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Autoluminescent: Rowland S. Howard

Play trailer Poster for Autoluminescent: Rowland S. Howard 2011 1h 50m Documentary Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
The life of and career of Rowland S. Howard.
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Autoluminescent: Rowland S. Howard

Critics Reviews

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David Stratton At the Movies (Australia) I did find this really fascinating and rather sad too. Rated: 3.5/5 Nov 3, 2011 Full Review Jake Wilson The Age (Australia) At best Autoluminescent is that rare thing, a tribute to an artist that comes close to being a work of art in its own right. Rated: 3.5/5 Oct 28, 2011 Full Review Jim Schembri The Age (Australia) Fans will love it; non-fans will get a strong taste of the hedonistic alt.universe these people inhabited. Rated: 3/5 Oct 27, 2011 Full Review Thomas Caldwell Cinema Autopsy Affectionate, complex and engaging. Rated: 4/5 Nov 6, 2011 Full Review Margaret Pomeranz At the Movies (Australia) For anyone interested in Rowland's career and life, or in the music scene of those times, this is absolutely a must-see film. Rated: 4/5 Nov 3, 2011 Full Review Jason Di Rosso MovieTime, ABC Radio National If you know nothing about any of this, you'll come out of Autoluminescent with an appreciation and a sense of wonder. Oct 28, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (11) audience reviews
Audience Member This movie is about a truly amazing musician and human being. I wish Rowland S. Howard could know how absolutely brilliant he was and still is. His whole genre and style is good history lesson for those who just don't get it. I fell in love when my younger brother introduced this artist and film to me. My brother is 10yrs younger then me but still knows the punk scene i got to experience thru the 80s and prior Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Outstanding film about a remarkable man. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Less a biopic than a moving look at the artistic personality and musical career of former Birthday Party guitarist Rowland S. Howard who died of liver cancer in 2009. Although I wished for more music and fewer talking heads, I came away with a greater feel for the artist with whom I had only intersected on-and-off over the years (buying a Birthday Party comp in the late 80s as well as the first These Immortal Souls LP and the Nikki Sudden collaboration CD -- long since stolen, loving Wings of Desire, and finally seeing the man solo at the Punter's Club here in his hometown of Melbourne in 2001). As you would expect, there is a vein of sadness here, when heroin is involved, but things were looking up when death struck. Time to revisit his music. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Overall this is quite good, but it could have done with a lot more music and a little less of a TV special feel in the production. That said, the interspersion of Howard reading his poetry (or maybe passages from his novel?) over haunting images, and the quality of the talking heads (so much Nick Cave!) raise this a little above its otherwise conventional doco format. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member A rare insight into the australian punk scene of the 70's and the influences of the young Roland S Howard, part genius, part tortured soul. Was fun, but the music didn't appeal and his story doesn't inspire. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A beautiful collaboration, crafted with a lot of love and a scarcity of bullshit. Rowland's light shining through the darkness. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Autoluminescent: Rowland S. Howard

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis The life of and career of Rowland S. Howard.
Director
Richard Lowenstein, Lynn-Maree Milburn
Producer
Andrew de Groot, Rowland S. Howard, Richard Lowenstein, Genevieve McGuckin, Lynn-Maree Milburn
Screenwriter
Lynn-Maree Milburn
Genre
Documentary, Music
Original Language
Australian English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 8, 2019
Runtime
1h 50m
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