Ken Russell RIP

Rest In Peace Ken.

The 27th. November 2011 saw the death of Ken Russell aged 84 (born July 3 1927) who has been and still remains one of my favourite directors. An extraordinary man of abundant talent. He was exuberant, indulgent, joyful and with a keen sense of humour. Russell made films that entertained and informed at the same time. Surreal imagery painted a picture of his subject more clearly than a straight narrative. He implanted visions in your brain that remained with you to contemplate and remember what you saw. Some of his films spoke personally to me, some made me want to stand and cheer, some made me squirm and some were just plain sexy.

These are my DVD's from the great Ken Russell.

Elgar (1962), The Debussy Film (1965), Always on Sunday (Rousseau 1965), Isodora: The Biggest Dancer in the World (1966), Dante's Inferno (1967), Song of Summer (Delius1968), Women in Love (1969), The Music Lovers (1970), The Devils (1971), The Boyfriend (1971), Savage Messiah (1972), Mahler (1974), Tommy (1975), Lisztomania (1975), Valentino (1977), Altered States (1980), Gothic (1986), Aria (Nessun Dorma segment 1987), Salome's Last Dance (1988), The Lair of the White Worm (1988), The Rainbow (1989), The Fall of the Louse of Usher (2002).

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Ken Russell irritated some, but inspired many others and in his later years suffered as Glenda Jackson said from 'criminal neglect.' Some of his work was not to everyone's taste, but certainly he matched mine and people with a sense of the visual and the absurd.  In his many musician's biographies he paid stunning homage to some of the great composers. I adored him. My only indirect links to him were, a meeting I had with Glenda Jackson who starred in several of his films, a party I had for Lindsay Kemp who starred in Savage Messiah and another friend who is a wonderful director of film and stage who did classes with him many years ago. Always entertaining and on many occasions inspiring, he happily and fearlessly used beautiful nudity. Some examples below.

Ken Russell Autobiography Parts 1 and 2

Favourite People

I have admired many in my life, but as I think today I have some who I claim as my favourite People. They are constantly inspiring and I am rewarded every time I come across them or their work.
Stephen Fry
I always fancied that I would like to aim at being a cross between Oscar Wilde and Socrates, but in fact perhaps all I need to do is emulate Stephen Fry who has already achieved the greatness of being all things. The full man. I may neither have the intelligence nor the wit, but one should at least have something with which to inspire oneself and aspire to. In November 2011 I managed to see Stephen Fry live on stage in a two and a half hour live version of his long running TV show QI. Just Brilliant.
A brilliantly comic monologue by Stephen Fry from the Cambridge University Footlights Revue.

Tom Hardy
The remarkably brilliant Tom Hardy who is perhaps my favourite actor in cinema today. From his films one can see that he is versatile, he is beautiful and he is intense. From his interviews it is obvious that he is intelligent, charming and dedicated. I have so far collected 32 films and series in which he appears. He is impressive, sweet and brilliant.
My films etc.
A for Andromeda 2006, Band of Brother 2001, Black Hawk Down 2001, Bronson 2008, Colditz 2005, Deserter 2002, Dot The I 2003, EMR 2004, Flood 2007, Gideon's Daughter 2005, Inception 2010, Layer Cake 2004, Lethal Dose 2003, Marie Antoinette 2006, Minotaur 2006, Oliver Twist 2007, RocknRolla 2008, Sergeant Slaughter, My Big Brother 2011, Scenes of a Sexual Nature 2006, Sucker Punch 2008, Star Trek: Nemesis 2002, Stuart A Life Backwards 2007, Sweeney Todd 2006, The Reckoning 2003, The Take 2009, The Virgin Queen 2005, Thick as Thieves 2009, This Means War 2012, Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy 2011, Warrior 2011, Waz 2007,  Wuthering Heights 2009  

Short Film from 2011   'Sargeant Slaughter - My Big Brother'

Starring Tom Hardy, Ben Macleod & Nathaniel Parker
Directed by Greg Williams
Screenplay by Douglas Ray
Produced by Bob Ford 

So often does Tom Hardy appear naked. Thanks Tom.

