Velvet Goldmine (1998)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Todd Haynes

Writers:

James Lyons (story) and
Todd Haynes (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 November 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

Leave your exceptions at the door

Plot:

In 1984, British newspaper reporter Arthur Stuart is investigating the career of 1970s glam rock star Brian Slade...

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | 1970s | Glam Rock | Told In Flashback | Male Frontal Nudity

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Ewan McGregor	...	Curt Wild
Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	Brian Slade
Christian Bale	...	Arthur Stuart
Toni Collette	...	Mandy Slade
Eddie Izzard	...	Jerry Devine
Emily Woof	...	Shannon
Michael Feast	...	Cecil
Janet McTeer	...	Female Narrator (voice)
Mairead McKinley	...	Wilde Housemaid (as Maraid McKinley)
Luke Morgan Oliver	...	Oscar Wilde, 8
Osheen Jones	...	Jack Fairy, 7
Micko Westmoreland	...	Jack Fairy
Damian Suchet	...	BBC Reporter
Danny Nutt	...	Kissing Sailor
Wash Westmoreland	...	Young Man
Don Fellows	...	Lou
Ganiat Kasumu	...	Mary
Ray Shell	...	Murray
Alastair Cumming	...	Tommy Stone
Zoe Boyce	...	Girl on the Subway
Jim Whelan	...	Mr. Stuart
Sylvia Grant	...	Mrs. Stuart
Tim Hans	...	Manchester Teacher
Ryan Pope	...	Arthur's Brother
Stuart Callaghan	...	Boy in Record Shop 1
James Francis	...	Boy in Record Shop 2
Callum Hamilton	...	Brian Slade, 7
Lindsay Kemp	...	Pantomime Dame
Carlos Miranda	...	Pianist
Emma Handy	...	Mod Girlfriend
Matthew Glamour	...	Mimosa
Daniel Adams	...	Curt Wild, 13
Bryan Torfeh	...	Bartender (as Brian Torfeh)
Joseph Beattie	...	Cooper
Sarah Cawood	...	Angel
David Hoyle	...	Freddi
Winston Austin	...	Micky
Ivan Cartwright	...	Cecil's Friend 1
Peter King	...	Cecil's Friend 2
Justin Salinger	...	Rodney
Roger Alborough	...	Middle Age Man
Peter Bradley Jr.	...	30's Style Singer
Jonathan Cullen	...	Reporter 1
William Key	...	Reporter 2
Vincent Marzello	...	US Reporter 1
Corey Skaggs	...	US Reporter 2
Nathan Osgood	...	US Reporter 3
Nadia Williams	...	Teenage Girl
Brian Molko	...	Malcolm (Flaming Creatures)
Antony Langdon	...	Ray (Flaming Creatures)
Xavior	...	Pearl (Flaming Creatures)
Steve Hewitt	...	Billy (Flaming Creatures)
Guy Leverton	...	Trevor (The Venus in Furs)
Vinney Reck	...	Reg (The Venus in Furs)
Keith-Lee Castle	...	Harley (The Venus in Furs)
Eden Ford	...	Bass Guitar (The Wild Ratz) (as Alan Fordham)
Jono McGrath	...	Lead Guitar (The Wild Ratz)
Perry Clayton	...	Drummer (The Wild Ratz)
Donna Matthews	...	Polly Small (Polly Small's Band)
Ritz	...	Lead Guitar (Polly Small's Band)
Stefan Olsdal	...	Bass Guitar (Polly Small's Band)
Trevor Sharpe	...	Drummer (Polly Smalls band)

Directed by
Todd Haynes

Writing credits
James Lyons		(story) and
Todd Haynes		(story)
Todd Haynes		(written by)

Produced by
Christopher Ball	....	co-executive producer (as Chris J. Ball)
Scott Meek	....	executive producer
Sandy Stern	....	executive producer
Olivia Stewart	....	co-producer
Michael Stipe	....	executive producer
William Tyrer	....	co-executive producer
Christine Vachon	....	producer
Bob Weinstein	....	executive producer
Harvey Weinstein	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Carter Burwell
Craig Wedren

Cinematography by
Maryse Alberti

Film Editing by
James Lyons

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Christopher Hobbs

Art Direction by
Andrew Munro

Costume Design by
Sandy Powell

Makeup Department
Nuala Conway	....	crowd makeup artist
Peter King	....	hair designer
Peter King	....	makeup designer
John Munro	....	assistant hair stylist
John Munro	....	assistant makeup artist
Kirstie Stanway	....	assistant hair stylist
Kirstie Stanway	....	assistant makeup artist
Liz Tagg	....	assistant hair stylist
Liz Tagg	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Wendy Broom	....	unit manager
Chris Catterall	....	executive in charge of production: Zenith
Pamela Koffler	....	executive in charge of production: Killer Films

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phil Booth	....	second second assistant director
Andi Brown	....	second assistant director
Mark Fenn	....	third assistant director
Waldo Roeg	....	first assistant director
Jon Williams	....	assistant director

Art Department
Mark Baldwin	....	scenic artist
George Ball	....	property master
Graham Caulfield	....	drapesmaster
Andy Evans	....	construction manager
Hugh Fottrell	....	stand-by propman
Simon Hague	....	scenic artist
Paul Purdy	....	chargehand stand-by props
Amy Beth Silver	....	art director: additional photography
Howard Weaver	....	scenic artist

