Too late- you missed it:

Ken Russell: Perspectives, Reception and Legacy conference in London, UK

Kingston University in London present a conference on Ken Russell from 14-16 Jul 2017.

 The presentations are:

• The Hermeneutics of Noise: The Sound of Salvation in Russell's Tommy by Dr Kate Laity
• Ken Russell's Elgar: A 21st Century Soundtrack by John Warburton
• Retrovision: The Boyfriend as a case study by NJ Stevenson
•  A Distasteful Tonality: Ken Russell vs. the Studios and the Censors by Prof Linda Ruth Williams
• A Critical Examination of Nudity in the films of Ken Russell by Claire-Louise Jackson
• Sex Against the State: Sexuality as an Iconoclastic Act in the Films and Novels of Ken Russell by Kevin Fullerton
• Lust for L:ife by Carol Langhorst
• Tommy introduced by Lisi Russell
• Ken Russell, Powell and Pressburger and the British Composed Film by Dr Brian Hoyle
• Ken Russell and Television Advertising by Richard Farmer
• The Extraordinary Parallel- Ken Russell and Dennis Potter Side by Side by Mateja Djeodevic
• The Short History of Ken Russell Films in Japan by Sawako Omori
• 3D Art in the Films of Ken Russell by Paul Sutton
• A Fictional Memory of Rudolph Valentino by Jade Evans
• Ken Russell's Quartet of Painter Biopics by Dr Paul Davies
• Savage Messiahs? Ken Russell and Henri Gaudier-Brzeska by Dr Jonathan Black
• A screening of Diary of a Nobody and Q&A with Murray Melvin
• The Legacy of Ken Russell in Contemporary Cinema by Adam Powell
• Trauma, Transfiguration and the Ecstatic Legacy of Ken Russell by Dr Matt Melia
• The Influence of Ken Russell on his Contemporaries at the BBC by Roger Crittenden
• Ken Russell: The Boy Behind the Man by Lisi Russell

Click on the image for more details.

Reality is a Dirty World: Ken Russell's photos in London, UK

The photos of Ken Russell before he made films, some stunningly beautiful photos.  It is at the Proud gallery in London.  Click on the image for details.  Highly recommended.

Gothic at Carmine Boutique, Orlando USA

The thirtieth anniversary of Gothic, so Carmine Boutique are showing Gothic for five showings from 13 Feb 2016.  Click on the image for details.

Song of Summer complete

Song of Summer began with a 30 second sequence featuring Laurel and Hardy.  This has long been unavailable for copyright reasons, but you cans see it here.  It shows Ken's ability to keep television audiences by opening with the unexpected.  It also shows the inclusive appreciation of music by Fenby, compared with Delius' exclusivity ("What is English music- I don't know any").

French Dressing on DVD

French Dressing has been issued on DVD, Region 2.

No Wills- homage song

White Hills, a rock duo, have written a song which member Ego Sensation says:

"No Will is an ode to Ken Russell's film Gothic which tells the tale of the night that Mary Shelley birthed the idea for her book "Frankenstein". The title references the dilemma that the story of Frankenstein ponders. The doctor believes he can rival the power of god by bringing a creature to life, however his world falls into ruin with that act. His will was ultimately illusory"

The track is from their new album Walks For Motorists.  You can hear the song here, with the article by Russell Thomas, 16 Mar 2015.

Billion Dollar Brain on Blu-ray

Billion Dollar Brain is coming on Blu-ray.

Major biography of Ken

The first volume of Paul Sutton's authorised biography of Ken Russell is now available.  More details soon.  Click on the image to buy.

Ken Russell books

Raising Hell: Ken Russell and the Unmaking of the Devils by Richard Crouse was published in October 2012

Ken Russell's Dracula.  Ken's script of the film.

More details on these soon.

Mindbender on DVD

Mindbender is available on DVD- not the next film I was hoping for, but...  The best film on bending spoons.  You can  buy it here.

The Big Lebowski

Not real but an article on "What if those modern blockbusters were made in the 1950s? Artist imagines their posters and who would star in them".  Ken directing Zappa, Bowie and Iggy Pop alongside Kinski, Warhol and Clint Eastwood.  If only... The article is here.

A House in Bayswater

Ken's short (30 minute) BBC film from 1960 is now available online.  Click here.

Ken Russell: Re-Viewing England's Last Mannerist

A new book on Ken Russell, Ken Russell: Re-Viewing England's Last Mannerist is published by Scarecrow Press, USA. The book is edited by Kevin M. Flanagan.

The book "on the one hand, explores areas of Russell's career that have been somewhat overlooked or marginalized, and on the other expands the applicability of Russell's films to academic film study. Roughly half of the essays in the book are "academic" while the other half, though still scholarly, could be seen as more popular and historical. Topics covered include an elucidation of all of Russell's Monitor films, a new framework for reading Russell's whole career (as a champion of the amateur aesthetic), an essay on Russell's approach to 1980s horror, a reconsideration of Salome's Last Dance, and many, many more. Contributing writers include Barry Keith Grant, John C. Tibbetts, Joseph A. Gomez, Paul Sutton and John Kenneth Muir.  Thanks to Kevin for the information.

You can buy it here.

Mahler in Carolina, USA

Carolina Cinemas, Ashville, NC are showing Mahler on 22 Apr 2015.  Lisi Russell and Ken Urban will introduce.  Thanks to Lisi for the information.

The Devils in Harvard, USA

Harvard Archive are showing The Devils on 30 Mar 2015.  The details are here.

The Dance of the Seven Veils in Ashville, USA

The Dance of the Seven Veils will be shown at the Railroad Library in the Phil Mechanic Building on 3 Apr 2015.  The details are here.

Altered States in London

The National Film Theatre in London are showing Altered States on 7 and 9 Nov 2014. It is part of their Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder series. Click on the image for more details.