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The Legend of Leigh Bowery

Play trailer Poster for The Legend of Leigh Bowery Released Nov 28, 2003 1h 23m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Filmmaker Charles Atlas documents the life and work of Bowery, up to his AIDS-related death in 1994. Part fashion designer, part performance artist, part promoter, Leigh Bowery is a singular creation of his own making. An imposing-looking man even without his often startling, always outrageous costuming, the Australian-born Bowery becomes a legend of the London club and underground art scenes in the 1980s. The film features archival footage and interviews with Bowery's family and friends.

Critics Reviews

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Wesley Morris Boston Globe The Legend of Leigh Bowery replaces the man within the queer myth to the extent that when it's over, Bowery seems less a freakish terror than the shrewd art-world transgressive he was. Rated: 3/4 Apr 16, 2004 Full Review Jan Stuart Newsday As tributes go, The Legend of Leigh Bowery is a saucy eye-opener. Rated: 3/4 Nov 28, 2003 Full Review Stephen Holden New York Times Without pushing too hard, the film makes a case for Bowery as a significant artistic catalyst blazing a glittery trail at the intersection of fashion, pop music and surrealist performance. Rated: 3/5 Nov 28, 2003 Full Review Glenn Dunks sbs.com.au ...a suitable tribute to Bowery, never shying away from the excessiveness and eccentricities that defined Bowery and his art and making a stand for why he was so important in the queer world. Rated: B+ Mar 4, 2017 Full Review Christopher Null Filmcritic.com Boy George seems to be the only person genuinely inspired today to pick up Bowery's fashion torch, but if is that something anybody wants? Rated: 2/5 Jul 17, 2004 Full Review David Noh Film Journal International A mesmerizing, beautifully made documentary. Dec 6, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (29) audience reviews
joe m Absolutely fascinating profile of life and art of the outrageous Leigh Bowery. Leigh - the artist, his works and even his very person - defies classification. Leigh was a person of his time in the 1980's. Looking back, Leigh and his work were actually prescient of what was to come with social media with everyone always being "on". It's hard to imagine what Leigh might have done or become had not died so young of AIDS. Astounding! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I still miss him. He certainly had a distinct way of looking at life and art. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member should b more on the legend and one of the first 2b a part of his art Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member just too too muchness Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Highly commend this to anyone who has been sheltered from Bowery thus far. The story is..... he was a showgirl, but that was many years ago when there used to be a show. WTF is the reaction Bowery most enjoyed, and it was my initial reaction to LB as I dawdled through life in the sort of suburbs he shrugged off. I was watching sbs" eat carpet" one night, might have had a drink or something, and a short film of Bowery came on wearing a helmet and "those" outfits; there was no google or wiki then, so for years I thought Leigh Bowery was a comic routine by Alexei Sayle. Nicola Bowery is a stand out in this doco, and Michael Clark gets around in y fronts and pants with the back cut out, which must be worth a look in and of itself. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member the most amzing movie ive ever seen Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Legend of Leigh Bowery

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The Legend of Leigh Bowery

A scene from "The Legend of Leigh Bowery," a Palm Pictures Release. A scene from "The Legend of Leigh Bowery," a Palm Pictures Release. A scene from "The Legend of Leigh Bowery," a Palm Pictures Release. A scene from "The Legend of Leigh Bowery," a Palm Pictures Release. A scene from "The Legend of Leigh Bowery," a Palm Pictures Release. A scene from "The Legend of Leigh Bowery," a Palm Pictures Release. The Legend of Leigh Bowery (2002) The Legend of Leigh Bowery (2002) The Legend of Leigh Bowery (2002) The Legend of Leigh Bowery (2002) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Charles Atlas documents the life and work of Bowery, up to his AIDS-related death in 1994. Part fashion designer, part performance artist, part promoter, Leigh Bowery is a singular creation of his own making. An imposing-looking man even without his often startling, always outrageous costuming, the Australian-born Bowery becomes a legend of the London club and underground art scenes in the 1980s. The film features archival footage and interviews with Bowery's family and friends.
Director
Charles Atlas
Producer
Lucy Sexton
Distributor
Palm Pictures
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 28, 2003, Original
Box Office (Gross USA)
$10.4K
Runtime
1h 23m
Aspect Ratio
Digital Projection