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Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Savage Messiah: Ken Russell => Topic started by: Iain Fisher on March 16, 2011, 12:30:29 AM
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London Moods on Roger Ebert's Journal:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/london/london-moods-by-ken-russell.html (http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/london/london-moods-by-ken-russell.html)
and a good drawing of Ken
(http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/assets_c/2011/01/%20%20%20%20%20%20ken%20russell-thumb-350x509-30176.jpg)
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Thanks for posting Iain. "London Moods" is further proof that no director is better at combining image with music than Ken Russell. Some of the images reminded me of a Lindsay Anderson short from 1967 called "The White Bus," which I recently saw on Netflix Instant.
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Ebay have a DVD-R of the film for £5. I just ordered mine (they have more left). No idea what quality of the recording will be like but I'll report back, also on the film itself which seems interesting.
I think I have a blind spot on Lindsay Anderson as I never really liked If, This Sporting Life, O Lucky Man or Britannia Hospital (a bit like saying I don't like The Devils, The Music Lovers, Tommy, Mahler). But maybe I need to revisit.
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Thanks Iain for the info on the DVD-R. If the quality is good, I may buy one. I'm interested to hear what you think of the film. Personally, I love both directors, though if I had to pick one i would without a doubt give Ken the edge.
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The White Bus- I got it, fast delivery.
The DVD: It plays fine on my DVD player. Pretty good quality of image given the age. The sound is off by 1-2 seconds for half the film, which is irritating on dialogue, but there isn't actually much dialogue in the film so the annoyance is limited. About half way through it corrected.
The film: I loved it, and it could be an early Ken film- Amelia and the Angel and French Dressing come to mind,
Black and white but at times turns into colour for brief moments. Just like Ken, there is a focus on ordinary people, with sudden bursts of the unusual (the abduction of a woman was powerful). At times beautiful imagery. And the end scenes were great.
The first film of Anthony (credited as Antony) Hopkins in a small role.
Well worth buying!!! Thanks for the recommendation!!!
Ebay has it for £5 (2 left but I suspect when sold out they will reappear).
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/White-Bus-DVD-Lindsay-Anderson-Lowe-Hopkins-1967-/160564784700?pt=UK_CDsDVDs_DVDs_DVDs_GL&hash=item2562682e3c (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/White-Bus-DVD-Lindsay-Anderson-Lowe-Hopkins-1967-/160564784700?pt=UK_CDsDVDs_DVDs_DVDs_GL&hash=item2562682e3c)
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No problem Ian. Thanks for the DVD review. I'm going to ebay right now to buy a copy. Just curious, were you able to spot Anthony Hopkins in the film? I couldn't find him.
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Sorry for misspelling your name in the previous post Iain. Caught the mistake immediately after posting.
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I wouldn't have recognised Hopkins, but he is credited as Brechtian, and in the film someone appears briefly onstage singing Brecht songs, so I assume it was Hopkins. What do you think?
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I am pretty sure you are right Iain. I just watched the film again and the singer does look like a young Hopkins. Thanks.
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The White Bus is on at London's British Film Institute on 29 Sept 2011.
"Numbed by London city life, a young woman returns to Salford in search of her northern roots. Made as part of Red, White and Zero, an ill-fated portmanteau movie based on stories by Shelagh Delaney, The White Bus was the only section to get a cinema release. Through the eyes of her disillusioned protagonist, Delaney creates a beautifully warped city symphony about an industrial town vivid with history yet ever-changing. Screening with John Fletcher's About 'The White Bus' (1968, 57min), an early 'making of' documentary that offers fascinating insight behind the scenes.
Introduced by Dylan Cave (Curator, BFI National Archive)"
Interesting that the film about the film is longer than the film itself.
www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank/film_programme/regular_strands/projecting_the_archive_/_capital_tales/the_white_bus?utm_source=20110922sb&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20110922sb (http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/bfi_southbank/film_programme/regular_strands/projecting_the_archive_/_capital_tales/the_white_bus?utm_source=20110922sb&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20110922sb)