the woman who loved elvis is an american television film that aired on abc on april 18 , 1993 from 9:00 to 11:00 pm eastern time .

the film starred roseanne barr , her then husband tom arnold , it also starred cynthia gibb , danielle harris , and sally kirkland .

it was filmed in ottumwa , iowa , where arnold was born .

based on laura kalpakian 's novel " graced land " .

the woman who loved elvis

the woman who loved elvis <EOT> tom arnold , oafishly likable , is the only one who comes out of this thing alive . they should have made it “the man who loved the woman who loved elvis . ” but then who would have watched ?

obviously , the woman who loved elvis has problems . “when dad moved out , elvis moved in ! ” screams one of her resentful kids . but the concept is that even if everyone thinks she’s the town kook , she’s really its savior , a big hunka burnin’ love who’s better than all of ’em put together .

roseanne and elvis , together at last ! abc ' s kitschy , maudlin hound dog of a telepic , " the woman who loved elvis , " is a white - trash double whammy that the fans - - his and hers - - will doubtless lap up .

roseanne barr is one of my favorite comediens and she is in her sarcastic corny self as the woman who loved elvis . this movie is not award winning , but it helps you get through the day with a laugh or two !

roseanne and elvis , together at last ! abc’s kitschy , maudlin hound dog of a telepic , “the woman who loved elvis , ” is a white - trash double whammy that the fans — his and hers — will doubtless lap up . exec produced by joined - at - the - hip roseanne and tom arnold ( with jack grossbart and joan barnett ) , “woman” is set and shot [ … ]

by any normal standard , the woman who loved elvis is a pretty lousy made - for - television movie . but who judges roseanne arnold by normal standards ? as the brashest and most original and independent superstar on tv , arnold is unusual in many ways , not the least of which is that she is a hollywood multimillionaire who insists that we never forget her drab , lower - middle - class roots .

and so it is in the woman who loved elvis : arnold portrays joyce jackson , a single mother in a small iowa town who is stuck on welfare and saddled with a serious elvis problem . joyce has turned her dilapidated front porch into a shrine to the late presley and is given to solemn pronouncements such as ”elvis died for the love of us and our love for him . ” joyce has just been assigned a new caseworker from the welfare agency , a wide - eyed innocent named emily ( cynthia gibb of the karen carpenter story ) , who , unlike joyce’s previous caseworkers , doesn’t think she’s just a lazy nut .

for most scriptwriters and performers elvis is a joke , a dead punch line employed in movies like honeymoon in vegas . arnold knows that one reason her sitcom roseanne commands such a huge , loyal audience is that she shares many of her fans’ taste in unfashionable subjects like presley . but the woman who loved elvis doesn’t shed any new light on arnold’s own obsession .

in interviews over the years , arnold has spoken often of her admiration for presley as an up - from - nothing , show - biz - transcending star ; she identifies with him to the extent of having worn an elvis - esque gold lame suit for her 1992 hbo stand - up special . in the woman who loved elvis , arnold sets up joyce to be a fanatic who will prove to have wisdom ; we assume her purpose is to redeem joyce and elvis to doubters . instead , the movie downplays presley as it goes along , reducing his presence to a few hits on the soundtrack .

the woman who loved elvis is based on laura kalpakian’s 1992 novel , graced land ; it’s not the elvis book arnold should have tackled . that one is harlan ellison’s 1961 presley fable , spider kiss , a far more wild , down - and - dirty novel that tells the tale of stag preston , a country - hick rocker raised to superstardom by callous promoter col . jack freeport ( an on - the - money caricature of presley’s manager , col . tom parker ) . i have long thought roseanne could buy the rights , turn the hero into a woman , and play the role herself ( doe preston ? ) . hubby tom could chomp on a cigar and strut around as colonel jack . maybe next time , roseanne ? c +

urltoken woman who loved elvis : roseanne barr , tom arnold , cynthia gibb , sally kirkland , danielle harris , joe guzaldo , kimberly dal santo , monica mccarthy , liz muckley , james andelin , dottie arnold , w . earl brown , bill bixby , cyrus yavneh , jack grossbart , joan barnett , laura marcus , laura kalpakian , rita mae brown : movies & tv

anita wood telling why her and elvis presley broke - up after five years .

it’s supposed to be about a woman named joyce , immortalized in laura kalpakian’s novel “graced land” as a single mother whose home and life have become a shrine to the memory of the the king . but it ends up feeling like another dysfunctional evening with the arnolds .

