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[Phill]

One of many neglected British directors, primarily famous for The Devils but often forgotten for his other works. The lack of uncle Ken on disc is outrageous, for sheer fun and frolicks his work is unsurpassed.
O.k The Devils is brilliant but so are Tommy, The Music Lovers and Mahler, for sheer inventivness you've got to love the guy.
Give me ten Russell's over a Loach or a Leigh, film making full stop, making film and exciting, dazzling eyes not pockets.

[ecc]

WOMEN IN LOVE is on R1 DVD from MGM with two commentary tracks.  Sadly since its a 1.66:1 film it is not anamorphically enhanced.

GOTHIC is available in a so-so fullscreen transfer in the US but in the UK MGM released it in a gorgeous anamorphic DVD (no extras).

LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM was released by Pioneer in 16:9 with a commentary by Ken Russell but the subsequent Artisan/LionsGate disc is extras-free (and possibly fullscreen).

SALOME'S LAST DANCE was also released by Pioneer with a commentary but I've never come across the disc.

[Phill]

I'll be upgrading my Women in Love then, I've got Gothic R2 and and Mahler which is a shoddy print. Finally got The Lair Of The White Worm Pioneer disc the other week, funny comentary!!! Where is The Music Lovers? Which I remember seeing for the first time on Alex Coxs' Moviedrome?

[ecc]

The R2 of WOMEN IN LOVE is like quite a few R2 MGM releases in that they drop the extra features.  If you've only seen the R2 MGM discs of the Bergman films then you're missing out on a ton of extras found on the R1.

[Phill]

Bergman yes Russell no! More apprciation for this director please is all i'm saying. He is sadly underated on disc as are several actors he used.

[ecc]

He is sadly underated on disc as are several actors he used.

Even the popular actors Russell used have rarely been used as well as in his pictures.

[Michael Blanton]

I have six Rusell DVDs, the aforementioned Pioneer's anamorphic R1 NTSC disc of LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM;  and Columbia's anamorphic R1 NTSC of TOMMY; Anchor Bay's anamorphic R1 NTSC disc of CRIMES OF PASSION; Warner Brother's anamorphic R1 NTSC disc of ALTERED STATES; MGM's anamorphic R1 NTSC disc of BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN and Alfa Digatel's anamorhic R0 NTSC disc of THE DEVILS.       

[ecc]

Here is my old comparison between the Artisan R1 and MGM UK discs (the cover art for the UK disc is different than displayed in the comparison): http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews21/gothic_dvd_review.htm

[ecc]

Anyone get ahold of the OOP Pioneer SALOME'S LAST DANCE disc?  Its pretty expensive now.

Do any of the R2 releases have the commentary?  There's an Italian release with English audio but no extras.

There's supposed to be a French disc of THE DEVILS coming out in June.  http://www.amazon.fr/diables-Vanessa-Redgrave/dp/B00188C510/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1210725456&sr=1-1.  There's no distributor listed.  Does Warner own it internationally?

[tilapia]

When Russell is good he is really, really great: I adore ELGAR, THE DEVILS, SAVAGE MESSIAH, DELIUS: THE SONG OF SUMMER, THE MUSIC LOVERS and much of his later work was interesting too. Come to think of it, of the 17 films i've seen of him I only genuinely disliked one: TOMMY. Maybe it was a fun stoner film in 1975, but it has aged extremely bad IMO.

[willfalls]

I am into his "biographies"  Isadora: Biggest Dancer in the World, Mahler, Savage Messiah.  His later works hold my interest less and less, but that is just taste.

This looks tasty (Ken Russel at BBC):
http://www.bbcamericashop.com/video/dvds-in-the-works.html

Thay said it would be out this summer.

[tigerheart76]

 

It's the extravagance of what Russell does that I like, that and the great performances he got from Oliver Reed.

[Phill]

Uncle Ken is still courting controversy with one of his latest homemade productions 

http://www.comedybox.tv/index.aspx?filter=picks&clip=10864

"Give The Kid A Bagel ! " 

[Phill]

Off to see The Devils tonight with Russell in attendance  What's more it's showing in Keswick where Ken ived for many years and where parts of The Devils, Mahler and Tommy among others where shot ! Should be a special night, hope i can get some stuff signed by the legend himself 

[Jonny]

Off to see The Devils tonight with Russell in attendance  What's more it's showing in Keswick where Ken ived for many years and where parts of The Devils, Mahler and Tommy among others where shot ! Should be a special night, hope i can get some stuff signed by the legend himself 

Nice one! Try and get a photo or two if you can Phil.