Gothic [Blu-ray]

Overview

Director Ken Russell applies his trademark excess to this surreal, experimental examination of the creative dementia which shaped Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein. The story is embellished from events which allegedly took place at the Swiss villa of Lord Byron (Gabriel Byrne) on the night of June 16, 1816. Byron's guests include poet Percy Shelley (Julian Sands) and his future wife Mary (Natasha Richardson); Mary's half-sister Claire (Myriam Cyr) and Byron's leech-happy personal physician Dr. John Polidori (Timothy Spall). Byron promises them a night of horror like only a mad poet can deliver -- after partaking of laudanum and other hallucinogens, the guests tell ghost stories while exploring the dark corridors of his home. From here, Russell dives headlong into madness, discarding plot structure in favor of fever-dream setpieces in which the guests confront living manifestations of their own fears and insecurities -- creative, mortal and sexual, among others. The raging Romantics are also given to lengthy discourse on the nature of fear and the fine line between creative genius and insanity; by the film's end, viewers may find themselves wondering the same thing about the director. Those who may prefer a more subdued speculation on the same theme should seek out Ivan Passer's Haunted Summer.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/30/2018
UPC:	0031398277200
Original Release:	1986
Rating:	R
Source:	LIONSGATE - 600000-AEC LGE
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:27:00
Sales rank:	15,893

Special Features

Audio commentary with Lisi Russell, in conversation with film historian Matthew Melia; Isolated score selections and audio interview with composer Thomas Dolby; Featurettes: ; "The Soul of Shelley" with actor Julian Sands; "Fear Itself" with screenwriter Stephen Volk; "One Rainy Night" with director of photography Mike Southon; Theatrical trailer; TV spot; Still gallery

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Natasha Richardson	Mary Shelley
Gabriel Byrne	Byron
Julian Sands	Shelley
Myriam Cyr	Claire Clairmont
Timothy Spall	Dr. John Polidori
Andreas Wisniewski	Fletcher
Alec Mango	Murray
Dexter Fletcher	Rushton
Pascal King	Justice
Tom Hickey	Tour Guide
Linda Coggin	Turkish Mechanical Doll
Kristine Landon-Smith	Mechanical Woman
Chris Chappell	Man in Armour
Mark Pickard	Young William
Kiran Shah	Fuseli Monster
Christine Newby	Shelley Fan
Kim Tillesley	Shelley Fan
Thomas Dolby	Composer

Technical Credits

Stephen Volk

Lord Byron

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Al Clark	Executive Producer
Penny Corke	Producer
Robert Devereux	Executive Producer
Ken Russell	Director
Roy Street	Stunts
Stephen Volk	Screenwriter
Lord Byron	Screenwriter
Percy Bysshe Shelley	Screenwriter
Campbell Askew	Sound Effects
Gerard McCann	Sound Effects
Shaun Mills	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

Gothic is not a movie for everyone -- a qualification that can be applied to almost any Ken Russell film -- but those who respond to it will respond very strongly indeed. The good news is that even those for whom Gothic is not really their cup of tea should at the very least find it engrossing, if perhaps too gross for their tastes. Compared to some of his 1970s excesses (Lisztomania comes immediately to mind), Gothic is relatively restrained. There are still plenty of moments to cause discomfort, but they're more at home here in what is, after all, really a horror movie. That, as it turns out, is one of Gothic's problems: it strays too far from the accepted limitations of the genre to satisfy as a typical horror flick, yet its efforts at being something deeper are ultimately too superficial for it to succeed as anything else (a character study, a historical account, a philosophical dialogue, etc.). Still, on a strictly visual level, there's a great deal to admire in Gothic, from its stunning Mike Southon cinematography to its grotesque special effects to its razor-sharp editing. It's also blessed with actors who, while they can't always triumph over some of the excesses of the director, still manage to craft compelling, provocative portraits. Gothic is too uneven to satisfy most people, but many will find that its highs more than compensate for its lows.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler