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Velvet Goldmine

Play trailer Poster for Velvet Goldmine R Released Nov 6, 1998 2h 3m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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63% Tomatometer 51 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Myers) plays a character on stage named Maxwell Demon who predicts his death on stage. Shortly after he announces his prediction, he fakes his own death and is exposed as a fraud. A decade later in 1984, a reporter and former fan, Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale), tracks down the former rocker to do an article on his life and downfall. Arthur interviews the man who discovered Slade and a peer (Ewan McGregor) to understand Slade's motivations.
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Velvet Goldmine

Velvet Goldmine

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Critics Consensus

Velvet Goldmine takes a visual and narrative approach befitting its larger-than-life subject, although it's still disappointingly less than the sum of its parts.

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Critics Reviews

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Kristy Puchko Pajiba Haynes makes the dream so sweet, you can't help but return again and again to crushing glamor and gorgeousness of Velvet Goldmine. Jun 23, 2019 Full Review Paul Tatara CNN.com I'm telling you, I was bored stiff. Feb 8, 2018 Full Review Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Connor Lightbody Loud and Clear Reviews A titillating dreamscape of a film that is presented as outrageous and lavish, having the same unbridled flamboyance as the people being portrayed Rated: 5/5 Jul 4, 2024 Full Review Kevin Harley Radio Times Todd Haynes's valentine to glam rock adopts the genre's styles and strategies with wit, ingenuity and exuberance. Rated: 4/5 Aug 24, 2023 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ... filmmaker Todd Haynes reimagines the Glam rock era and the iconic influence of David Bowie through the kaleidoscopic lens of Citizen Kane. Jul 1, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Alec B A biopic that's both fake and real (which allows for several "Citizen Kane" references) with a number of earth shattering performances. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/24 Full Review PridePosterStudios “During the Festival sequence where Brian sees Curt perform for the first time, Ewan McGregor was only due to moon the disgruntled crowd. But inspired by the antics of Iggy Pop, he improvised, and ended up gesticulating wildly while flashing the audience, leaping about with his trousers around his ankles.” Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/13/24 Full Review Zuzka H Nice memory of glamrock, Bowie and others, but Christian Bale was so boring there. This character was inconsequential in this film. Ewan was given little space and I think that this theme could have been worked on more. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/27/23 Full Review Shioka O Good or bad, it's like a 2 hour hallucinate music video. It's a nostalgia of glam rock in 70s, but now watched in 2022, it appears like a pure 90s film with those talented actors from UK. Directed in the Citizen Kane style. It's not a bio, the main character is fictional, a mixture of the iconic figures of that era, and I kinda feel cheated to hear those iconic songs played at once. (and no Bowie) BTW, the director made a documentary about Velvet Underground in 2021. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/11/22 Full Review Bah B Where have I been? This film is a gem! I love the sociological insights of the story. I love its amazing casts. Jonathan Rhys, Ewan Mcgregor, Christian Bale really gave very beautiful, raw and soulful performance in this vivid film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/21/22 Full Review isla s The most memorable performances in this film, I felt, were from Christian Bale and Toni Collette. It was also nice seeing Eddie Izzard in this film too - he also does well in his role as Jerry Devine. Its a diverting, entertaining enough watch I suppose, with some amusing moments but I didn't feel there was very much in the way of a clear plot narrative/structure as such. Its alright but not a film I'd personally speciffically recommend as such, no. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Velvet Goldmine

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Glam rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Myers) plays a character on stage named Maxwell Demon who predicts his death on stage. Shortly after he announces his prediction, he fakes his own death and is exposed as a fraud. A decade later in 1984, a reporter and former fan, Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale), tracks down the former rocker to do an article on his life and downfall. Arthur interviews the man who discovered Slade and a peer (Ewan McGregor) to understand Slade's motivations.
Director
Todd Haynes
Producer
Christine Vachon
Screenwriter
Todd Haynes, Todd Haynes, James Lyons
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Single Cell Pictures, Zenith Productions, Miramax Films, Goldwyn Films, Newmarket Capital Group, Killer Films
Rating
R (Language|Drug Use|Nudity|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 6, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 20, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.0M
Runtime
2h 3m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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