GLAM FILM DEBUTS
OCTOBER 23
Todd Haynes’ movie Velvet Goldmine hits the screen. Moving between 1984, the days of glam and beyond, the OTT musical spectacle stars Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Bowie-esque recluse Brian Slade, who finds infamy with his Ziggy-style creation Maxwell Demon and by faking his own death. Ewan McGregor appears as Iggy-Lou hybrid Curt Wild while Christian Bale plays investigative journalist Arthur Stuart. Bowie refuses permission to use his music, though the soundtrack features new recordings by Thom Yorke, Ron Asheton, Bernard Butler, Thurston Moore, Andy Mackay and others. Lindsay Kemp plays a pantomime dame and Sandy Powell’s lavish costumes win a BAFTA. Reviews are mixed, receipts lukewarm, but cult appreciation persists.