Time Out vote for favourite film about musicians

Time Out, the London weekly listings magazine, is preparing an issue on films about musicians, so they are asking readers to name their favourite films about musicians.  If you want to contribute email to musicfilm@timeout.com .  Note that it is about real musicians, so Tommy is not valid, whereas Delius/Song of Summer etc are.

Shetland Film Festival, Scotland

The Shetland Film Festival in Scotland features various of Ken's films including Women In Love, The Devils and Tommy.  Ken was to appear but because of ill health will no longer be able to attend.  But despite this as well as the films there will be much more including Ken's editor Michael Bradsell talking about his partnership with Ken.

It takes place in the Garrison Theatre, Lerwick.  Tickets are available from Islesburgh Box Office on 01595 692114.  Thanks to Archie for the information.

Site disruption

The site will shortly move to a larger server.  This means it may be down for a couple of days.
UPDATE: the site is now up and running on a larger server.

Madame Butterfly exhibition

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly, the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas, USA has an exhibition charting the history of the story.  The exhibition features an array of diverse works including manuscripts, photographs, posters, playbills, costumes, and programs.  Ken Russell's 1983 Madama Butterfly is also included. It is on from 16 May- 29 July 2007.  Click on the image for details.
 

Major Ken Russell retrospective

The British Film Institute in London host a major film retrospective in July.  The films include:

  1 Jul 2007 Isadora, Marie Rambert Remembers
  4 Jul 2007 Bela Bartok, Prokofiev
  5 Jul 2007 Pop Goes The Easel
  7 Jul 2007 Diary of A Nobody
  8 Jul 2007 Song of Summer, Gordon Jacob
  9 Jul  2007 Spike Milligan
11Jul 2007 Ken Russell at the BBC (Free)
12 Jul 2007 Pop Goes The Easel
13 Jul 2007 Dante’s Inferno
13 Jul 2007 The Debussy Film
14 Jul 2007 Bela Bartok, Prokofiev
14 Jul 2007 Monitor Shorts: Programme 1
16 Jul 2007 Elgar, Always on A Sunday
17 Jul 2007 Song Of Summer, Gordon Jacob
17 Jul 2007 Clouds of Glory
18 Jul 2007 Isadora, Marie Rambert Remembers
20 Jul 2007 Monitor Shorts: Programme 2
26 Jul 2007 The Debussy Film
27 Jul 2007 Clouds of Glory
28 Jul 2007 Arnold Bax, Elgar 2
28 Jul 2007 Dante’s Inferno
29 Jul 2007 Diary Of A Nobody
30 Jul 2007 Vaughan Williams, Anton Bruckner
30 Jul 2007 Elgar & Always On A Sunday

On 16 Jul 2007 Ken Russell and Melvyn Bragg are in conversation.
From 10 Jul- 9 Sep 2007 there is Fabric, Cut & Design about the costume design of Shirley Russell.

Thanks to Alex for the information.  The retrospective was to include The Dance of the Seven Veils, but presumably even the BFI couldn't get past the censorship.

More4 television Ken Russell short season

British More4 television has a short season of Ken Russell films: The Devils, Women in Love and Crimes of Passion.  They are on 30 Jun, 3 Jul and 6 Jul 2007.  Click on the image for details.  Thanks to Jonathan for the information.

Ken Russell 80 years old

Happy Birthday!!!!

Petition for The Devils on DVD

You can add your name to a petition to Warner Bros to release The Devils on DVD.  Click on the image.  Thanks to Leonard for the information.

Ken and Mark Kermode discussion

Ken will be discussing film with Mark Kermode at the Larmer Tree Festival on 14 Jun 2007.  Click on the image for more information.  Thanks to Archie for the information.

Ken on London radio

Ken will be in the Robert Holmes Show on London Radio on 15 Mat 2007 between 12:00-15:00.  Thanks to Mari for the information.  Click on the image for more details.
 

Ken signing books in London

You can meet Ken as he promotes his new two double books Beethoven Confidential with Brahms Gets Laid, and Elgar the Erotic Variations with Delius A Moment with Venus.  He will be at Waterstone's, Gower Street London on 15 Mar 2007 from 6:30- 8:00PM.  He will be signing his books.  Click on the image for more details.  Thanks to Alex for the information.

