Gothic (1986) :
A bit of wasted potential with this one.
All the characters are so over-cranked to start with that adding gallons of opiates to their system has very little effect of note.
It's a shame because the cast (other than Julian Sands) is really good and the costumes and the setting are lovely the subject is ripe with possibilities but the presentation and the pacing is lacking.
Two possible ways this could have worked better would be to either start of with the camera work and the performances being a typical costume drama affair and then ramp up nightmarish imagery and mania as more laudanum is consumed or keep the camera neutral and don't show any of the visions at all but have the characters ramble and rave about what they are seeing and leave everything to our imagination.
The latter might work better as radio play but the film as it stands is only mildly interesting.
A couple of teeny floppy leeches.
Salome's Last Dance (1988).
Loved it.
Gothic reminded me a little of Tom Stoppard in theme but this one is even more Stoppardian.
Oscar Wilde visits his local brothel on Guy Fawke's Night 1893 with his main male squeeze Alfred Douglas and is treated to a performance of his own play Salome which has just been banned.
So here we have a 20th Century film of a 19th Century fictional performance of a play set 2000 years before.
What is remarkable is that all three levels hold up.
The film aspect is underlined by have Ken Russell playing a photographer (presumably a pornographer) called Ken in his own film, also providing stage direction for the film and appearing as a character in the play.
Being staged in a brothel allows Ken to get away with murder (hopefully not literally).
Lots of boobs and bottoms on display but at the heart of the piece is the theme of betrayal of love that ripples it's way up and down the extreme production design.
Five moons.