Ken Russell spent most of his days regarding his first theatrical feature, French Dressing, as a disaster. Certainly it did his career prospects no good at the time. Then he caught it on late night TV in the nineties, and said to himself, "This is a masterpiece!"He might have been right, though the film's effect is so indefinable that its success or failure on its own terms, whatever they might be, is hard to be certain of. But it's sufficiently unlike anything else to qualify for some kind of place of honor in the sub-sub-genre of British seaside psychotronic cinema.The starting point was kind of charming and straightforward: a run-down coastal resort tries to vie with Cannes by launching a film fest and inviting the latest Gallic sex kitten sensation. The producer probably imagined something a bit like a Carry On film, whereas Russell hoped to take things into Jacques Tati territory.
- 10/8/2015
- by David Cairns
- MUBI
In a tribute to British filmmaker Ken Russell, who died in November 2011 at the age of 84, a selection of his work is being presented at several London cinemas this month.
Among his credits are 1971's X-rated The Devils starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave; 1975's Tommy, a star-studded smash-hit film version of The Who's rock opera; the 1980 sci-fi film Altered States, adapted from Paddy Chayefsky's novel and providing the feature film debuts of William Hurt and Drew Barrymore; and the 1988 cult classic horror flick The Lair of The White Worm, based on Bram Stoker's novel and starring Hugh Grant.
The programme of the London season of screenings ranges from his earliest television documentaries through to his most acclaimed feature films, plus discussions and special events.
Ken Russell Forever, which began on March 10 and finishes on March 20, has already screened films including Gothic, Crimes of Passion, Whore, Tommy, Altered States,...
Among his credits are 1971's X-rated The Devils starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave; 1975's Tommy, a star-studded smash-hit film version of The Who's rock opera; the 1980 sci-fi film Altered States, adapted from Paddy Chayefsky's novel and providing the feature film debuts of William Hurt and Drew Barrymore; and the 1988 cult classic horror flick The Lair of The White Worm, based on Bram Stoker's novel and starring Hugh Grant.
The programme of the London season of screenings ranges from his earliest television documentaries through to his most acclaimed feature films, plus discussions and special events.
Ken Russell Forever, which began on March 10 and finishes on March 20, has already screened films including Gothic, Crimes of Passion, Whore, Tommy, Altered States,...
- 3/17/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
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
British director Ken Russell has died in his sleep at the age of 84. Married four times, Russell is survived by Elize Tribble, whom he married in 2001, and his six children. After starting his career in the mid-1950s with various shorts and television projects, he made his feature debut with 1964 comedy French Dressing, which starred James Booth, Roy Kinnear and Marisa Mell. Spending his career as a director, producer, writer and even an actor, Russell was best known for films like Altered States, Tommy (based on The Who rock opera) and Women in Love, which earned him his one and only Academy Award nomination (the same can be said for the Golden Globes). In 1974 Russell brought Mahler, a biopic about composer Gustav Mahler, to the Cannes Film Festival and was both nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Technical Grand Prize. Though he had some success with awards and...
- 11/29/2011
- cinemablend.com
British director Ken Russell has died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 84. Best known for dramas like Women In Love, which secured him an Oscar nomination, and rock musical Tommy, he was known for his flamboyant style and delight in controversial themes and presentations.
Russell began his career as a photographer, before moving into TV documentary and short films. His first film was a comedy called French Dressing in 1963, but it wasn't until 1967's Billion Dollar Brain, with Michael Caine and Karl Malden, that he had a major success. His reputation was cemented two years later with Women In Love, the adaptation of Dh Lawrence's novel, which received four Oscar nominations, including one for Russell himself, and landed Glenda Jackson her win for Best Actress - all this despite inviting controversy for a naked wrestling scene between Oliver Reed and Alan Bates.
Russell continued to invite controversy with The Devils,...
Russell began his career as a photographer, before moving into TV documentary and short films. His first film was a comedy called French Dressing in 1963, but it wasn't until 1967's Billion Dollar Brain, with Michael Caine and Karl Malden, that he had a major success. His reputation was cemented two years later with Women In Love, the adaptation of Dh Lawrence's novel, which received four Oscar nominations, including one for Russell himself, and landed Glenda Jackson her win for Best Actress - all this despite inviting controversy for a naked wrestling scene between Oliver Reed and Alan Bates.
Russell continued to invite controversy with The Devils,...