Click to Enlarge

Link - Tom Hardy Party - Everyone's invited

Link - Good long Bio on IMDB

Gio Black Peter
As mentioned elsewhere Gio Black Peter is an inspiring and confronting young man who is an artist, performer, actor, singer and genuinely, creatively wonderful. I have had the great pleasure of communicating with him on many occasions from a distance and have collected his music and his art.

A quote below
GIO BLACK PETER (born Giovani Paolo Andrade Guevara) was born in Guatemala and emigrated illegally to the United States with his family at the age of five. The name Black Peter is taken from the folkloric elf who delivers "bad" presents to bad children on Christmas.

Slapping !?

The Good the Bad and the Nasty?

The word ‘Slap’ was first recorded in 1632, probably of imitative origin i.e. it sounds like the noise made. The word is found in several English colloquialisms, such as, 'Bitch Slap", "slap fight", "slap-happy", "slapshot", "slapstick", "slap on the wrist" (as a mild punishment), "slap in the face" (as an insult or, alternatively, as a reproof against a lewd or insulting comment), and "slap on the back" (an expression of friendship or congratulations). In music, the term is used in jazz, referring to the action of pulling strings back and allowing them to smack the instrument. The word "slap" is frequently used to minimize the perceived violence of an act, even if the act was especially severe. One person may hit another across the face and injure him/her severely, but in calling it a slap, it may seem less severe, since slapping is often associated with minor violence.

Above taken basically from Wikipedia.

As a child I was slapped by my mother and never by my father, but many consider this abuse of a child. I do not consider it harmful and in fact  I still believe that in moderation and with a gentle hand it should be part of the discipline and training process, but as I do not have children I do not slap them in case you are prone to be scandalised. I also avoid pain in any form for myself or anyone else. 

Slapping can be aggressive, it can be as punishment, it can be playful and it can be sexual for some. Intent is all, and understanding that intent must be obvious.

A short piece 'Sissy Boy Slap Party' (1995) from the remarkable Canadian film-maker Guy Maddin.

My collection of DVD's by Guy Maddin are beautiful, surreal, artistic works often with a gay theme some nudity and a hell of a lot of thought provocation.

Talented Slava Mogutin's tribute to Marina Abramovic and Ulay's performance Light-Dark (1977) (below), with artist Gio Black Peter whom I like to call a friend and his partner Neil Young.

Click to enlarge

Great Photographs

A selection of wonderful photos by others that caught my eye and my mind. Each beautiful and interesting in different ways.

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka with their twins Gideon Scott and Hatper Grace. This is a family photo like few others for fun and just gorgeousness.

A message from Wall St. Eat The Rich

The outstandingly beautiful, down to earth and charming Australian boy and international Model Andrej Pejic.

Two talented, beautiful and renowned acrobatic, gymnastic dancers/performers Eike Von Stuckenbrok from Germany and David Pereira from Spain. I follow both on facebook. You can find more about these two on this blog if you use the search facility on the right.

Eike-von-Stuckenbrok on Facebook

David Pereira On Facebook

A Catholic youth group in Mallorca, Spain posing nude for a 2011 calendar organised by the Davallamant group from the town of Sant Joan, It features nude and semi nude young men in a variety of poses relating to the Passion, including the Last Supper and the Crucifixion. The local bishop typically did not approve of this fund raising enterprise.

March 2012 update

I am sorry to not be able to give credit to the artists involved, but these are very beautiful images I saw recently. Some may be from Homotography.click to enlarge

Remembrance

11/11/11

Anthem for Doomed Youth

What passing-bells for these who die as cattle?

   Only the monstrous anger of the guns.

   Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle

Can patter out their hasty orisons.

No mockeries for them; no prayers nor bells,

Nor any voice of mourning save the choirs, --

The shrill, demented choirs of wailing shells;

And bugles calling for them from sad shires.

What candles may be held to speed them all?

   Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyes

Shall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.

   The pallor of girls' brows shall be their pall;

Their flowers the tenderness of patient minds,

And each slow dusk a drawing-down of blinds.

Wilfred Owen

I prefer to show these young soldiers in the innocence of happy relaxation and health rather then as doomed or dismembered youths dead on a bloody field.