Anger – Lucifer Rising

Feeling happy

Last week sitting in Tom’s Kitchen, where the pork chops were quietly breaking my heart, Rossetti pulled out a bag from under the table. “For me?”, my brain salivated. A peek inside revealed Anger 3, The Devils and The Tempest (Derek Jarman’s).

More (including Anger’s Lucifer Rising on YouTube) after the jump.

I watched the Kenneth Anger shorts last night, tickled by the breeze block thick card VHS case that housed the tape. Rossetti had suggested I skip the first film, Kustom Kar Kommandos, but being ornery that only made me want to watch it. Wonderfully amusing, slightly camp, car fetishising. I’d quite like to be given a once over by the fluffy white duster used to clean the chrome automobile with such tender, loving care. Superb colours – saturated, deep pinks, pale blues, white and gleaming metal – and a great soundtrack: I think I found more to like here than Rossetti. It reminded me of parts of Ballard’s The Atrocity Exhibition…

… which also popped into my mind during the next short, Invocation of my Demon Brother. The film was interesting, but Mick Jagger’s morse code-a-like loops did my ears in after a while. Fantastic, demented visuals, effects and editing though. But only a taster of things to come.

The standout film was Lucifer Rising. I loved it. The more stately pace, compared to Invocation, worked well, as did the more restrained use of effects to heighten their impact. Lucifer also has a killer soundtrack to match the imagery. Rossetti delighted in telling me a little of the history of the film. Jimmy Page had been asked by Anger to write the soundtrack, but they fell out during production. After that, Anger turned to Beausoleil, who was in sing-sing for his involvement with the Manson family killings. Legend has it that Anger also invoked some dark, satanic curse causing Jimmy Page to fall ill, so he could no longer play guitar.

Next up, The Tempest.

. . .

Lucifer Rising

Part I

Part II

Part III