|
Director Ken Russell applies his trademark excess to this surreal, experimental examination of the creative dementia which shaped Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein. The story is embellished from events which allegedly took place at the Swiss villa of Lord Byron (Gabriel Byrne) on the night of June 16, 1816. Byron's guests include poet Percy Shelley (Julian Sands) and his future wife Mary (Natasha Richardson); Mary's half-sister Claire (Myriam Cyr) and Byron's leech-happy personal physician Dr. John Polidori (Timothy Spall). Byron promises them a night of horror like only a mad poet can deliver -- after partaking of laudanum and other hallucinogens, the guests tell ghost stories while exploring the dark corridors of his home. From here, Russell dives headlong into madness, discarding plot structure in favor of fever-dream setpieces in which the guests confront living manifestations of their own fears and insecurities -- creative, mortal and sexual, among others. The raging Romantics are also given to lengthy discourse on the nature of fear and the fine line between creative genius and insanity; by the film's end, viewers may find themselves wondering the same thing about the director. Those who may prefer a more subdued speculation on the same theme should seek out Ivan Passer's Haunted Summer.
CONDITION: NEW
Actors: Gabriel Byrne, Julian Sands, Natasha Richardson, Myriam Cyr, Timothy Spall
Directors: Ken Russell
Format: DTS Surround Sound, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region A/1
Number of discs: 1
Rated:
R
Restricted
Studio: LIONSGATE
DVD Release Date: January 30, 2018
Run Time: 87 minutes
Cast & Crew
Gabriel Byrne Lord Byron
Julian Sands Percy Bysshe Shelley
Natasha Richardson Mary Shelley
Myriam Cyr Claire Clairmont
Timothy Spall Dr. John Polidori
Andreas Wisniewski Fletcher
Alec Mango Murray
Dexter Fletcher Rushton
Pascal King Justine
Tom Hickey Tour Guide
Linda Coggin Turkish Mechanical Doll
Kristine Landon-Smith Kristine/Mechanical Woman
Chris Chappell Man in Armour
Kim Tillesley Shelley Fan
Mark Pickard Young William
Kiran Shah Fusell Monster
Christine Newby Shelley Fan
Technical Credits
Ken Russell Director
Michael Bradsell Editor
Michael Buchanan Art Director
Al Clark Executive Producer
Penny Corke Producer
Robert Devereux Executive Producer
Thomas Dolby Score Composer
Ace Effects Special Effects
Kay Gallwey Costumes/Costume Designer
Pat Hay Makeup
Christopher Hobbs Production Designer
Victoria Russell Costumes/Costume Designer
Mary Selway Casting
Mike Southon Cinematographer
Roy Street Stunts
Stephen Volk Screenwriter
|