Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Todd Haynes - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Michael Feast, Ewan McGregor, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale, Emily Woof more
Loosely based on the experiences and personalities of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, VELVET GOLDMINE is a wild, glitter-laced trip through the 1970s era of glam rock. Fictional... more
Velvet Goldmine DVD
1971: Glam Rock explodes onto the world scene in a blaze of glitter and guitars. At its ... more
centre the flamboyant Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Together with outrageous American rocker Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor) they challenge conformity and take on ...
Velvet Goldmine
1971. Glam Rock explodes on to the world scene in a blaze of glitter and guitars. At its ... more
centre, the flamboyant Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Together with the outrageous American rocker Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor) they challenge conformity and take on the world!1974. Suddenly, at the height of his career, Slade decides to fake his own death on stage. The stunt backfires and he is never seen again.1984. It's the 10th anniversary of Slade's disappearance and journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is sent out to expose the truth behind the myth. Controversial and explicit, Velvet Goldmine takes you on a journey into Rock 'n' Roll excess. Back to the Stardust 70's. Back to the sights and sounds of the Glam era. Back to a time where anything goes!
era of the early 1970s, Velvet Goldmine, would be nothing without the music that inspired it. A few unusual absentees (no Bowie, Iggy Pop, or New York Dolls?), but folks such as Brian Eno, Roxy Music, Lou Reed, and T-Rex are represented. Several covers from the glam era are performed without much deviation by two supergroups: the Venus in Furs, featuring members of England's elite--Bernard Butler, and Thom Yorke of Radiohead; and Wylde Ratz, featuring Mark Arm of Mudhoney, Ron Asheton of the original Stooges, and Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth. Strongest are the originals submitted to the film: Shudder to Think tame their own experimental excesses to put forth two glam-worthy originals with "Hot One" and "Ballad of Maxwell Demon", and Pulp deliver "We Are the Boys", which runs amuck with the dramatic stage power of the finest glam. --Rob O'Connor
Bowie,Velvet Goldmineis so much more than that. Journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) who sets out to discover whatever happened to Ziggy Stardust-like Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), the famous bisexual glam star who crashed and burned spectacularly, but in the process helped Arthur awaken his own sexuality. It's an insane homage to 1970s glam rock in the UK as only American, who knew the movement from a distance, would make; it's a tribute to film director Nicolas Roeg's best work, particularlyPerformanceand the Bowie-vehicleThe Man Who Fell to Earth; it's a sci-fi movie about an alternative reality (the film's "present" is a 1984 that never existed and frustratingly never clearly explained); it's a queerCitizen Kanewith lashings of eye-glitter, a complete mess, an absolute delight and a chance to see Ewan McGregor naked in case you didn't catch him inThe Pillow Bookas the Iggy Pop-like Curt Wild, Slade's lover/protégé.Director Todd Haynes, who made the incredibly spareSafeand a biopic about Karen Carpenter with Barbie dolls, crams in everything--including the kitchen sink, all the washing-up and half the larder--as if terrified he'll never get another chance to shoot even a commercial again. The pacing drags like catwalk-queen's glittery taffeta train at times, but then glorious swooping musical numbers and clever bits of allusive business arrive that will brighten the day of many a pop-fan and film-buff. Never anything less than ruthlessly inventive and demanding of patience and an open mind, it's one for connoisseurs. Viewers who prefer easy-viewing eye candy are well advised to stick with fluff likePriscilla, Queen of the Desert. --Leslie Felperin
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Danny Boyle - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle, Kelly MacDonald, Ewen Bremner, Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller
Production Year: 1999 - Drama, Thriller - Director: M. Night Shyamalan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Olivia Williams, Glenn Fitzgerald, Mischa Barton, Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1981 - Drama - Director: Franco Zeffirelli - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray, Richard Kiley, Penelope Milford, Beatrice Straight
A review by tilly77 on Velvet Goldmine (DVD) January 13th, 2005
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Loved it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Outstanding
Special Effects
Standard
How does it compare to similar films?
