Ken Russell
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The Definitive Religious Movies: 30-21
What makes films about religion so interesting is the way some manage to tread a line between support and criticism, while some are vehemently anti-religion or pro-religion. When all is said and done, it’s up to the audience to decide whether or not the film (or the faith portrayed) is a respectful or perceptive study […] More
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100 + Greatest Horror Movies (pt.4) 75-51
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry. More
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31 Days of Horror: Ken Russell imagines classics’ inception in ‘Gothic’
Gothic Written by Stephen Volk Directed by Ken Russell UK, 1986 Natasha Richardson (in her leading role debut) plays Mary Godwin, later Mary Shelley, in Ken Russell’s fictionalised take on the inception of both her classic novel Frankenstein and John Polidori’s The Vampyre. It is based on the Shelleys’ visit with Lord Byron at Villa […] More
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Fantastic Fest 2012: ‘Here Comes the Devil’, erotic, violent and mysterious
Here Comes the Devil Directed Adrián García Bogliano Screenplay by Adrián García Bogliano 2012, Mexico Argentinian filmmaker Adrián García Bogliano returns with Here Comes the Devil, a coming of age tale of demonic possession, sexual awakening and suspected child abuse. Staying clear of the typical traps of exploitation, Bogliano takes a low-key, less graphic approach […] More
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Supporting Actors: The Overlooked and Underrated (part 1 of 5)
With the Academy Awards for the 2011 film year in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to take a look at one of the event’s most consistently fascinating categories: Best Supporting Actor. The most interesting story in the category this year isn’t who got nominated, it’s who didn’t. More specifically, Albert Brooks was completely robbed of […] More
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Memento Mori: Remembering those we lost in 2011
In October of 2010, Sound on Sight asked me to do my first commemorative piece on the passing of filmmaker Arthur Penn. I suspect I was asked because I was the only one writing for the site old enough to have seen Penn’s films in theaters. Whatever the reason, it was an unexpectedly rewarding if […] More
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Ken Russell Retrospective: Video: Martin Scorsese Speaks About Ken Russell’s Death
Ken Russell, the British director of Women in Love and The Devils, has died at the age of 84. We will be doing a retrospective on Russell throughout the month of December with reviews, articles and one special podcast dedicated to the provocative film maker who passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday afternoon. […] More
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Ken Russell Retrospective: ‘The Devils’ a brash and daring film from one of England’s most underappreciated filmmakers
The Devils Directed by Ken Russell Nearly forty years after its release, The Devils remains shocking. It is both unabashedly critical of establishment while also refusing to adhere to the commonly accepted conventions of “serious” cinema. Stylistically, the film employs an unconventional score, an overzealous use of zoom (to be fair, it was the 70s) […] More
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Le Cinéclub: «THE FILM SOCIETY» presents Ken Russell’s The Boyfriend
The Boyfriend Dir: Ken Russell | UK 1971 | 125min. If you didn’t get enough of all the retrospective screenings of Ken Russell’s work taking place at la Cinémateque Québecoise and Fantasia this month, you might be interested in checking out a very rare cinemascope print of The Boyfriend. This is a very rare screening […] More
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The Best Films Ever Screened At The Fantasia Film Festival (Part 3)
Fantaisa has expanded its programming in the past five years and with that the festival has become even longer – perhaps too long. Ranging anywhere from three to four weeks, it leaves me pretty much brain-dead by the end of the month. Bloodshot eyes, Sleep deprivation and repetitive dinners at Al-Taib aren’t exactly a recipe […] More
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Fantasia 2010: The Devils
The Devils Directed by Ken Russell Nearly forty years after its release, The Devils remains shocking. It is both unabashedly critical of establishment while also refusing to adhere to the commonly accepted conventions of “serious” cinema. Stylistically, the film employs an unconventional score, an overzealous use of zoom (to be fair, it was the 70s) […] More
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Fantasia 2010: Between Death And The Devil
To quote Fantasia’s press kit: In recent times, newly-unearthed crimes have resulted in extraordinary levels of disillusionment with organized religion, particularly with the Catholic Church, and genre cinema has mirrored this anger with startling impact. In the face of this, the 2010 Fantasia Film Festival has put together a troubling spotlight entitled “Between Death And […] More