Offscreen Notes
Ken Russell: 1927-2011
The irreverent and iconoclastic British director Ken Russell passed away on November 27, 2011 and the age of 84. Russell was an invited guest of the Fantasia International Film festival in July of 2011 to receive a special lifetime achievement award. I had the good fortune to interview Mr. Russell and his wife Lisi Tribble, with my colleague Peter Rist. Although we could both tell that Russell’s mental state at this time was not at 100% he was very courteous and good-natured, not what we had perhaps expected given his reputation. But at 84 I’m sure the lion that roared within the younger soul had found some peace and tranquility. As his son Alex Verney-Elliott said Monday, “My father died peacefully… He died with a smile on his face.” With his vast range of idiosyncratic films across all genres (documentaries, science-fiction, horror, musicals, biopics, period pieces) there will certainly never be another one like him. RIP Ken.
