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I mentioned Performance, the film by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, a couple of days ago, as I was watching it with a bunch of other Nicolas Roeg films.
It is, however, for all the tropes in it now thought of as Roeg-ian, and carried through Roeg's great works of the 70s, as much a film by Cammell as by Roeg, and it is only in recent years that Cammell's work is being appreciated.
Besides Performance, Cammell only directed three other films, the odd and interesting, if unsuccessful, Demon Seed, the amazing White of the Eye, and Wild Side, which I've only seen in a disowned-by-Cammell, mangled cut that was still wonderful (it has since been restored to Cammell's intentions and recently premiered at MoMA).
Cammell committed suicide in 1996 by shooting himself in the head, an act that saddened everyone who knew him, but seems to have surprised none of them.
While looking up some of the earlier clips I posted today on YouTube, I discovered that someone had posted the entirety of Kevin MacDonald and Chris Rodley's documentary, Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance in 9 segments. I've just started watching, and it's more interesting than I'd imagined, with new interviews with Mick Jagger, James Fox, Anita Pallenberg, Barbara Steele, Nic Roeg, Kenneth Anger (Cammell appears as Osiris in Anger's classic Lucifer Rising), and many others who knew Cammell.
If you're interested in Performance, 1960s England, or Brit new wave film in general, I recommend this. Here's part one as a taste:
And HERE's a page where you can find all the other pieces.
Enjoy.
It is, however, for all the tropes in it now thought of as Roeg-ian, and carried through Roeg's great works of the 70s, as much a film by Cammell as by Roeg, and it is only in recent years that Cammell's work is being appreciated.
Besides Performance, Cammell only directed three other films, the odd and interesting, if unsuccessful, Demon Seed, the amazing White of the Eye, and Wild Side, which I've only seen in a disowned-by-Cammell, mangled cut that was still wonderful (it has since been restored to Cammell's intentions and recently premiered at MoMA).
Cammell committed suicide in 1996 by shooting himself in the head, an act that saddened everyone who knew him, but seems to have surprised none of them.
While looking up some of the earlier clips I posted today on YouTube, I discovered that someone had posted the entirety of Kevin MacDonald and Chris Rodley's documentary, Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance in 9 segments. I've just started watching, and it's more interesting than I'd imagined, with new interviews with Mick Jagger, James Fox, Anita Pallenberg, Barbara Steele, Nic Roeg, Kenneth Anger (Cammell appears as Osiris in Anger's classic Lucifer Rising), and many others who knew Cammell.
If you're interested in Performance, 1960s England, or Brit new wave film in general, I recommend this. Here's part one as a taste:
And HERE's a page where you can find all the other pieces.
Enjoy.
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Date: 2007-06-22 01:50 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-06-22 04:16 am (UTC)From:I own it on a pre-recorded Betamax tape I got sometime in the late 80s when the Beta Only store on 49th Street closed down and sold everything for $.99. I got it because I recognized Cammell's name from his other two movies at that time. I wound up really REALLY surprised and, as you say, dumbstruck.
We actually stocked it in the video store where I worked, in the "Thriller" section, and it would often get taken out by unwary customers looking for your normal "serial killer" film, who would return it looking stunned (but usually glad). Eventually it got moved to the "Cult" section, and people would expect it to not be "normal."
Wish I had a viewable copy of it now . . .