Sixty Seconds of Fame- finals with Ken on BBC

Orange and BAFTA organised a competition for aspiring film makers to submit a 60 second short film around the theme of 'Celebrate'.   Ken is one of the judges of the competition and will be presenting the award to the winner on 11 Feb 2007 at the Piazza,  Covent Garden in London.  You can also see the ceremony on BBC1 from 21:00 on 11 Feb 2007.

Ken's own film is available on-line. click the image above.  Thanks to Lisi for the information.

Ken Russell leaves Celebrity Big Brother

Ken is one of the guests on Celebrity Big Brother on British television.  So you can watch him 24 hours a day on Channel 4.  He looked happy but frail and had to be helped on the stairs.  The other guests include Jermaine Jackson of the Jackson Five, Leo Sayer, Jo O'Meara of S Club 7, Donny Tourette of the band Towers of London, Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, journalist Carole Malone (who was on Celebrity Fit Club), Ian H. Watkins of the band Steps, Cleo Rocos (of Kenny Everett fame), Dirk Benedict the television actor (The A Team and Galactica) and former Miss England Danielle Lloyd.  As well as on television you can watch live over Internet here www.channel4.com/bigbrother (UK and Ireland only- sorry).

The entrance: Ken enters the house, being helped down the stairs.  The London Paper says "Russell... stole the show, arriving in a flamboyant waistcoat to cheers from fans, and bursting into a rendition of Singin' in the Rain."
The first evening: Ken goes to bed early, then keeps everyone awake with his snoring.
The second day: Ken tells the roommates the plots of The Girl with Golden Breasts and The Devils, plus the fire in his house and the filming of Whore.
The fifth day: Ken and Jade argue and Ken decides to leave, the second person to leave voluntarily.
Ken will appear on Big Brother's Big Mouth on 8 Jan 2007 on British E4.

Ken Russell Deckchair: vote for best design

Ken Russell is one of the people invited by the Royal Parks Foundation to design a deckchair.  You can sit on the deckchair in Regents Park London.  As well you can vote for the best design, buy postcards or even buy the deckchair.  Click on the image for details.

Ken on BBC1 Tues 5 Dec 2006

Alan Yentob looks at the web, including Ken and YouTube.  Click on the link for more details.  Thanks to Alex for the information.

Ken introduces L'Atalante

Ken introduces one of his favourite films, Jean Vigo's L'Atalante, at the Curzon Cinema.  Click on the image for more details.

Ken at Delius Festival

The Delius Festival in Bradford is screening Song of Summer on 5 July 2006.  Afterwards Ken will talk.  Thanks to Lisi for the information.

Fire in Ken's house

Ken's house has been damaged by fire.  Ken and Lisi his wife are fine, but the house is badly damaged.  If you want to send him support send me an email and I'll pass it on.  Below, Ken and Lisi safe and sound.    Thanks to Alex Alien for the information.

Tommy at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a Tommy exhibition until Mar 2006 at the Cleveland Music Museum.  The exhibition covers the rock opera including of course Ken's film.  Exhibits include a handwritten manuscript revealing Pete Townshend's evolving concept of the opera, Roger Daltrey's Suit from the film, and a letter from Pete Townshend to Ken Russell with detailed casting proposals for the movie.  Click on the image for more details.  Thanks to Steve for the information.

Miner's Picnic Revisited on BBC4

In 1960 Ken made a documentary Miner's Picnic.  In the new film Ken revisits the locations used in the film, and meets the star of the film for the first time in 45 years.   It is on BBC4 on 15 Mar 2006.  Thanks to Ray for the info.  If you can't see it, part of it is on-line.  Click on the image for the link.

Guitar Crazy in the Barbican, London

The Barbican Folk Britannia festival in London includes a showing of Ken's 1959 Monitor short Guitar Crazy (called From guitars to Streatham in the festival).  It shows on 3 Feb 2006.  Thanks to Ray for the information.

