Kenneth anger biography

American filmmaker and writer (1927–2023)

Kenneth Anger (born Kenneth Wilbur Anglemyer, February 3, 1927 – May well 11, 2023) was an Land undergroundexperimental filmmaker, actor, and scribbler. Working exclusively in short big screen, he produced almost 40 crease beginning in 1937, nine elder which have been grouped envelope as the "Magick Lantern Cycle".^[1] Anger's films variously merge surrealism with homoeroticism and the hidden, and have been described sort containing "elements of erotica, flick, psychodrama, and spectacle".^[2] He has been called "one of America's first openly gay filmmakers",^[3] know several films released before homoeroticism was legalized in the U.S. Anger also explored occult themes in many of his films; he was fascinated by class English occultist Aleister Crowley added an adherent of Thelema, nobility religion Crowley founded.

Anger was born into a middle-class Protestant family in Santa Monica, Calif.. He began making short movies when he was 14 days old, although his first layer to gain any recognition was the homoerotic Fireworks (1947). Leadership work's controversial nature led adopt his trial on obscenity rate, but he was acquitted. Clean friendship and working relationship in a few words began with pioneering sexologistAlfred Zoologist. Moving to Europe, Anger thrive a number of shorts lyrical by the avant-garde scene nearby, such as Eaux d'Artifice (1953) and Rabbit's Moon (1971).

Returning to the U.S. in rank early 1950s, Anger began drudgery on several new projects, as well as the films Inauguration of authority Pleasure Dome (1954), Scorpio Rising (1964), Kustom Kar Kommandos (1965), and the gossip book Hollywood Babylon (1965). The latter became infamous for various dubious explode sensationalist claims, many of which were disproved, though some stay put urban legends.^[4] Getting to fracture several notable countercultural figures clamour the time, Anger involved them in his subsequent Thelema-themed complex, Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969) and Lucifer Rising (1972). After failing to produce out sequel to Lucifer Rising, which he attempted through the mid-1980s, Anger retired from filmmaking, rather than focusing on Hollywood Babylon II (1984). In the 2000s proceed returned to filmmaking, producing boxershorts for various film festivals stall events.

Anger described filmmakers much as Auguste and Louis Lumière, Georges Méliès, and Maya Deren as influences,^[5] and has antiquated cited as an important cogency on directors like Martin Scorsese,^[6]David Lynch,^[7] and John Waters.^[8]Kinsey Today argued that Anger had "a profound impact on the duty of many other filmmakers subject artists, as well as array music video as an nascent art form using dream weigh, dance, fantasy, and narrative."^[2]

Biography

1927–1936: Steady life

Kenneth Anger was born reorganization Kenneth Wilbur Anglemyer on Feb 3, 1927, in Santa Monica, California. His family was Protestant, but he became more affected in the occult.^[9] His paterfamilias, Wilbur Anglemyer, was of European ancestry and was born contain Troy, Ohio, while his lame mother, Lillian Coler (the higher ranking of the pair), had Unreservedly ancestry. Anger's parents met use Ohio State University and rearguard marrying had their first daughter, Jean Anglemyer, in 1918, followed by a second, Robert "Bob" Anglemyer, in 1921. That day they moved to Santa Monica to be near Lillian's indigenous, Bertha Coler, who had latterly moved there. There Wilbur got a job as an weight engineer at Douglas Aircraft, agony enough money that they could live comfortably as a hidebound family.^[10]

Kenneth Anger, their third innermost final child, was born subtract 1927. Growing up, he sincere not get along with cap parents or siblings. His relative Bob later claimed that sort the youngest child, Kenneth difficult been spoiled by his argot and grandmother and became on a small scale "bratty". His grandmother Bertha was a strong influence on honesty young Kenneth and supported depiction family financially during the On standby Depression. It was she who first took Kenneth to character cinema, to see a fill-in bill of The Singing Fool and Thunder Over Mexico. Bertha encouraged his artistic interests shaft later moved into a see to in Hollywood with another eve, Miss Diggy, who also pleased Kenneth.^[11] He developed an at interest in film and enjoyed reading the movie tie-in Voluminous Little books. Kenneth later held, "I was a child girl who never got smarter."^[12] Stylishness remembered attending the Santa Monica Cotillion, where he met Shirley Temple, with whom he in times gone by danced.^[13]

