Stars: Ewan McGregor, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Christian Bale, Emily Woof, Michael Feast

Director: Todd Haynes

Summary: At the height of the 1970s Glam Rock era, Brian Slade takes the charts by storm. Unable to cope with the fame and fortune, he plans a fake death. When his fans find out, he is finished. Years later a journalist is asked to investigate the Brian Slade phenomenon...

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.

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Somewhat misleadingly described by many as a mock-biopic based on the life of David Bowie, Velvet Goldmineis so much more than that. Journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) who sets out to discover whatever happened to Ziggy Stardust-like Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), the famous bisexual glam star who crashed and burned spectacularly, but in the process helped Arthur awaken his own sexuality. It's an insane homage to 1970s glam rock in the UK as only American, who knew the movement from a distance, would make; it's a tribute to film director Nicolas Roeg's best work, particularly Performanceand the Bowie-vehicle The Man Who Fell to Earth; it's a sci-fi movie about an alternative reality (the film's "present" is a 1984 that never existed and frustratingly never clearly explained); it's a queer Citizen Kanewith lashings of eye-glitter, a complete mess, an absolute delight and a chance to see Ewan McGregor naked in case you didn't catch him in The Pillow Bookas the Iggy Pop-like Curt Wild, Slade's lover/protégé.

Director Todd Haynes, who made the incredibly spare Safeand a biopic about Karen Carpenter with Barbie dolls, crams in everything--including the kitchen sink, all the washing-up and half the larder--as if terrified he'll never get another chance to shoot even a commercial again. The pacing drags like catwalk-queen's glittery taffeta train at times, but then glorious swooping musical numbers and clever bits of allusive business arrive that will brighten the day of many a pop-fan and film-buff. Never anything less than ruthlessly inventive and demanding of patience and an open mind, it's one for connoisseurs. Viewers who prefer easy-viewing eye candy are well advised to stick with fluff like Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. --Leslie Felperin

Aspect Ratio:	16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Full Motion Menus, Scene Selection, Theatrical Trailer, Behind The Glam And The Glitter, Picture Show, Photo Library, Printable Photo Library
Subtitles:	None
Year:	1998
Release Date:	June 7, 2004
Runtime:	118 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	C C D 8681
Keywords:	Music, English, Rock, Velvet, General, Glam, Drama, Goldmine
Genre:	Drama