DVDs

DVDs of The Devils are now regularly advertised on Ebay.  Note that these are bootleg copies of videos of television broadcasts, so not DVD quality.  Some site visitors have had good experiences, some bad.  Also some sellers have received very negative feedback from buyers:

• disappointed with quality, obviously a copy as it jumps slightly

• avoid DVD, it's heavily blurred, home made copy, not DVD, Beware!!

• deals with burned DVD's in very bad quality (probably VHS copy).

• "Devils" DVD was bootleg, poor quality, but got refund

• The DVD does not work on any of our 3 DVD players

• Bootleg quality dvd

Ken Russell photos in Rotterdam

The exhibition of work from Ken's career as a photographer has moved to Rotterdam.  The photos dated from 1955, before he went into films.

The were initially exhibited at The Spitz, London and are now at V!P's in Rotterdam from 20 Oct to 11 Dec 2005.  The 30 photos are superb.  Click on the image for details.  Highly recommended.

Voordat Ken Russell bekendheid verwierf als regisseur van onder andere Tommy, The Devils, Lisztomania en Women in Love werkte hij als freelance fotograaf voor het fotobureau Pictorial Press. Onlangs is gebleken dat de foto’s die Russell in 1955 van de Londense Teddy Girls maakte en die in datzelfde jaar in de Picture Post werden gepubliceerd, onderdeel zijn van een grotere verzameling Teddy Girl foto’s. Deze selectie van 30 foto’s, lumineuze portretten en groepsfoto’s, worden nu voor het eerst in Nederland getoond.

Asheville Festival: Tommy and lifetime award

For the third year running now, downtown Asheville will become a multiplex of independent movies next weekend.  On Friday night, 28 Oct 2005 during a cocktail party at Diana Wortham Theatre, the festival will present a 30th anniversary showing of Ken’s Tommy. At the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa on Saturday night, the festival presents Russell with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the Spotlight Celebrations Award Dinner, when winners in each category will be announced.  Thanks to Alex and Steve for the information.

Imogen Claire dies

Sadly Imogen Claire has died.  She was a regular in Ken's films: The Music Lovers, Savage Messiah, Tommy, Lisztomania (as Georges Sand), Clouds of Glory, Salome, Lair and Prisoners of Honor.  Other work included Derek Jarman's Caravaggio and most famously The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Her career in films started in 1970 and she recently appeared in Billy Elliot.  She was also a theatre actress, for example in Pushkin's Queen of Spades at the Edinburgh Festival and Steven Berkoff's Salome.  A truly cult actress.

Oldenburg Festival and Hot Pants world premiere

The next Oldenburg Festival in Germany will honour Ken Russell showing a range of his films and television work.  Ken will also take part.  Its on from 7-11 Sept 2005.

Dance of the Seven Veils censored, Mahler in Rotterdam

A chance to see Dance of the Seven Veils, Ken's 1970 television film and rarely seen since.  Together with Mahler it is part of the yearly Rotterdam Gergiev classical musical festival.  Previous years of the festival included the equally rare Portrait of a Soviet Composer.  14 Sept 2005 in Rotterdam.  Click on the image for more details (in English).  WARNING: there is a possibility Seven Veils will be withdrawn due to the Strauss copyright holders withholding rights.

BAD NEWS: the film has definitely been withdrawn "By order of the heirs of Richard Strauss Ken Russell's film Dance of the Seven Veils no longer may be screened".

Ken Russell photos, 1955

There was a rare opportunity to see work from Ken's career as a photographer, before he went into films.   The photos dated from 1955.

The were exhibited at The Spitz, London.  The exhibition was on from 18- 26 June 2005.  30 photos.  The photos were superb.  Click on the image for details.

Ken in South Cumbria- you have to be quick!!

Russell was interviewed by artist, writer and co-editor of Untitled magazine Olivia Plender at Rusland Reading Room, near Ulverston. The interview, starting at 6.30pm, is being organised by Grizedale Arts in association with the Oxen Park Cinema Club.  Admission is £3 at the door with all the proceeds going to the Oxen Park Cinema Club.  Click on the image for details.  Thanks to Alex for the update.

An archive of Ken Russell news.  Click news below for the latest updates.