- 11/29/2011
- icelebz.com
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
Film director Ken Russell, who has died, made his name directing Women in Love. See how the Guardian and Observer covered its release
Film director Ken Russell has died in his sleep at the age of 84.
Remembered for films like Women in Love and The Devils, Russell started out directing television documentaries (like this one, on Debussy, reviewed in 1965).
He first came to the attention of the Guardian in May 1964, though the newspaper was dismissive of French Dressing, his first feature. Reviewer Richard Roud called it 'disastrous...but I am looking forward to his next film - which is more than you can say about a lot of directors these days.'
Women in Love, Ken Russell's adaptation of the Dh Lawrence story, was released at the end of 1969 and made his name as a director. The Guardian visited the set in 1968, encountering an uncooperative rabbit and a bullish Oliver Reed.
Film director Ken Russell has died in his sleep at the age of 84.
Remembered for films like Women in Love and The Devils, Russell started out directing television documentaries (like this one, on Debussy, reviewed in 1965).
He first came to the attention of the Guardian in May 1964, though the newspaper was dismissive of French Dressing, his first feature. Reviewer Richard Roud called it 'disastrous...but I am looking forward to his next film - which is more than you can say about a lot of directors these days.'
Women in Love, Ken Russell's adaptation of the Dh Lawrence story, was released at the end of 1969 and made his name as a director. The Guardian visited the set in 1968, encountering an uncooperative rabbit and a bullish Oliver Reed.
- 11/28/2011
- by Katy Stoddard, Peter Lennon
- The Guardian - Film News
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
The director Ken Russell has died aged 84. We look back at his most memorable moments, from The Devils to Women in Love
• Ken Russell: films in photographs
After early attempts at carving out a career as a photographer, Russell and his future wife Shirley-Ann began making short films with a fantasy/parable bent – in contrast with the socially engaged spirit of the then influential Free Cinema movement. Peep Show (1956) was a parody of silent cinema, while arguably the most striking of the shorts was Amelia and the Angel, part funded by the BFI, about a girl looking for angel's wings for a school play.
Russell's proficiency got him noticed by the BBC, and he was put to work on the arts documentary strand Monitor. He made a string of TV programmes with increasingly elaborate formats – on everything from pop art to brass bands, culminating with his epic film about Edward Elgar,...
• Ken Russell: films in photographs
After early attempts at carving out a career as a photographer, Russell and his future wife Shirley-Ann began making short films with a fantasy/parable bent – in contrast with the socially engaged spirit of the then influential Free Cinema movement. Peep Show (1956) was a parody of silent cinema, while arguably the most striking of the shorts was Amelia and the Angel, part funded by the BFI, about a girl looking for angel's wings for a school play.
Russell's proficiency got him noticed by the BBC, and he was put to work on the arts documentary strand Monitor. He made a string of TV programmes with increasingly elaborate formats – on everything from pop art to brass bands, culminating with his epic film about Edward Elgar,...
- 11/28/2011
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
British director Ken Russell has died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 84. Best known for dramas like Women In Love, which secured him an Oscar nomination, and rock musical Tommy, he was known for his flamboyant style and delight in controversial themes and presentations.Russell began his career as a photographer, before moving into TV documentary and short films. His first film was a comedy called French Dressing in 1963, but it wasn't until 1967's Billion Dollar Brain, with Michael Caine and Karl Malden, that he had a major success. His reputation was cemented two years later with Women In Love, the adaptation of Dh Lawrence's novel, which received four Oscar nominations, including one for Russell himself, and landed Glenda Jackson her win for Best Actress - all this despite inviting controversy for a naked wrestling scene between Oliver Reed and Alan Bates.Russell continued to invite controversy with The Devils,...
- 11/28/2011
- EmpireOnline
Ken Russell, the British film director and former Celebrity Big Brother contestant, has died at the age of 84. The director, whose work includes Women in Love, The Devils and Tommy, died peacefully in his sleep in hospital yesterday afternoon (November 27), his son Alex confirmed. Novelist and broadcaster Norman Lebrecht revealed the news on the Arts Journal blog. Born in Southampton in 1927, Russell served in both the Royal Air Force and Merchant Navy before moving into directing television documentaries. He started feature film directing with his 1963 movie French Dressing before making Harry Palmer film Billion Dollar Brain with Michael Caine. Russell's 1969 adaptation of Dh Lawrence's Women in Love earned him an Oscar nomination for 'Best Director' and won its star Glenda Jackson (more)...
- 11/28/2011
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
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