By Mark Flanagan Lyceum Film Chairman

The excessive cinema of Ken Russell has led the idiosyncratic director to be called a pervert by the press and an uncontrollable would-be artist by the companies which make films. The sad truth about artists who want to follow their own paths in the cinema IS that it is rmpossible when the path is personal to the point of being private. And the truth about Ken Russell's work is that it is often so private as to be considered self- indulgent and unrewarding to even the most Glenda Jack80n and Alan Bate. help Oliver Reed ~ Women In Love seasoned movie-goer. Some of his films- held the scenes together-he would use the second black all-girl band; Thursday: The Damned, particularly Mahler (1972), Savage Messiah (1972) take. Luchino Visconti's crazy version of the Nazi era in and Lisztomania (1976)-treat the lives of great Lyceum is showing three of Russell's films, Germany; Friday/Saturday: La Cage aux Folies artists as a secondary concern to the obsessions of two of which are among his best. Last week, II, charting the further adventures of everyone's Ken Russell, things that would better be expressed Women in Love (1970), a passionate and very favorite drag queen and his lover; Saturday noon: in an original work. Anyone who goes to see creative and original adaptation of the D.H. Milestones in Animation, a look at Disney's best. Lisztomania with the intention of learning a thing Lawrence novel. Lawrence aficionados howled Monday next: Antonia, a documentary about the or two about Franz Liszt has a surprise coming loudly about Russell's treatment, but his work world's first symphony conductor. that he might not exactly enjoy. attempts to accomplish for movies what Lawrence But Russell is undeniably a talented film- accomplished for novels-the incorporation of a maker, with the ability to create moments and character's sexual life into the multiplicity of entire sequences that are arresting in ways other elements that together create a person. Today, The directors could not, and probably would dare not, Boy Friend (1971), Russell's free-form salute to the Today,The Boyfriend(l971) duplicate. Russell's main stylistic device is con- Busby Berkeley musicals using Sandy Wilson's .a salute to Busby. Berkeley musicals.. trolled frenzy-his images are full of emotionally delightful playas a starting point. Russell made it charged symbols and actors encouraged to overact. in response to outraged public reaction to his Blair Brown, who played the obsessed scientist's movie The Devils (1971), trying to prove that he is wife in Altered States (1980), has commented that not a depraved monster. Next Tuesday, Valentino Russell will often shoot a scene twice, first in a (1977), the last film before Altered States. It is a The excessive cinema of Ken Russell has led relatively straight fashion, and second in the typically fictional Russell biography, enlivened by the idiosyncratic director to be called a pervert by overwrought fashion he prefers. Often, said Rudolf Nureyev's film debut. (But a Russian world's first symphony conductor. Brown, he would use the first take, but when he playing an Italian in a British production? Yikes!) All films show in 602 BA. Monday through felt he had gotten to the emotional truth of a Also at that funhouse called Lyceum: Wednes- Thursday at 2 and 7 pm and Friday and Saturday scene-that is, when the emotions were all that day: Sparkle, the ups and considerable downs of a at 2, 6 and 8:30 pm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'~ I The Signal has I iI•openingsf or: iI II i Magazine Editor i iAssoc. Magazine Ed. i I.I III Copy Editor I II I We also need News. Sports and I IIIMagazine writers. I I Stop by the Signal office. Room 202 S.C..or call I I Brantley Lightfoot at 658-2242 for more details. I II I..~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.....~~~~~~~~~~~~'~~~~..~~~~~~1'1