Outstanding
Advantages:
glam rock extravaganza
Disadvantages:
bowie not involved
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I saw this film when I was working in a cinema - I had been reading alot about the making of it due to the Glam Rock subject matter and the fact that it is named after an unreleased Bowie song - Uncut magazine did a very good issue on it - and that it was produced by Michael Stipe.
I was not dissapointed although it seems everyone else was as it received some of the worst reviews in recent years. Most of these reviews attacked the style and construction of the film but I felt that it did the period justice and was better than I imagined.
The film centres around a Bowie-alike singer called Brian Slade (played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who, after failing to ignite his career as a singer-songwriter, reinvents himself as a Glam Rock God who turns Britain on its head. Like Bowie he admits to being Bisexual and causes hordes of youngsters to experiment with their sexuality and image. He becomes a superstar and then at the height of his fame he is seemingly murdered by an unknown gunman whilst on stage. It later transpires that his death was faked and was an art statement - his fans and the media turn against him and he dissappears from the public eye.
Watching all this is a confused young man played by Christian Bale who suddenly feels he has found someone like him in Brian. Thrown into the mix is Curt Wild - played brilliantly by Ewan McGregor - who is modelled on Kurt Cobain, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. Brian reignites his failing career by producing an album with him - as did Bowie for Iggy and Lou.
The film flips backwards and forwards from present day to the 70's as Christian Bale, who is now a journalist, is sent off to cover the story of Brians fall from grace. Bale starts to remember how he got involved in a love triangle with Curt and Brian and his memories of the Glam Rock scene.
The story isn't really the main thing about this film though - anyone interested in this era of music will have fun spotting the references and guessing who is supposed to be based on who. The soundtrack is also amazing with Thom Yorke leading supergroup The Venus in Furs on such covers as Roxy Musics 2HB and Ladytron, Teenage Fanclub doing the New York Dolls Personality Crisis and Placebo doing 20th Century Boy. Along side this you get Shudder to Think with original songs written in a Glam Rock vein - the best ones being The Ballad of Maxwell Demon ( Brians version of Ziggy Stardust) and Hot One. The for this reason the soundtrack is definitely worth buying as a companion peice.
All 3 main leads are brilliant and give their all to the film, especially Ewan who as usual does full frontal nudity and more, and even performs The Stooges TV Eye in the film with his fictional band Wylde Rattz. The film is not to be taken too seriously - it is very camp and funny - watch for Eddie Izzard as Brians manager. You should just forget what you have heard of it and just enjoy.
The only downside is the ending - which I won't spoil here but the 80's version of Brian Slade is ludicrous and is obviously based on Serious Moonlight era Bowie. But this is the only criticism I can make.
The best thing about it is that is pretentious in a good way and I suspect that it may be a favourite tour bus film of The Scissor Sisters.
Advantages: Great Music, Great Stars, Visually Nice, Good Premise Disadvantages: Just plain bad direction - the guy also directed the Karen Carpenter Story!
The idea of watching a film about Glam Rock starring Ewan McGregor and Placebo is one that really tickles me in the right places. I had really high hopes for this film, with Ewan McGregor as an Iggy Pop-style glam rocker and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as a David Bowie-style spider from Mars who get it on both on stage and off.
It's glitzy and full of tres cool music. It's got some great stars, including Christian Bale as a reporter whos flashback to his ... ...Rhys-Meyers wife. It's even got Placebo as "Flaming Creatures". It's got a great plot and the premise of the whole film is fantastic.
So what went so wrong? Well, the camera work is shakey at best. You start watching what could turn into an interesting scene, and the camera starts wobbling round and cutting this way and that. You are left feeling very unfufilled, like bad sex with the bloke you've fancied for years. It's a film unsure whether it's ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: good acting and storyline. Disadvantages: Ewan's dodgy accent.
I have just seen Velvet Golmine, and I must say it is a really really good film. I've wanted to see it for ages, but I never even knew that Placebo were in it (that was an added added bonus!!)
