Recent Posts

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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell / Peter Philips passes away
« Last post by Iain Fisher on July 07, 2025, 07:28:51 PM »
Peter Philips, one of the artists in Ken Russell's Pop Goes the Easel, has sadly passed away.

"Phillips rose to prominence in the 1960s, and was featured in a BBC documentary titled Pop Goes the Easel alongside Peter Blake and Pauline Boty in 1962. His fame was bolstered by his inclusion in international exhibitions, including the Paris Biennale in 1963 and “Nieuwe Realisten” at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague the following year. In 1964, Phillips moved to New York, where he exhibited alongside Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and James Rosenquist"- Maxwell Rabb, 2 Jul 2025, Artsy website - click here
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-british-pop-artist-peter-phillips-dies-83).

For more on Pop Goes the Easel click here
https://iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-tv-monitor-classics.html


The image is of the cover of The Cars' Heartbeat City album designed by Philips
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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell / Kenneth Colley passes away
« Last post by Iain Fisher on July 03, 2025, 03:34:18 PM »
Kenneth Colley, a Russell regular, has passed away aged 87.


Colley first worked with Ken Russell on The Music Lovers playing Tchaikovsky's brother Modeste.  For me his best role.


He went on to act in The Devils, Mahler, Lisztiomania and The Rainbow as well as the television film Prisoner of Honour from 1991 playing Dreyfus.

He worked in over 150 cinema and television films including roles in Monty Python's Life of Brian and The Empire Strikes Back.
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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell / Crimes of Passion in UK
« Last post by Iain Fisher on June 23, 2025, 09:03:19 AM »
The Cinema Museum in London present Crimes of Passion on 23 July 2025.

"Controversial on release in 1984, the erotic thriller Crimes Of Passion proved to be a turning point in Ken Russell’s career. Screening from a 16mm archival print, this is a rare chance to see Kathleen Turner’s fearless performance as a Reagan-era businesswoman who moonlights as a sex worker.  But this is no mere tale of a fallen angel, as Russell heightens the religious anxiety, psychic repression, and visual splendour to deliver a fantasia of late-20th century anxiety".

For the Cinema Museum website click here
http://www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/
For more on Crimes of Passion click here
https://iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-film-crimes-of-passion.html


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Steven Berkoff discussion / The Trial in Prague
« Last post by Iain Fisher on June 05, 2025, 07:39:33 PM »
La Fabrika present Steven Berkoff's adaptation of The Trial in Prague on 14, 16 and 17 June 2025.  The production is IN ENGLISH.

The Director is Martin Murín and the Assistant director is Eliška Challise. The actors are Nika Arriesgado, Kevin Michael Clarke, Omar Dahy, Luboš Duda, Mikuláš Ma?ík, Vasilina Pazdnikova, Oleh Petrušenko, Martín Dávalos Ramos, Pavla Rou?ková, Martina Seidlová, Daria Shudrenko, Anastasia Sultangirova, Eleonora Yusupbaeva, Zden?k Zadražil, Myrto Zacharaki and Charles Simos Zeind.

"Patrn? u?inil n?kdo na Josefa K. k?ivé udání, nebo? byl, aniž by se dopustil n??eho zlého, jednou ráno zat?en. Tak je K, zdánliv? bezvýznamný bankovní prokurista, uvržen v nutnost dokázat svoji nevinu. První na ?ad? je ovšem zjistit, z ?eho že je to vlastn? obvin?n - protože jen tak mu to rozhodn? nikdo nesd?lí! Sledujeme jeho cestu systémem, který se jeví tím více skli?ujícím, ?ím mén? logickým, kde je každý posedlý svým postavením, a rozum dušen morbidními absurdnostmi. The Drama Queens svou osobitou obrazností, i humorem, budují Proces jako nitern? zneklid?ující podívanou zkoumající pojmy osobní viny, moci a svobody jednotlivce".

The theatre website is here
https://www.lafabrika.cz/cs/
For more on The Trial click here
https://iainfisher.com/berkoff/berkoff-play-adaptation-kafka.html



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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell / Sofia Coppola on Lisztomania
« Last post by Iain Fisher on May 27, 2025, 10:00:27 PM »
Sofia Coppola says of her film Marie Antoinette "I was inspired by Ken Russell's film Lisztomania and how he approached period with a really irrelevant way" (Sofia Coppola Inn Conversation with Richard Curtis, from the DVD extras of Priscilla).
 
For more on Lisztomania click here
https://iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-film-lisztomania.html



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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell / Re: Music Videos by Jon Sorensen
« Last post by Jon Sorensen on May 27, 2025, 07:28:01 PM »
Thanks very much for all that on my films and videos, Iain.

Yep. I'll be out here chipping away on the new feature length, like Gaudier-Brezka and the marathon chiselling of the marble statue in Ken's "Savage Messiah".

There is a marvellous documentary out there called "Alien On Stage" (2020). About a community theatre project mounted by some Dorset bus drivers. Someone then sponsored the production for one performance in the West End. See the film. By the end you will be cheering for them like everyone in that West End audience. Serendipitously, I have been invited to attend a Q & A with the troupe at a showing of the documentary in a few months and see the film all over again. Like Gandalf amongst better informed Hobbits I am looking forward to it and meeting them enormously. You must see the film. It reflects the creative spirit and the determined and loving teamwork that went into the original film, which itself was handmade and did yeoman work on a penny budget and you will appreciate that I am sure. It has a huge handmade heart, and as you are also a theatre man, I am sure you will like it. Enjoy!

Having said that, take care and thank you again, Iain. I'll pop up with info as and when it is appropriate, but my all means, in the upcoming lengthy productive interim, you may wish me luck.

Keep Your Sense Of Wonder, guys.

Jon

www.jonsorensencreative.com
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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell / Re: Music Videos by Jon Sorensen
« Last post by Iain Fisher on May 24, 2025, 08:34:49 PM »
I do like Alien Blood, and play it on DVD every so often.  Your commentary was exceptionally good and helpful for people wanting to make a first film.  I also saw Alien Blood on Dutch TV with Dutch subtitles.  It is on Amazon (DVD and Prime Video) with a different cover from my version.

I also liked your talk on working on Alien, so good insights.  And your two related films- the maritime Alien and the romantic Alien.

When you can tell us how the new film is coming on.

Iain
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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell / Re: Ken Russell season in London
« Last post by Iain Fisher on May 24, 2025, 05:06:18 PM »
The season at the Prince Charles Cinema in London continues, including with Rupert Russell:



Altered States with an intro by son Rupert Russell 28 May 2025
The Lair of the White Worm 11 June 2025

The cinema website is here
https://princecharlescinema.com/
For more on the films click here
https://iainfisher.com/russell/ken-russell-film.html
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Athol Fugard discussion / The Coat in London, 2025
« Last post by Iain Fisher on May 14, 2025, 03:56:25 PM »
Orange Tree Theatre present a staged reading of The Coat on 11 June 2025.

"In 1960s South Africa, a township theatre group retells the story of a mother, her husband’s coat, and the difficult choices to be made when living in a divided country".

The director is Ameera Conrad.

For the theatre website click here
https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/
For more on the play click here
https://iainfisher.com/fugard/athol-fugard-plays-township.html








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Athol Fugard discussion / Master Harold and the Boys in Los Angeles, USA
« Last post by Iain Fisher on May 04, 2025, 04:53:34 PM »
Santa Cruz Shakespeare present "Master Harold"... and the Boys from 4 - 20 September 2025.

For the theatre website click here
https://santacruzshakespeare.org/
For more on the play click here
https://iainfisher.com/fugard/athol-fugard-plays-port-elizabeth.html


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