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Velvet Goldmine Details

1998 DVD Certificate 18.gif
  • Rated:
  • 50
  • from 3833 members

Loosely based on the experiences and personalities of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, VELVET GOLDMINE is a wild, glitter-laced trip through the 1970s era of glam rock. Fictional characters Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) and Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor) are personifications of glam rock's ideals, with the mysterious and androgynous .. Read more

Starring Ewan McGregor, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Director Todd Haynes
Genres Drama, Gay/Lesbian

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Velvet Goldmine cover art

Velvet Goldmine

Loosely based on the experiences and personalities of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, VELVET GOLDMINE is a wild, glitter-laced trip through the 1970s era of glam rock. Fictional characters Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) and Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor) are personifications of glam rock's ideals, with the mysterious and androgynous Slade balanced by the intense, raucous Wild. When Slade disappears, the era itself seems to melt away, swallowed up by the slick 1980s. But Slade's story, and the story of glam rock, is retold when journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is assigned to discover what really happened to Slade. Through his own memories of this time, Arthur faces his childhood fears and fantasies. With a nod to Oscar Wilde, a CITIZEN KANE-like structure, and an overall sumptuous atmosphere, VELVET GOLDMINE is director Todd Haynes's unique look at homosexuality, indulgence, and, most importantly, rock 'n' roll.

Starring Ewan McGregor, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale
Director Todd Haynes
Studio CHANNEL 4 DVD
Run time DVD: 1 hr 58 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Drama, Gay/Lesbian
Language English
Subtitles None
Released DVD: 01 Jan 2007
Production year: 1998
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (6) of Velvet Goldmine

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  • 2 stars out of 5

    Todd Haynes (Safe) is an imaginative and original director, and he employs both those qualities here, but, sadly, they fail to make this mishmash of a movie work. Ewan McGregor and Jonathan Rhys Meyers star as a couple of singers over-indulging on sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, and failing to make their lives function in this thinly disguised tribute to Iggy Pop and David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust. Seen as a montage through the eyes of investigative journalist Christian Bale, the duo's rise and fall is charted in all its mooning, cocaine-snorting vainglory. The film looks great and has tons of atmosphere, but it's a soulless, unstructured piece of movie-making and, in the end, you don't really care about the characters or their downfall.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • "...Dazzlingly surreal....Blazing with exquisite yet abstract passions, and with quite a lot to look at on the side....Ewan McGregor makes a fabulously charismatic rock star..."

    • New York Times
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • Most helpful member's review of Velvet Goldmine

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  • 13 out of 13 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    rise and fall of the god of glitter

    Surreal, orgasmic, swirling mass of colour and delight. I love this film and J.Rhys-Meyers is beautiful throughout. Ewan McGregor's accent is a bit dodgy.....which is a shame.Toni Collette and Christian Bale are reliably great and Eddie Izzard's screen time, though minimal, is thoroughly enjoyable. Certainly one of my favourite films ever. At first viewing I found it highly confusing and the chronology a little hard to follow (you have to watch the hairstyles), i think trying to analyse and make sense of the plot only defeats the object of the piece though. In the end, this is supposed to be a surreal film - it is a mixture of different peoples memories and I think that the story was intended to be warped. Don't try and work it out just enjoy the music, the colours and the abundance of glitter.

      • Hanna Derewnicka from North west, england
      • Posted 19 Jan 2006 20:24

  • Most recent members' review of Velvet Goldmine

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  • 2 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    A Very Acquired Taste

    If you like a film to jump around more than a kangaroo on speed and have random gay sex scenes interspersed throughout then this is for you - if like me you don't - do not watch this!

      • A customer from kent
      • Posted 01 Sep 2005 09:44

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      • Loosely based on the experiences and personalities of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, VELVET GOLDMINE is a wild, glitter-laced trip through the 1970s era of glam rock. Fictional characters Brian Slade (...