V.G is about the glam rock period (ie David Bowie stylee) and all the fun and frolics that came with it. A reporter is assigned to find out about the mysterious 'death' of a famous musician, and uncovers a whole lot more...
The rest is about what it should ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: great style, flashy, lead Myers Disadvantages: everything else
Seductive, stunningly stylised, exiting, ambitious, but disappointing ode to popular Glamrock era has journalist Bale investigate the vanishing of bisexual rock star Rhys-Myers by talking to former lovers and friends of him in a CITIZEN KANE-like plot, which is sadly confused and muddled. Myers is sensationally effective in the lead and steals the screen from his more prominent co-actors McGregor and Collette in some sizzling musical clips. A well-produced, ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Easy to use menu, very different to previous artists' DVD, good quality picture Disadvantages: Less exciting documentary compared to previous artists' DVD,
...'Twenty Years'. The interview also featured on this dvd gives an insight into the experience.
Placebo have released 6 albums entitled 'Placebo', 'Without You I'm Nothing', 'Black Market Music', Sleeping With Ghosts', 'Meds' and an album version of this dvd called 'Once More With Feeling: Singles 1996-2004', featuring the same tracks. They released their first dvd 'Soulmates Never Die, Live in Paris 2003' which features a live performance at Bercy in paris before 16,000 fans, taken from their 2003 tour.
Placebo have also made a cameo appearance in British glam rock film 'VelvetGoldmine' in which they play a band called 'The Flaming Creatures', covering T.Rex's '20th Century Boy'.
DVD FEATURES:
The DVD's main features is a compilation of the bands video releases from 1996 to 2004 which can also be watched with additional...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Plot: At the height of the 1970s Glam Rock era, Brian Slade takes the charts by storm. Unable to cope with the fame and fortune, he plans a fake death. When his fans find out, he is finished. Years later a journalist is asked to investigate the Brian Slade phenomenon...
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): CINEMA CLUB; SONY DADC, 4DVD; SPIRIT ENTERTAINMENT; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Loosely based on the experiences and personalities of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, VELVET GOLDMINE is a wild, glitter-laced trip through the 1970s era of glam rock. Fictional characters Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) and Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor) are personifications of glam rock's ideals, with the mysterious and androgynous Slade balanced by the intense, raucous Wild. When Slade disappears, the era itself seems to melt away, swallowed up by the slick 1980s. But Slade's story, and the story of glam rock, is retold when journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is assigned to discover what really happened to Slade. Through his own memories of this time, Arthur faces his childhood fears and fantasies. With a nod to Oscar Wilde, a CITIZEN KANE-like structure, and an overall sumptuous atmosphere, VELVET GOLDMINE is director Todd Haynes's unique look at homosexuality, indulgence, and, most importantly, rock 'n' roll.
Languages
Main Language: English
Subtitle Language: None
Technical information
Special Features: Full Motion Menus, Scene Selection, Theatrical Trailer, Behind The Glam And The Glitter, Picture Show, Photo Library, Printable Photo Library, Interactive menu
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Surround, Dolby Digital
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English Dolby Surround English
Professional reviews
Review: "...[Haynes is] brilliantly audacious....An eccentric hybrid of pop opera and surreal essay....A ravishing rock dream..." -- Rating: B+ (Entertainment Weekly, p.52, 13/11/1998)
"...Dazzlingly surreal....Blazing with exquisite yet abstract passions, and with quite a lot to look at on the side....Ewan McGregor makes a fabulously charismatic rock star..." (New York Times, p.E15, 06/11/1998)
"...In re-creating an era as a gorgeous carnal dream, Haynes celebrates the art of the possible..." (Rolling Stone, p.132, 26/11/1998)
"...Haynes' film brilliantly exposes the ideals of youth culture..." (Sight and Sound, p.63-4, 01/11/1998)
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since : 04/08/2000
Compare Velvet Goldmine (DVD) to other similar Drama
![Velvet Goldmine [DVD] [1998]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/77995737.jpg)
03.08.2006
