Altered States: The Autobiography of Ken Russell [Hardcover]

Ken Russell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The controversial British filmmaker ( Women in Love ; The Devils ) takes an extravagant stream-of-consciousness trip through his life, swinging between present and past so rapidly that readers may occasionally lose their footing. Russell, now 64, describes problems on his film sets, the frequent periods when he has seemed to be persona non grata in the movie business, and his two marriages; also provided are flashbacks to his childhood in a working-class neighborhood of Southhampton, his years at a nautical college and his start in filmmaking with the BBC. Some of his recollections, especially those of his outspoken Mum, are funny, and a few are poignant. This memoir, peppered with accounts of madcap experiences, biting comments about associates in the film world and hallucinatory scenes, has the same shock value as Russell's movies. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

British filmmaker Russell virtually defines the word "iconoclast" with a career in television and motion pictures studded with controversy, mainly over his interpretations of the lives of famous artists. Isadora Duncan, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Mahler, and Delius have all received "the Russell treatment," provoking howls of outrage from critics and lovers of their art. Russell has also been attracted to sources as diverse as D.H. Lawrence ( Women in Love , 1969), Sandy Wilson ( The Boy Friend , 1971), and Paddy Chayevsky ( Altered States , 1980). In this freewheeling self-portrait, Russell wanders through his life and career, offering few apologies or explanations. In spots his book can be as entertaining as his best work, but like many of his films it is ultimately less than satisfying. For large col* lections.
- Thomas Wiener, formerly with * "American Film," Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 337 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (October 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553078313
• ISBN-13: 978-0553078312
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,727,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Best Film Maker You've Never Seen, June 2, 2000

By 

Nick Jones "Nick Jones" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Altered States: The Autobiography of Ken Russell (Hardcover)

Memoirs are probably the riskiest of publishing ventures - if the writer is not at the top of the Fame A-List, or, if famous, insufficiently scandalous, no one, except the aficionado, will buy them, much less read them. Once upon a time, director Ken Russell was famous AND scandalous...once upon a time. And it's a shame that he seems to be forgotten, considering that he gave us some of the most provocative, surreal, dynamic, and controversial films of the period from 1969 to 1980. He was one of the few true artists in the commercial cinema of the period, in the sense of having a vision, of taking his raw material and expressing his own unique interpretation. (He stills works occasionally, but his heyday has passed) Many would say he was self-indulgent - and I have to grant that he is an acquired taste. But there was no one else like him. This memoir, named after his best film (and one of the best science fiction films ever made) grew out of a commission from the BBC in his native Britain for an autobiographical film. While researching locations for the film, Russell slips into an examination of his life, experiences, and career. Like his films, his life itself has had its moments of high art and low comedy, pratfalls and epiphanies, campiness, hallucination, love, and tragedy. Inside looks at the film industry and show biz gossip abound, of course, but there is also the very moving account of the accidental death of his favorite cousin, Marion. It is also, often, very funny. Russell seems to attract odd experiences and people, which may explain the skewed tenor of his films. It's not a great memoir, by any means. Having reread it recently, I found a bit meandering and unfocused, and some of his opinions decidedly un-PC. Still, for those curious about what makes a film director tick, the cinema of the Seventies, or mavericks bucking the mainstream, it is definitely worth a read. For readers who are already familiar with the author's works, the rating goes up another star.