Ken Russell

[Cheeky Bob]

That was a huge dent in his credibility. Why did he do it?

I don't think it dented his credibility one iota - this is Ken Russell we're talking about, not Michelangelo Antonioni. He's always been a flamboyant showman.



You also got the hilarious sight of people on the official Big Brother forums (I confess I dipped in at the time) worrying about people swearing in case "the old guy" got offended, which made it even more entertaining.

[dremble wedge]

Any photo of Ken Russell ??.....just wanna know how he looks now.


Moon.

He looks splendid

[Windthrop]

Have had an awful thought - I wonder if Mr Towers encouraged KR to do BB to get some research in ?



It would make sense since it is patterned after Ten Little Indians. Could well be that the indefatigable Towers wants to produce a fourth version (he holds the rights until 2026) with Ken as director.



Not that far fetched is it

[Captain Oates]

Has anyone actually watched any of Russell's DIY films? I wouldn't expect him to be able to top The Devils or Women In Love but has he actually got anything left to say on film?



We tend to assume great talent (as many felt Russell once possessed) can go on producing valid work into old age, as many Hollywood greats did. But it's obviously not always a sound theory.



I can quite understand Ken wanting to have fun in his garden with a digital camcorder, but do people really want to watch this stuff? If you subsitituted "Directed by Ken Russell" with "film school graduation production by Student as yet unknown, aged 21" would anyone bother?



Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of Ken producing cut-price cult classics to stick two fingers up at a film industry that will no longer hire him but are these films anything more than an indulgent hobby?

[Rick C]

Wasn't there a garden shed featured in "Mahler"? Or was that a summer house we were looking at?

[Captain Oates]

Yes, the shed at the top of Derwent Water that explodes. I knew Russell lived in the Lakes at this time but was that his garden abutting the lake?

[d3moliti0n]

To be honest I don't think any of his back garden films have been shown or released anywhere, or if they have I haven't heard about it. Maybe at some of the film festivals but other than that I have no idea. I think they should just release a big box set of his films to be honest as then most of his stuff would be released and easy to find, so for people trying to find his films it's easier than it is atm.

[Windthrop]

The film programme is devoting next fridays edition (I hope it is the whole prog) to the great Ken Russell. Should be great stuff and I hope Harry Alan Towers gets a mention.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nz93y

[Windthrop]

It wasn't the whole prog but it is worth listening to concentrating on The Boy Friend.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...me_27_11_2009/

[Windthrop]

83 recently the Torygraph have done an articel on old Ken. No mention on his Moll Flanders film though ......



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/f...filmmaker.html

[harryfielder]

I love the man and his style of directing...



Aitch,

[John Hamilton]

83 recently the Torygraph have done an articel on old Ken. No mention on his Moll Flanders film though ......



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/f...filmmaker.html

Russell says, "The film I’m most proud of is The Music Lovers (1970), which featured the music of Tchaikovsky, because it was a masterpiece. It was the best film I ever made and I wouldn’t change it in any way."



I have to say I agree with that. Maybe recast Richard Chamberlain given a choice but he was very good it in so maybe not

[dremble wedge]

The Los Angeles branch of BAFTA and the American Cinematheque are celebrating Ken Russell's career with a special weekend including three double bills and Q & A sessions with Ken himself.



Be nice if something similar could be arranged over here.

[Windthrop]

The Los Angeles branch of BAFTA and the American Cinematheque are celebrating Ken Russell's career with a special weekend including three double bills and Q & A sessions with Ken himself.



Be nice if something similar could be arranged over here.

We seem to have short memories culturally here. If KR had been based in another country (France, Italy etc) he would be a publicly celebrated as a hero instead of being the old chap who appeared on the Big Brother that undid Jade Goody.



Celebrate him while he is alive and when rigor motis has set in

[whitstablejim]

I loved working on Ken Russels "Tommy" as a stand-in, and Ken was just wonderful, a great director.

[didi-5]

I wonder if The Music Lovers will ever get a DVD release? It is such a superb film and with The Devils, perhaps his best mature work. I also like his BBC composer biographies and on finally seeing Dance of the Seven Veils (albeit it that odd pink print that was loaded on YouTube) it seems such a shame that it will be embargoed for copyright reasons for the forseeable future. I think Russell is much more celebrated away from the UK and some of his later work has unfortunately made him something of a joke here. But detractors who say he only makes wild and contentious films should watch Savage Messiah with Dorothy Tutin, which has a lot of quiet power.

[Magimix]

Tina Turner played The Acid Queen in his Tommy rock opera adaptation. Anyone know if Ken Russell ever said anything about working with Tina?