
Phallic Frenzy by Joseph Lanza
A biography of director Ken Russell that details the wild ideas, surreal moments, personal faith, and cavalcade of colourful personalities surrounding this eccentric filmmaker - on and off the set. Ken is best known for the acclaimed movies "Altered States", "The Devils", "Gothic", "The Music Lovers", "Tommy", and "Women in Love".
It seems inevitable that any conversation about Ken Russell is going to involve penises, and Phallic Frenzy: Ken Russell and his Films by Joseph Lanza (Chicago GBP1695) gets to the point, as it were, from the outset. Russell's film life has been a bacchanal in which burlesque is used to shape serious cinematic ideas. To enjoy him is to surrender to a voluptuary and not worry about the end-of-the-pier acting, so it's no wonder that critic Pauline Kael thought the man was mad. Had Russell been Italian he would be as revered as Fellini. Instead, it's still impossible to see many of his films. At least we have the next best thing in an enjoyable biography of a frustrating visionary who could create haunting scenes of passion and decay, but could do nothing to help a bad actor. -- Independent on Sunday, 16th December 2007. Joseph Lanza knows more about my life than I do! --Ken Russell A lively and explicit biography. --Nerve.com A solid, long-overdue reconsideration of director Ken Russell's horrific surrealism. --PLAY It makes for a thrilling read--it vibrates, shimmies, pounds down the pavement of every page. --Alternative Film Guide The core features are discussed in exhaustive detail, blending close analysis with lively anecdote ... [Lanza] has delved extensively into the more colorful aspects of his subject's life. -- Book Review Digest Everything you ever wanted to know--and more--about the wild child of Cinema Britannia. -- Financial Times
Joseph Lanza is the author of a number of books about independent cinema. Gravity: Tilted Views on Rocketships, Rollercoasters, Earthquakes, and Angel Food (St. Martin's Press) is his first book. Martin's Press/Picador, 1997) received positive reviews and was named to the Los Angeles Times' 1997 Best Non-Fiction Books list. The Financial Times praised the book Phallic Frenzy: Ken Russell and His Films (Chicago Review Press, 2007). He resides in the state of New Jersey.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781556526695 |
| ISBN 10 | 1556526695 |
| Title | Phallic Frenzy |
| Author | Joseph Lanza |
| Series | Cappella Bks |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Chicago Review Press |
| Year published | 2007-08-01 |
| Number of pages | 384 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |