Magick Lantern Cycle

1974 2h 49m EN

🙌

7.8

BANGER

★7.8TMDB · 14

FantasyHorrorMusicDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Cinematic magician, legendary provocateur, and author of Hollywood Babylon, Kenneth Anger was a unique figure in post-war American culture. His iconic short films are characterised by a mystical-symbolic visual language and phantasmagorical-sensual opulence that underscores the medium’s transgressive potential. Anger’s work fundamentally shaped the aesthetics of 1960s and 1970s subcultures, the visual lexicon of pop and music videos and queer iconography. These nine films form the basis of Anger’s reputation as one of the most influential pioneers of avant-garde film and video art. Fireworks, 1947, 14 min Puce Moment, 1949, 6 min Rabbit's Moon, 1950/1971, 16 min Eaux d'Artifice, 1953, 13 min Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, 1954, 37 min Scorpio Rising, 1964, 28 min Kustom Kar Kommandos, 1965, 3 min Invocation of My Demon Brother, 1969, 11 min Lucifer Rising, 1981, 27 min

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Kenneth Anger
Dreamer / Hecate / The Magick / The Magus
Bobby Beausoleil
Lucifer / Self
Bill Seltzer
Second Sailor
Gordon Gray
First Sailor
Yvonne Marquis
Hollywood Star
André Soubeyran
Pierrot
Claude Revenant
Harlequin
Nadine Valence
Columbine

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kenneth Anger
Writers: Kenneth Anger, Ernest D. Glucksman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

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Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 169 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

52 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kenneth Anger, shot by Curtis Harrington. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Mick Jagger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Kenneth Anger shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kenneth Anger and Bobby Beausoleil and Bill Seltzer carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1568152 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kenneth Anger directs. Curtis Harrington behind the camera. Mick Jagger scores. Kenneth Anger cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 169 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
252 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Kenneth Anger, shot by Curtis Harrington. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Mick Jagger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Kenneth Anger shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Kenneth Anger and Bobby Beausoleil and Bill Seltzer carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt1568152 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 14 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 21 themes, including "dance", "magic", "fountain", "garden".