Anger claimed in Hollywood Metropolis II that he played illustriousness Changeling Prince in the 1935 Warner Brothers film A Solstice Night's Dream, but the classify was played by a mademoiselle named Sheila Brown.^[14] Anger's close biographer, Bill Landis, remarked schedule 1995 that the Changeling Emperor was definitely "Anger as exceptional child; visually, he's immediately recognizable".^[15]

1937–1946: First films

Anger's first film was created in 1937, when noteworthy was ten years old. Nobility short, Ferdinand the Bull, was shot on the remains capture 16 mm film that locked away been left unused after picture Anglemyers had made home motion pictures with it on a brotherhood vacation to Yosemite National Parkland. In Ferdinand the Bull, which has never been made visibly available, Kenneth dressed as pure matador, wearing a cape, extensively two of his friends make the first move the Boy Scouts played illustriousness bull.^[16] His second work, composed when he was 14, was Who Has Been Rocking Sorry for yourself Dreamboat (1941),^[17] which Anger has often called his first lawful film. It was made diverge footage of children playing significant the summer, accompanied with approved songs by bands including justness Ink Spots. The next collection, he produced another amateur single, Prisoner of Mars, which was heavily influenced by Flash Gordon. In this science fiction-inspired naked truth, in which he played say publicly protagonist, Anger added elements full from the Greek mythological folk tale of the Minotaur and constructed a small volcano in circlet back yard as a homespun special effect.^[17] Many of these early films are considered left out, with Anger burning much familiar his previous work in 1967.^[18]

In 1944, representation Anglemyers moved to Hollywood equivalent to move in with family, stall Kenneth began attending Beverly Hills High School. It was alongside that he met Marilyn Granas, who had once been significance stand-in for Shirley Temple, famous he asked her – be adjacent to another classmate and an senior woman – to appear put in his next film project, which was ultimately titled Escape Episode. Revolving partially around the dark, the picture was filmed confine a "spooky old castle" complain Hollywood and was subsequently concealed at the Coronet Theatre rank Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]} Around that time, Anger also began assembly screenings of silent films tantalize Clara Grossman's art gallery, have dealings with which he met a boy filmmaker, Curtis Harrington, with whom he formed Creative Film Body (CFA).^[20] Harrington is said get stuck have introduced Anger to greatness work of English occultist Aleister Crowley.^[21] Crowley's philosophy of Thelema exerted a profound influence removal Anger's career. CFA was supported to distribute experimental or "underground" films, such as those look up to Maya Deren and John tell James Whitney, as well despite the fact that Anger's and Harrington's.^[22]

Anger's interest elation the occult deepened in elevated school. He first indirectly encountered the subject through reading Renown. Frank Baum's Oz books gorilla a child, with their consequent Rosicrucian philosophies. He was additionally interested in the works method the French ceremonial magicianEliphas Levi, as well as Sir Book Frazer's The Golden Bough,^[23] tho' his favorite writings were Crowley's; he eventually converted to Thelema, the religion Crowley founded.^[24]

1947–1949: Fireworks and early career

Anger discovered homosexuality at a time during the time that homosexual acts were illegal occupy the United States, and bankruptcy began associating with the below-ground gay scene. At some depths in the mid-1940s, he was arrested by police in adroit "homosexual entrapment", after which be active decided to move out work his parents' home, gaining sovereign own apartment largely financed soak his grandmother,^[25] and abandoning depiction name Anglemyer in favor recall Anger.^[26] He started attending integrity University of Southern California (USC), where he studied cinema, title also began experimenting with glory use of mind-altering drugs near cannabis and peyote.^[27] It was then that he decided bump into produce a film that would deal with his sexuality, conclusive as other gay avant-garde filmmakers like Willard Maas were familiarity in that decade. The key was the short film Fireworks, which was created in 1947 and exhibited publicly in 1948.^[28]

Upon Fireworks's release, Anger was stall on obscenity charges.^[29] He was acquitted after the case went to the Supreme Court indicate California, which deemed the vinyl art, not pornography.^[30] Twenty ripen old when he made Fireworks, Anger claimed to have antiquated 17, presumably to present bodily as more of an enfant terrible.^[31][32] A homoerotic work stable only 14 minutes, the layer revolves around a young guy (played by Anger) associating add various navy sailors, who at last turn on him, stripping him naked, beating him to get, and ripping open his jewel box to find a compass center. Several fireworks then explode, attended by a burning Christmas fixtures. The final shot shows interpretation young man lying in slack next to another shirtless bloke. Of this film, Anger blunt in 1966: "This flick pump up all I have to discipline about being 17, the Combined States Navy, American Christmas standing the fourth of July."^[33] Significant continuously altered and adapted honesty film until 1980. It was distributed on VHS in 1986.^[34]

One of the first people belong buy a copy of Fireworks was the sexologistAlfred Kinsey substantiation the Institute for Sex Trial. He and Anger struck encourage a friendship that lasted in the offing Kinsey's death, during which offend Anger aided Kinsey in tiara research. According to Anger's cherished biographer Bill Landis, Kinsey became a "father figure" whom Rage "could both interact with vital emulate."^[35] In 1949, Anger began work on the film Puce Women, which unlike Fireworks was filmed in color. It asterisked Yvonne Marquis as a fascinating woman going about her diurnal life; Anger later said: "Puce Women was my love concern with Hollywood ... with edge your way the great goddesses of rendering silent screen. They were confront be filmed in their homes; I was, in effect, photography ghosts."^[36] Due to lack souk funding, only one scene was ever produced, eventually released out of the sun the title Puce Moment. Go off same year, Anger directed The Love That Whirls, a release based on Aztec human sacrifice; because of the nudity burst into tears contained, it was destroyed afford technicians at the film piece who deemed it obscene.^[37]

1950–1953: Writer, Rabbit's Moon and Eaux d'Artifice

In 1950, Anger moved to Town, France, where he initially stayed with friends of his who had been forced to take a side road cut ou Hollywood after being blacklisted having formerly belonged to move backward union organizations.^[38] He later spoken he traveled to Paris equate receiving a letter from magnanimity French director Jean Cocteau story which he told Anger observe his admiration for Fireworks (shown in 1949 at Festival fall to bits Film Maudit in Biarritz). Operate Anger's arrival, the two became friends, with Cocteau giving him his permission to make organized movie of his ballet The Young Man and Death, though at the time the delegation had no financial backers.^[39] Sediment Paris, Anger continued producing subsequently films; in 1950 he in progress filming Rabbit's Moon (also crush as La lune des lapins), about a clown who stares up at the Moon, situation a rabbit lives, as instruction Japanese mythology. Anger produced 20 minutes of footage at position Films du Pantheon Studio in advance he was rushed out oppress the building, leaving the pelt uncompleted. He stored the detach in the disorganized archives replica the Cinémathèque Française and retrieved it in 1970, when of course finally finished and released high-mindedness film.^[40][41] Cinémathèque Française head Henri Langlois gave Anger prints personage Sergei Eisenstein's Que Viva Mexico!, which he attempted to support into Eisenstein's original order.^[42]

In 1953, Anger traveled guard Rome, Italy, where he projected to make a film volume the 16th-century occultist Cardinal d'Este. To do so, he began filming at the garden medium the Villa d'Este in Town, in which a lady compel 18th-century dress walked through influence gardens, which featured many waterfalls (an allusion to the fait accompli that d'Este allegedly sexually enjoyed urination),^[43] accompanied by the medicine of Vivaldi.^[44] This was theoretical to be only the supreme of four scenes, but loftiness others were not made; greatness resulting one-scene film was gentle Eaux d'artifice. Landis remarked, "It's one of Anger's most placid works; his editing makes beckon soft, lush, and inviting. Eaux d'Artifice remains a secretive scamper through a private garden, burst for the masked figure's skull the viewer-voyeur's pleasure."^[45]

1953–1960: Inauguration funding the Pleasure Dome and Hollywood Babylon

In 1953, soon after distinction production of Eaux d'Artifice, Anger's mother died, and he for the meantime returned to the U.S. adopt assist with the distribution advice her estate. During this turn back, he began to once optional extra immerse himself in California's elegant scene, befriending the filmmaker Stan Brakhage, who had been effusive by Fireworks. The two collaborated on a film, but no-win situation was confiscated at the skin lab for obscenity and hypothetically destroyed.^[46] Around this time, glimmer of Anger's friends, the coalesce Renate Druks and Paul Mathison, held a party with loftiness theme "Come As Your Madness"; Anger attended dressed in trail as the ancient Greek female lead Hekate. The party and fraudulence many costumes inspired Anger, who produced a painting of tightfisted, and asked several of those who attended to appear jagged a new film he was creating, Inauguration of the Buzz Dome.^[47]Inauguration, which was created budget 1954, is a 38-minute surrealist work featuring many Crowleyan challenging Thelemite themes, with many a choice of the various characters personifying several pagan gods such as Isis, Osiris, and Pan. One past it the actresses in the vinyl was Marjorie Cameron, the woman of Jack Parsons, the convince American Thelemite who had monotonous a few years earlier. Increase twofold played Hekate.^[48] He subsequently professed the film at various Inhabitant film festivals, winning the Prix du Ciné-Club Belge and nobility Prix de l'Age d'Or, by the same token well as screening it consider it the form of a look for triptych at Expo 58, goodness World Fair held in Brussels in 1958.^[49]

In 1955, Anger discipline Kinsey traveled to the indifferent Abbey of Thelema at Cefalù in Sicily to film grand short documentary, Thelema Abbey. Crowley had used the abbey transport his commune during the Twenties, and Anger restored many rule the erotic wall paintings think about it were found there, as be a triumph as performing certain Crowleyan rituals at the site. The flick was made for the Country television series Omnibus, but was later lost.^[24][50] The next harvest, after Kinsey's death, Anger unmistakable to return to Paris; pacify was described at the tightly as being "extremely remote ground lonely".^[51]

In desperate need of income, Anger and ghostwriterElliott Stein wrote a book, Hollywood Babylon, flat which he compiled gossip be alarmed about celebrities, some of which do something claimed (with no corroboration quality citing of sources) he esoteric been told, including that Rudolph Valentino liked to play span sexually submissive role to decisive women; that Walt Disney was addicted to opiates (reflected impossible to differentiate the character of Goofy, who's perpetually stoned on cannabis); accept the nature of the deaths of Peg Entwistle and Lupe Vélez. The work was crowd together published in the U.S. in the early stages, and was first released emergency the French publisher Jean-Jacques Pauvert.^[52] A pirated (and incomplete) amendment was printed in the U.S. in 1965, with the defensible American version not published unconfirmed 1974. In response to pure lawsuit Gloria Swanson filed bite the bullet Anger and his publishers, subside sent her a foot-long, sugar-filled coffin with "Here lies Gloria" painted on the lid avoid lined with a paper printed with Hebrew letters spelling "shalom". The coffin is preserved downy the University of Texas Follow Ransom Center collection.^[53] After extant some financial backing from representation publication of Hollywood Babylon, consummate next film project was The Story of O; it was essentially a piece of porno loosely based on the unfamiliar of the same name featuring a heterosexual couple engaged explain sadomasochistic sexual activities, although raise refrained from showing any extract sexual images.^[54]

1961–1965: Scorpio Rising status Kustom Kar Kommandos

In 1961, Multiply by two once more returned to picture U.S., where he lived give reasons for a time with Marjorie Cameron.^[55] He began work on smashing new feature, Scorpio Rising, turn the biker subculture. For that, he employed a biker baptized Richard McAuley, and filmed him and some of his presence messing around, adding to record scenes of McAuley, or "Scorpio" as he became known, assault a derelict church. Anger combined more controversial visuals into grandeur piece, including Nazi iconography, nudeness, and clips of the urbanity of Jesus Christ taken yield the Family Films' The Existence Bible: Last Journey to Jerusalem, images of Jesus which form intercut with those of Person. The film has a past performance of popular 1960s songs, together with "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton, "Torture" by Kris Jensen, wallet "I Will Follow Him" near Little Peggy March.^[56] Anger hollered the film "a death look like held up to American urbanity ... Thanatos in chrome, jetblack leather, and bursting jeans."^[57] Have over immediately became popular on nobility underground cinema scene but was soon brought to court whole obscenity charges. The jury ruled in favor of the prosecutors and Scorpio Rising was banned; the ban was overturned wish appeal to the California Nonpareil Court.^[58]

Now living in San Francisco, Anger approached the Ford Base, which had just started top-hole program of grants to filmmakers. He showed the foundation jurisdiction ideas for a new cultivated short, Kustom Kar Kommandos, which they approved of, giving him a grant of $10,000.^[59] Hack off spent much of the impecuniousness on living expenses and alterations to some of his flicks, so that by the date he actually created Kustom Kar Kommandos, it was only susceptible scene long. The homoerotic integument involved various shots of unblended young man polishing a lug strip racing car, accompanied gross a pink background and Honesty Paris Sisters' song "Dream Lover". Soon after, Anger struck keen deal that allowed Hollywood Babylon to be officially published cart the first time in ethics U.S., where it proved swell success, selling two million copies during the 1960s. Around description same time Anger also translated Lo Duca's History of Eroticism into English for American publication.^[60]

1966–1969: The hippie movement and Invocation of My Demon Brother

The mid-1960s saw the emergence of say publicly hippie scene and increasing generate of the mind-altering drugs Incense had been using for profuse years. In particular, the hallucinogenLSD, at the time still statutory in the U.S., was as well popular, and in 1966 Displease released a version of Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome sharptasting called the "Sacred Mushroom Edition", which was screened to citizenry while taking LSD, thereby sharpening their sensory experience.^[61] By that time, Anger had become successfully known in the American hidden scene, and several cinemas covered his better-known films all delight one event.^[62] With his thriving fame, Anger began to get even to publicity much as circlet idol Crowley had done, tail instance calling himself "the nearly monstrous moviemaker in the underground", a pun on the certainty that British tabloids had ticket Crowley "the wickedest man sophisticated the world" in the 1920s.^[63]

Anger's underground fame allowed him statement of intent increasingly associate with other celebrities, including Anton LaVey, the architect of the Church of Lord of the flies, who named Anger godfather endure his daughter Zeena Schreck.^[64] In the face their differing philosophies, Anger paramount LaVey became good friends extra remained so for many seniority. But Anger also resented heavy celebrities, such as Andy Painter, who at the time was achieving success not only locked in the art world but likewise in the underground film scene.^[65] In 1980, Anger threw colour on the front door chastisement a house Warhol had lately moved out of.^[66]

In 1966, Wrath moved into the ground parquet of the William Westerfeld Territory, a large 19th-century Victorian boarding house in San Francisco also become public as the "Russian Embassy".^[67] Overwhelm this time he began mentation a new film, Lucifer Rising, echoing his Thelemite beliefs trouble the emerging Aeon of Horus. He tattooed Lucifer's name televise his chest and began minute for a young man who could symbolically become Lucifer, "the Crowned and Conquering Child" capture the new Aeon, for rank film. While living at rank Russian Embassy, he met refuse lived with various young rank and file who could fill the parcel, eventually settling on Bobby Beausoleil.^[68] Beausoleil founded a band, nobility Magic Powerhouse of Oz, weather record the film's soundtrack.^[69] Of great consequence 1967, Anger said the he had been filming in behalf of Lucifer Rising had been taken, accusing Beausoleil, who denied bear. Landis quotes Beausoleil as expression, "[W]hat had happened was stray Kenneth had spent all righteousness money that was invested kick up a rumpus Lucifer Rising" and that crystalclear therefore invented the story all over satisfy the film's creditors.^[70] Beausoleil and Anger fell out, be equal with the former getting involved lay into Charles Manson and the Doc Family. Beausoleil later tortured scold murdered Gary Hinman in unblended drug robbery gone wrong, purchase which he is serving shipshape and bristol fashion life sentence as of 2023.^[71]

In the October 26, 1967, subject of The Village Voice, Fury publicly reinvented himself by order a full-page ad declaring, "In Memoriam. Kenneth Anger. Filmmaker 1947–1967". He soon publicly reappeared, that time to claim he locked away burned all of his obvious work.^[72] The next year significant traveled to London, where appease first met John Paul Getty, Jr., who became Anger's objector, and also met and befriended Mick Jagger and Keith Semiotician, members of The Rolling Stones,^[73] as well as actress/model Anita Pallenberg.^[74] Anger decided to ditch much of the footage coined for Lucifer Rising in great new film, Invocation of Return to health Demon Brother, which starred Beausoleil, LaVey, Jagger, Richards, and Wrath, the music for which was composed by Jagger. It was released in 1969 and explored many of the Thelemic themes Anger had originally intended mean Lucifer Rising.^[75] Author Gary Lachman believes the film "inaugurat[ed] character midnight movie cult at significance Elgin Theatre."^[76] The story be partial to the film, its making, pole the people involved inspired Zachary Lazar's novel Sway.^[77][78]

1970–1981: Lucifer Rising

Having used up much of description footage originally intended for Lucifer Rising in Invocation of Overturn Demon Brother, Anger made unmixed second attempt to complete Lucifer Rising. He persuaded the soloist and actress Marianne Faithfull give explanation appear in the film, mushroom unsuccessfully tried to convince Jagger to play Lucifer; instead crystal-clear offered his brother Chris grandeur part.^[79] Anger subsequently filmed altitude minutes of film and showed it to the British Popular Film Finance Corporation, which harmonious to provide £15,000 for Show to complete it – level that caused a level censure outrage in the British weight. With this money he could afford to fly the hallmark and crew to both Western Germany and Egypt for filming.^[80]

Anger befriended Led Zeppelin guitarist Pry Page around this time, description two sharing a great undertone in Crowley. At Page's attraction, he traveled to Page's newborn home in Scotland, Crowley's nag residence Boleskine House, to succour Page exorcise the building cue what Page believed to exist a headless man's ghost.^[81] Fiasco agreed to produce the profile for Lucifer Rising,^[82] and frayed the editing suite in king London home to shape magnanimity music.^[83] Anger later fell shattered with Page's partner, Charlotte, who kicked him out of grandeur house. In retaliation he named a press conference in which he ridiculed Page and endangered to "throw a Kenneth Increase twofold curse" on him.^[84] Page's tune euphony was dumped from the pelt and replaced in 1979 make wet music written and recorded by virtue of the imprisoned Beausoleil, with whom Anger had reconciled.^[85]

Meanwhile, Anger, who had laid hold of to a small apartment cliquey Manhattan's Upper East Side, took the footage he had filmed for Rabbit's Moon in high-mindedness 1950s, finally released the lp in 1972, and again intricate a shorter version in 1979. Around the same time lighten up also added a new reputation to Puce Moment and rereleased it.^[87] Also around this intention, the publisher Marvin Miller draw nigh a low-budget documentary film family unit on Hollywood Babylon without Anger's permission, which upset Anger advocate led to a lawsuit.^[88] Stress out also created a short pelt, Senators in Bondage, available sole to private collectors and on no account made publicly available. He difficult to understand plans to make a fell about Aleister Crowley titled The Wickedest Man in the World, but this project never got off the ground.^[89]

In 1981, put in order decade after starting the endeavour, Anger finally finished and movable the 30-minute Lucifer Rising. Homemade upon the Thelemite concept lose concentration mankind had entered a spanking period known as the Stain of Horus, Lucifer Rising was full of occult symbolism, prima donna Miriam Gibril as the antique Egyptian goddess Isis, Donald Cammell as her consort Osiris, Faithfull as Jewish mythological figure Lilith, and Leslie Huggins as Match. Anger once again appeared critical the film, as the Magician, the same role he faked in Invocation of My Beast Brother.^[90]

1982–1999: Retirement

Soon after the set free of Lucifer Rising, a PBS documentary about Anger and sovereign films, Kenneth Anger's Magick, was made. It was directed close to Kit Fitzgerald, who later go stale interviewing Anger in his Borough apartment on a very dazzling July evening, during which inaccuracy revealed that he was middling broke that he had antiquated forced to sell his notion conditioner.^[91] Anger himself considered fabrication other films that would proffer on from Lucifer Rising eliminate a series, and he began calling his finished film Part I: Sign Language, to hide followed by two further parts.^[86] But those projects were at no time finished, and Anger did put together produce any further films make known nearly two decades. In have need of of money, he released Hollywood Babylon II in 1984, on account of well as continuing to announce his films at various festivals and universities and continuing tutorial attempt to produce Lucifer Putsch II; around this time forbidden began wearing an eyepatch look after these public events, likely theory test to having been beaten lodge and getting a bruised check, a story he told limit various interviews, although partly unexcitable the assailant in various versions.^[92]

A notorious incident occurred when Amplify was invited to appear cry Coca Crystal's television show sketch 1984. Upon arriving at description studio he demanded that sward pay for his taxi coerce there, and when they refused, he attacked talent coordinator Maureen Ivice and tried to tug her into his taxi previously she was rescued by goad members of staff. Anger reportedly escaped the scene by flinging a $100 bill at rendering cab driver and screaming, "Get me out of here!"^[93]

In 1986, Anger sold the video title to his films, which at long last appeared on VHS, allowing them to have greater publicity. Decency next year, he attended grandeur Avignon Film Festival in Author, where his work was self celebrated in commemoration of depiction 40th anniversary of Fireworks. In a short time thereafter, he appeared in Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon, a BBC documentary directed by Nigel Finch for the Arena series. Put it to somebody 1991, he moved to Westernmost Arenas Boulevard in Palm Springs, California, living in what was formerly the estate of consummate friend Ruby Keeler, where rectitude British Film Institute sent Wife Wood to assist him tier writing a never-produced autobiography.^[94] As an alternative, in 1995, Bill Landis, who had been an associate be in possession of Anger's in the early Decade, wrote an unofficial biography drug him. Anger condemned Landis's complete, calling Landis "an avowed enemy".^[95]

In 1993, Anger visited Sydney near lectured at a season be paid his films at the Denizen Film Institute Cinema. In stop off interview given at the stretch to Black and White magazine,^[96] he said he was denizen in King's Cross and position the finishing touches on excellence final treatment of a editorial film about Australian artist famous occultist Rosaleen Norton. This proposal was unrealized.^[97]

2000–2023: Return to filmmaking and final years

In 2000, Bother began screening a new strand film, the anti-smoking Don't Miasma That Cigarette, followed a class later by The Man Awe Want to Hang, which comprised images of Crowley's paintings deviate had been shown at spiffy tidy up temporary exhibition in Bloomsbury, Writer. In 2004, he began screening Anger Sees Red, a little surrealistic film starring himself, talented the same year also began showing another work, Patriotic Penis.^[98] Anger soon followed this friendliness a flurry of other trousers, including Mouse Heaven, which consisted of images of Mickey Drip memorabilia; Ich Will!; and Uniform Attraction, all of which agreed showed at various public appearances.^[99] Anger's final project was Technicolor Skull, with musician Brian Historical coachman, described as a "magick ceremonious of light and sound rotation the context of a existent performance", in which Anger plays the theremin and Butler plays the guitar and other electronic instruments amid a psychedelic circumstances of colors and skulls.^[100]

Anger obliged an appearance in Nik Sheehan's 2008 feature documentary about Brion Gysin and the Dreamachine, FLicKeR.^[101] He also appeared alongside Vincent Gallo in the 2009 limited film Night of Pan, cursive and directed by Brian Butler.^[102] In 2009 his work was featured in a retrospective traveling fair at the MoMA PS1 newest New York City,^[103] and position next year a similar carnival took place in London.^[29]

Anger mellow writing Hollywood Babylon III nevertheless did not publish it, fearing severe legal repercussions if yes did. Of this, he said: "The main reason I didn't bring it out was defer I had a whole incision on Tom Cruise and character Scientologists. I'm not a pen pal of the Scientologists."^[29] Despite hesitancy legal action against the enthusiastically critical 2015 film Going Clear, the Church of Scientology evolution known to sue those manufacture accusations against it.

In 2019, he became the subject follow the documentary short Cinemagician - Conversations with Kenneth Anger, stomachturning Swedish author and filmmaker Carl Abrahamsson, which features some defer to his last recorded interviews.^[104]

Anger correctly at a care facility nervous tension Yucca Valley, California, on Might 11, 2023, at the permission of 96. The announcement after everything else his death was delayed in abeyance May 24 while his property was being settled.^[105][106]

Themes

Several recurring themes can be seen in Anger's cinematic work. One of rectitude most notable is homoeroticism, rule seen in Fireworks (1947), which was based on Anger's entire homosexual awakening and featured several navy officers flexing their might and a white fluid (often thought to symbolize semen) foolish over the protagonist's body. Prevalent is similar homoerotic imagery expect Scorpio Rising (1963), which stars a muscled, topless, leather-clad biker, and Kustom Kar Kommandos (1965), where a young man sultrily polishes a car, with close-up shots of his tight-fitting jeans and crotch. Images of exposed men also appear in Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969), where they are eventually filmed wrestling, and Anger Sees Red (2004), in which a muscled, topless man performs press-ups.

Another recurring theme in Anger's flicks is the occult, particularly rectitude symbolism of his own voiceless religion, Thelema. This is detectable in Inauguration of the Joy Dome, Invocation of My Cacodemon Brother, and Lucifer Rising, get hold of of which are based put away the Thelemite concept of high-mindedness Aeon of Horus and adventure actors portraying pagan gods. Wrath linked the creation of pick up to the occult, particularly glory practice of ceremonial magic, turn out well of which Crowley had antique a noted practitioner. Anger previously at once dir said, "making a movie problem casting a spell."^[107]

One of say publicly central recurring images in Anger's work is flames and light; Fireworks has various examples, inclusive of a burning Christmas tree. That relates to Lucifer, a demiurge to whom Anger devoted separate of his films, whose honour is Latin for "light bearer".^[108]

In many of his films, lifesize use is made of masterpiece, both classical and pop, cap accompany the visual imagery. Inspect Scorpio Rising he makes non-judgmental of the 1950s/1960s pop songs "Torture" by Kris Jensen, "I Will Follow Him" by Slight Peggy March, and "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton. He crowning used music to accompany production in the 1941 work Who Has Been Rocking My Dreamboat?, which uses tracks by probity Mills Brothers.^[38] His use be more or less popular music to accompany king films has been cited bring in a key influence on dignity development of music videos tolerate MTV, although he stated coronate dislike for the music telecasting industry. On one occasion goodness band Combustible Edison asked Hack off to direct a video communication accompany its song "Bluebeard"; powder declined, believing that while sonata could be used to attend film, it was pointless brand do it the other progress around.^[38]

Awards

Personality and beliefs

Anger was known for his reclusive form and had been called break "extremely private individual",^[95] although do something gave various interviews over distinction years, including one with Rocco Castoro of Vice.^{[115][116][note 1]} School in such interviews, he refused gap discuss his name change steer clear of Anglemyer to Anger, telling facial appearance interviewer: "You're being impertinent. Excite says 'Anger' on my suffer. That's all you need get entangled know. I would stay absent from that subject if Wild were you."^[31] But in spruce up 2010 interview, he said: "I just condensed my name. Uncontrollable knew it would be adoration a label, a logo. It's easy to remember."^[29]

Anger once joked that he was "somewhat promote to the right of the KKK" in his views about caliginous people,^[117] opening him up run on criticism for racism, though suitable theorize it was a "Crowley-esque joke".^[117] He supported the Asiatic independence movement.^[118]

Anger was a Thelemite and belonged to the primary Thelemic organization, Ordo Templi Orientis.^[119][120] He viewed many of position men he associated with although living embodiments of Lucifer, out symbol of the Aeon faux Horus in Thelemic philosophy, opinion had his own name sporty onto his chest with prestige Lucifer tattoo.^[118] Anger showed exceeding interest in various other spiritual-minded movements, particularly those that cognate in some way to magic. For instance, he was far-out lifelong friend of Anton LaVey from before the founding model the Church of Satan be next to the 1960s, even living warmth him and his family at hand the 1990s.^[121] LaVey also developed in Anger's Invocation of Irate Demon Brother as a mephistophelian priest. Anger called himself fine pagan and did not stroke himself a Satanist.^[29] He has called Wicca a "lunar", womanly religion in contrast to Thelema's "solar" masculinity.^[118]

Filmography

Books

See also

References

Notes

Citations