Sound Department
Ajae Clearway	....	assistant sound editor
Steve Finn	....	sound assistant
Peter Lindsay	....	sound recordist
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Michael W. Mitchell	....	sound effects editor
David Novack	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eliza Paley	....	supervising sound editor
Donna Powell	....	foley artist
Malcolm Rose	....	sound maintenance
Paul P. Soucek	....	supervising sound editor
Daniel Ward	....	sound editing intern

Special Effects by
James McKeown	....	special effects technician
Richard Van Den Bergh	....	special effects supervisor
Chris Trice	....	senior model maker (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Martin Body	....	optical cameraman
Jason Chalmers	....	model maker
Eric Person	....	digital compositor
Richard Thomas	....	model maker
Kitty Veevers	....	digital compositor
John Swinnerton	....	motion control cameraman: Peerless Camera Company (uncredited)

Stunts
Rob Inch	....	stunts
Glenn Marks	....	stunts (as Glen Marks)
Rod Woodruff	....	stunts (as Roderick Woodruff)

Camera and Electrical Department
Joe Arcidiacono	....	camera operator
Richard Broome	....	grip
Terry Eden	....	best boy
Danny Espey	....	electrician
Simon Finney	....	focus puller
Sam Levy	....	assistant camera
Zac Nicholson	....	clapper loader
Nigel Permane	....	assistant camera: model unit
Chris Plevin	....	director of photography: second unit
Larry S. Prinz	....	gaffer (as Larry Prinz)
Laurie Shane	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Kate Bryden	....	casting assistant
Ali Farrell	....	casting associate: USA
Laura Rosenthal	....	casting: USA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Suzanne Barnes	....	assistant costume buyer
Lee Clayton	....	costume cutter
Lee Clayton	....	tailor
Joe Kowalewski	....	wardrobe assistant
Debbie Scott	....	assistant costume designer
Sunita Singh	....	costume assistant
Clare Spragge	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Regan Avery	....	apprentice editor
Brad Katz	....	Avid effects
Myron I. Kerstein	....	assistant editor
Mia Lee	....	apprentice editor
Lynn True	....	post-production assistant
Shelly Westerman	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Jim Dunbar	....	music maven
Todd Kasow	....	music editor
Annette Kudrak	....	music editor
Tristin Norwell	....	music recordist
Randall Poster	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Lea Anderson	....	choreographer
René Brar	....	production assistant
John Eccleston	....	assistant accountant
Daniel Falcone	....	research intern
Angela Frye	....	voice looping
Ryan Green	....	production assistant
Neil Hobbs	....	research intern
Rachel Kittner	....	assistant film conformist
Sheryl Leonardo	....	production accountant
Wendy Lilly	....	production coordinator
June McDonald	....	script supervisor
John Nixon	....	dog handler
Tristan Parker	....	stand-in
David Pinnington	....	location manager
Tracy Rowe	....	assistant production executive: Zenith
Jonathan Scott	....	stand-in
Bradford Simpson	....	assistant production executive: Killer Films
David Torn	....	solo guitar & textures
Jane Trower	....	first assistant accountant
Wash Westmoreland	....	stand-in
Karrie Melendrez	....	story analyst (uncredited)
Derek Yip	....	production assistant: development (uncredited)

Thanks
Brian A. Kates	....	special thanks
Jack Lechner	....	special thanks
Oren Moverman	....	special thanks
Lauren Zalaznick	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Channel Four Films
• Goldwyn Films
• Killer Films
• Miramax Films
• Newmarket Capital Group
• Single Cell Pictures
• Zenith Entertainment

Distributors

• CiBy Sales (1998) (worldwide) (all media) (sales)
• Miramax Films (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• Tobis Filmkunst (1998) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (1998) (Finland) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1999) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• RCV Film Distribution (1999) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1999) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (BVHE) (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Atalanta Filmes (1999) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Cine 3 (1999) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Film Four Distributors (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Cult Filmes (Brazil) (DVD)
• Cult Filmes (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCV Film Distribution (Luxembourg)
• TF1 Vidéo (200?) (France) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Evolution FX
• Peerless Camera Company (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Bureau  title design
• Lee Lighting  lighting

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language and drug use.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | UK:18 (original rating) | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 (video rating) (1999) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Croydon, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

The David Bowie song "Velvet Goldmine," though originally recorded for the "Hunky Dory" album, wasn't officially released until 1975, being the b-side to the re-issue of the "Space Oddity" single.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: In "New York City 1984" the cars are driving on the left-hand side of the road and there are British traffic signs.

Quotes:

Mandy Slade: [voiceover on New Year's Eve '69] And on winding roads, in crowded clubs or hotel bar, this shipwreck of the streets rehearsed his future glory. A cigarette tracing a ladder to the stars.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Hole (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Fat Lady of Limbourg

Put The Blame On Wilde

It is quite an extraordinary experience to sit through this film years after its controversial outing back in the distant 1998. Like many of the great pieces of art, or wine for that matter, time gives it that extra something that evolves its taste into something that you crave. The erotic innocence of the story is very much Oscar Wilde territory. Innocence, yes. - I've been arguing about it with some people about the inclusion of the word, if not the feeling, innocence in this context. I insist the word is perfectly fitting because at the end of this rainbow there is the longing for love. Ewan McGregor's cock is already famous the world over - and with reason - here it dangles across his frame like a child, unaware of his own nakedness. Jonathan Rhys Mayer is a delight. Strange to see him in feathers after "Match Point" and yet it makes a lot of sense. Christian Bale one day, will leave behind the pouting arrogance that is rapidly becoming his trademark - even as Batman - and come back to the glorious promise he insinuated here. All in all a triumph, Todd Haynes style.