Velvet Goldmine

Theatrical Release Date: 1998 11 06 (USA)

UPC: 031398146896

Studio: Fox Home Ent. (lgf)

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Nudity, Strong Sexual Content, Not For Children, Adult Language, Substance Abuse]

Summary: At the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, American independent director Todd Haynes (Safe) received the "Artistic Achievement" award for this re-creation of the UK glam rock scene of the early '70s. Glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), who does a character named Maxwell Demon, predicts his own death onstage. As per his prediction, this happens, but when the killing is exposed as a hoax, it marks the end of Slade's stardom. A decade later, in 1984, Brit reporter and former Slade fan Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale), who witnesses the hoax murder, gets the assignment to do a "Whatever Happened To..?" article, and the film's plot suddenly goes into a prismatic Citizen Kane mode, reflecting various angles on Slade's life and career. Arthur visits the wheelchair-bound Cecil (Michael Feast), who discovered Slade, and then tracks Slade through his early life and his initial encounter with outrageous, maniacal American singer Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor). Slade's rise begins as manager Jerry Divine (Brit comedian Eddie Izzard) moves in to take over the performer's career. Ex-wife Mandy Slade (Toni Collette), interviewed by Arthur in a dimly lit nightclub, has memories going back to their initial 1969 Sombrero Club encounter. Their marriage paralleled his Bowie-like ascent to fame as an innovative, bisexual rock star pushing the limits. Idolized by teens, Slade teamed up for a while with the drug-addicted Wild. Eventually, the marriage of Mandy and Slade comes to an end, and she hasn't seen him in seven years when she's interviewed by Arthur. The soundtrack features vintage music by Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed and Brian Eno, plus new tunes. Some background on the making of Velvet Goldmine is documented in producer Christine Vachon's book Shooting to Kill: How an Independent Producer Blasts Through the Barriers to Make Movies That Matter (Avon, 1998) by Vachon with Slate film critic David Edelstein. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Costume Design – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Prize for Best Artistic Contribution – Cannes Film Festival Best Picture – Independent Spirit Awards Best Director – Independent Spirit Awards Best Cinematography – Independent Spirit Awards

Features: Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Todd Haynes and Producer Christine Vachon
Theatrical Trailer

Velvet Goldmine

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 12/13/2011

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DHMA null

Runtime: 119 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Jason Clark

A richly detailed, vibrant examination of the 1970s glam rock scene, Todd Haynes' colorful follow-up to his acclaimed 1995 film Safe is slightly more accommodating to mainstream audiences, but retains his trademark allegorical singularity and almost-Kubrickian chilliness. The film is cast to perfection, with Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor completely convincing as sullen, wayward rock stars, and Christian Bale's reporter character a most sympathetic figure. Interestingly, Bale's subplot plays as an homage to Orson Welles' landmark 1941 masterwork Citizen Kane, its overlapping narrative combining the past with the present in an attempt to investigate the film's central mystery. An unfortunate misfire in theaters, where it never connected with its core audience, Haynes' film is a terrific example of uncompromised independent filmmaking, recalling the days of Ken Russell and Richard Lester more than anyone. The film was also a surprise Oscar nominee for its exceptional costume design by Sandy Powell, who ended up winning the prize that year for the more audience-friendly Shakespeare in Love. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Janet McTeer  Actor 
Ganiat Kasumu  Actor 
Carter Burwell  Composer (Music Score) 
Todd Haynes  Director 
Todd Haynes  Screenwriter 
Sandy Stern  Executive Producer 
Michael Stipe  Executive Producer 
Scott Meek  Executive Producer 
Christine Vachon  Producer 
Chris J. Ball  Executive Producer 
William Tyrer  Executive Producer 
Ewan McGregor  Actor 
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers  Actor 
Toni Collette  Actor 
Christian Bale  Actor 
Eddie Izzard  Actor 
Emily Woof  Actor 
Michael Feast  Actor 

Country: UK,USA