell
10. Wagner's Dream
11. The Dream of Hell
12. The Inferno Ride
13. Master Race
14. The Ride of Thor
15. Excelsior Song (vocal: Paul Nicholas)
16. The Guardian Virgins
17. Rape, Pillage and Clap
18. Love's Dream (vocal: Roger Daltrey)
19. The Suffering
20. Peace At Last (vocal: Roger Daltrey)
21. Love's Dream (outtake)



1. Rienzi/Chopsticks Fantasia (piano: David Wilde)
2. Love's Dream (vocal: Roger Daltrey)
3. Dante Period
4. Orpheus Song (vocal: Roger Daltrey)
5. Hell (vocal: Linda Lewis)
6. Hibernation
7. Excelsior Song (vocal: Paul Nicholas)
8. Master Race
9. Rape, Pillage & Clap
10. Funerailles (vocal: Roger Daltrey)
11. Free Song
12. Peace At Last (vocal: Roger Daltrey)

[Nothing]

Hmm, think I'll hold off in that case...

[MichaelB]

Not an unusual reaction to watching one of his films - but he's just been announced as a Celebrity Big Brother contestant!

And he's clearly as barking mad as ever.

[justeleblanc]

Sweet! What's Warner waiting for?

[MichaelB]

Worryingly, I have to give a serious talk about his 1960s BBC career (which I've been researching in some detail) in a few weeks' time.

Something tells me I'll be rewriting it right up to the moment I step behind the lectern!

[Lino]

Not an unusual reaction to watching one of his films - but he's just been announced as a Celebrity Big Brother contestant!

And he's clearly as barking mad as ever.

Now that's something to be seen! Who are the other contestants?

[Narshty]

Leo Sayer's in there, Jermaine Jackson (ie. Michael's brother of former 'Jackson 5' fame), and Dirk Benedict from The A-Team who turned up at the last minute. At least half his luggage appeared to consist of cigars and he immediately starting chatting up the youngest female in the house. The rest are nobody special, but that's to be expected.

[colinr0380]

My reaction to this could tie in with the acceptable use of emoticons discussion from the other thread: Ken Russell's name announced , his performance of Singin' in the Rain as he was making his way into the house . The official picture of him that is on the website and voting information pages looks similar to this as well:

I'm expecting everyone in the house to all be completely naked at one point or Russell will not have done his job!

They've already shown him talking about finding a packet of magic mushrooms in the glove compartment of his car and taking them with a few other people while he was renting Shelly Winter's house (I remember him telling this story on the Mondo Rosso programme in 1995, and it was at the time he was making Altered States. As far as I remember it he'd told someone he had never taken any drugs, so whoever it was kindly put these mushrooms in his car, probably thinking he needed the experience to make the film!)

EDIT: Apparently the youngest lady, the disgraced Miss UK with a footballer boyfriend (who I don't think has heard of Ken Russell) has already seen his genitals, and was a bit shocked! Yay! =D>

Something tells me I'll be rewriting it right up to the moment I step behind the lectern!

"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to answer any more questions on the spin the bottle game, the foul language or what the papers are calling 'that unfortunate incident in the hot tub' from Mr Russell's recent television appearance. Shall we get back to Delius?"

[Gordon]

Worryingly, I have to give a serious talk about his 1960s BBC career (which I've been researching in some detail) in a few weeks' time.

Something tells me I'll be rewriting it right up to the moment I step behind the lectern!

I was trying to find info on his BBC films a few weeks ago, but I came up with very little. Have you seen Bartok recently? If so, was it via the BBC? I do wish that they'd release it on DVD. I absolutely love it - certainly as much as Song of Summer, which simply sublime. Dick Bush was a brilliant cinematographer.

Best of luck with your talk, Michael.

[nyasa]

And he's clearly as barking mad as ever.

In celebration of Ken's entry into the house, I dug out Andre de Toth's book Fragments, and reread the classic tale of Ken Russell, Harry Saltzman and the caviar.

In precis, for those unfamiliar:

Saltzman was producing Billion Dollar Brain and recruited Ken as director. It was to be filmed in Finland, and a dinner was held in Helsinki to celebrate the first UK-Finnish joint production.

Ken bumbled in late and, ignoring the name cards, sat down at the right hand of the notoriously prickly Saltzman. Saltzman commanded him to move, and after an awkward few moments Ken flounced off to his assigned place (according to de Toth 'Ken has a lot of faults, but courage is not among them'.)

The dinner began, and almost imediately Ken piped up: "No caviar! You promised me, Harry."

Harry consulted with a waiter, and a short while later a tin of Beluga caviar was brought out to Ken on a silver tray. Ken tucked in with relish. Saltzman asked for the caviar to be brought to him, served himself, tasted it, and spat it out. "This is terrible, Ken. I thought you knew caviar."

Saltzman then made a great pantomime of having several more tins brought out. Each one he tasted and then sent back as being not fit for "Mr Russell, one of the greatest connoisseurs of caviar."

Finally, a tin was brought out that was to Saltzman's liking. "This is caviar, Ken," he said. The tin was taken across to Ken, who tasted it.

""Well, Harry, this is good. Good for this..." and he picked up his large soup spoon, dug deep in the tin and spread the Beluga caviar, soupspoonful after soupspoonful, on his shoes and shined them with his once-white table napkin."

If Ken's on form, there'll be some fireworks over the next three weeks. (Or he'll commit the ultimate up yours to reality TV by dropping dead on air.)

[Narshty]

To elaborate on Colin's report...

Three hours after he was admitted entry into the house, ladies and gentlemen. I fear this is going to need its own thread soon (and rightly so).

[Lino]

=D> That's my Ken! And Warner could not have made a better publicity job if they wanted -- bring on those MIA titles NOW!

[MichaelB]

I was trying to find info on his BBC films a few weeks ago, but I came up with very little.

Screenonline has far and away the most comprehensive online coverage of his BBC work, largely because I imagine it's the only survey written by someone who's had recent access to the programmes themselves.

I took advantage of the National Film and Television Archive's substantial collection, which is viewable by appointment only. Screenonline offers clips, but for copyright reasons they're restricted to UK schools, colleges and libraries.

Have you seen Bartok recently? If so, was it via the BBC? I do wish that they'd release it on DVD. I absolutely love it - certainly as much as Song of Summer, which simply sublime. Dick Bush was a brilliant cinematographer.

I've seen virtually all his BBC work, most of it in 2003-4 - Pop Goes the Easel and Don't Shoot the Composer are the major titles that have eluded me thus far, and I've yet to see some of the very early Monitor shorts, though it's by no means certain that they all survive.

Unfortunately, only Elgar and Song of Summer are commercially available, and may not be for much longer as the BFI's Archive Television range has already started going OOP as the original BBC licensing agreements start to expire. As for the rest, I'm not aware of any plans to release them commercially - there will be third-party rights issues with many of them, which can be eye-wateringly expensive to clear.

For instance, a hefty proportion of Bela Bartok is made up of pre-existing footage (George Hoellering's film Hortobagy was extensively filleted for period Hungarian footage, and that's by no means the only example), all of which would have to be traced and cleared to make it releasable - and that's in addition to the music and performance rights, as Bartok is still in copyright until 2015.

And the only way you'll get to see Dance of the Seven Veils legally is by appointment at the NFTVA under controlled viewing conditions - and you have to prove you're a bona fide researcher. All other screenings require the permission of the Richard Strauss estate, which is most unlikely ever to be granted, for reasons that my my detailed synopsis should make all too clear. Strauss's copyright expires in 2019 (assuming the law doesn't change in the meantime), and until then I think we can safely assume the film will remain unreleasable.

[MichaelB]

I fear this is going to need its own thread soon (and rightly so).

Actually, I kicked this off as a separate thread, but it ended up getting merged with the existing DVD one. Which is why my original post now doesn't make much sense, as it picks up on the now-defunct thread title, which was 'Ken Russell - Oh my God'.

Annoyingly, I'm probably going to have to watch far more of Celebrity Big Brother than I originally planned (mind you, thirty seconds would have been more than I originally planned...), as I'm supposed to be an expert on Russell's small-screen career!

Mind you, the official website could be quite handy, as it has its own Ken Russell news section...

[vogler]

Annoyingly, I'm probably going to have to watch far more of Celebrity Big Brother than I originally planned

Same here. I usually go out of my way to avoid these programmes but with Ken Russell involved, the idea of watching it is starting to seem quite compelling. I have avoided it so far but it's only a matter of time.

[colinr0380]

If Ken's on form, there'll be some fireworks over the next three weeks. (Or he'll commit the ultimate up yours to reality TV by dropping dead on air.)

I'm worried - that was my first reaction as well! It could be the ultimate satire on how television has changed: a career that started with debates over whether dramatisations of events could be allowed in a documentary is ended floating face down in a hot tub on a reality TV show. (Not that I want that to happen of course! Ken Russell winning it would be just as good a statement!). Although I'm still wondering what reason Germaine Greer had for going on the show a few years before, she just seemed bewildered by the experience.

Annoyingly, I'm probably going to have to watch far more of Celebrity Big Brother than I originally planned (mind you, thirty seconds would have been more than I originally planned...), as I'm supposed to be an expert on Russell's small-screen career!

It was only the night before that I'd said I wouldn't be watching it since it would be the usual mix of semi-celebrities and imported American stars who haven't a clue what they've gotten themselves into! Damn them for forcing me to watch it (and I'll probably end up setting the video to record Russell's 'best bits' when he gets thrown out!)

[Narshty]

I usually go out of my way to avoid these programmes but with Ken Russell involved, the idea of watching it is starting to seem quite compelling. I have avoided it so far...

It only started last night.

Gratifyingly, on The Sun's front page today they had mugshots of all the contestants with labels such as "The Hair" (Leo Sayer), "The Jackson" (Jermaine) and, for Ken, "The Genius". I'm waiting for Melvyn Bragg and Mark Kermode to turn up on Big Brother's Little Brother.

[colinr0380]

I'm waiting for Melvyn Bragg and Mark Kermode to turn up on Big Brother's Little Brother.

Perhaps Uri Geller, since he has the Jackson connection and Russell made that Mindbender film about him! I can't wait to hear what Kermode's reaction to this is going to be!

[MichaelB]

Well, Kermode recently signed off an interview with Russell (on stage at the NFT, after the first London screening of the restored and unexpurgated The Devils) by saying "And I'd just like to thank Ken for making one of the ten best films of all time."

To which Russell replied "Yeah! Lair of the White Worm!" and brought the house down.

[colinr0380]

I think it is still Hugh Grant's best film!