Autoluminescent: Rowland S. Howard

2011

1h 50m

Documentary

Music

List

100%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

92%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

The life of and career of Rowland S. Howard.

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Rent Autoluminescent: Rowland S. Howard on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

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

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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

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Richard Lowenstein

Director

Lynn-Maree Milburn

Director

Nick Cave

Actor

Mick Harvey

Actor

Lydia Lunch

Actor

Bobby Gillespie

Actor

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Synopsis

The life of and career of Rowland S. Howard.

Director: Richard Lowenstein, Lynn-Maree Milburn
Screenwriter: Lynn-Maree Milburn
Genre: Documentary, Music
Original Language: English (Australia)
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 8, 2019
Runtime: 1h 50m

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