i absolutely loved this movie . i myself am from ottumwa iowa where the film was shot . i guess that made it all the more wonderful . roseanne does a great job , as well as ms .

emily gets drawn into the lives of joyce , her two adolescent daughters ( danielle harris and kimberley dal santo ) , and her ex - husband , jack , a brooding , quiet motorcyclist played by a cast - way - against - type tom arnold ( the jackie thomas show ) . the most interesting thing about the woman who loved elvis , directed by actor bill bixby , is that for the longest time , you can’t tell whether it’s supposed to be a melancholy comedy or a light drama — it doesn’t fit into any standard tv - movie category . the worst thing about the film , written by novelist rita mae brown ( rubyfruit jungle ) , is that there’s not a single scene in it whose outcome isn’t drearily predictable .

exec produced by joined - at - the - hip roseanne and tom arnold ( with jack grossbart and joan barnett ) , “woman” is set and shot in the heart of arnold country ( ottumwa , iowa ) .

kind of " corny " but i loved it . . . . love roseanne & tom , i guess that ' s why .

oddest and most disappointing of all is that the elvis angle gets lost in all the banality . for joyce , as for not a few of his fans , the king is nothing less than the king of kings . ”drugs were part of his suffering , ” joyce says to a skeptic who questions the saintliness of presley’s life , ”and no one could save him from suffering . ” joyce even does good works in his name : poor as she is , she mends old clothes to give to families poorer than her own , presenting them with the benediction , ”elvis presley wants you to have these clothes . ”

* * the elvis songs at the beginning and at 56 : 01 had to be edited for copyright * * in 1982 , iowan suburban housewife joyce jackson ( rosanne ) is an obsessed fan of the late elvis presley . she ' s used the so - called king of rock and roll ' s inspiration to turn her small house into a wacky shrine . convinced that elvis is still alive , five years after his death , joyce concocts a plan to set off and find and meet him , so she enlists the help of her estranged husband jack ( tom arnold ) .

rita mae brown’s script isgooey and dumb . director bill bixby does what he can with the dopey material . strangely , the music is underplayed : a few elvis songs in the background and a lot of “roseanne” - style bluesy guitar riffs in william olvis’ score .

canta , luan - love me tender + suspicious mind ( elvis presley ) - 23 . 08 . 2017 # pr04x05

danielle harris , who plays the daughter of roseanne ' s character in this film , played molly , her daughter darlene ' s friend , on tv ' s " roseanne " .

unfortunately , although as an actress roseanne arnold has many qualities , lovable is not of them . ( sally kirkland , who plays joyce’s best friend sandee , might have been able to pull off the role . )

in 1982 , iowan suburban housewife joyce jackson ( roseanne ) is an obsessed fan of the late elvis presley . she ' s used the so - called king of rock and roll ' s inspiration to turn her small house . . . see full summary »

in 1982 , iowan suburban housewife joyce jackson ( roseanne ) is an obsessed fan of the late elvis presley . she ' s used the so - called king of rock and roll ' s inspiration to turn her small house into a wacky shrine . convinced that elvis is still alive , five years after his death , joyce concocts a plan to set off and find and meet him , so she enlists the help of her estranged husband jack ( tom arnold ) .

i do ! . . . . this is a fun family film about a character who is a big elvis presley fan and wants to do charitable work in his name , this was roseanne ' s second try at a t . v . movie of the week , her first one titled backfield in motion ( also on vhs ) which i found more entertaining but this one was just as enjoyable and is a great vhs for any fan ot the domestic goddess

trippy indie madeline ' s madeline is the movie that lakeith stanfield and boots riley from sorry to bother you want to see the most .

we know from the start that the plot will turn on whether or not joyce will be kicked off the welfare roll . and because jack is such a poutingly sensitive working - class stiff , we get the idea pretty quickly that he regrets the breakup of his marriage to joyce , that he wishes they were still together . the supporting characters don’t provide much novelty either . sally kirkland , who has also appeared on a few episodes of roseanne this season , plays joyce’s tough , wisecracking best friend , sandee . and there’s a stunningly lame subplot about emily’s rocky romance with a coworker ( joe guzaldo ) .

this movie had its ups and downs . some of the acting was good but the downside was that the story line wasn ' t very gripping . it was an ordinary film but i would reccomend it when watching with kids .

joyce ( roseanne arnold ) is a welfare mother famous for abusing the system and making a healthy undeclared income on the side . her new caseworker emily ( cynthia gibb ) is a naive cutie who befriends joyce and turns a blind eye to her shenanigans . joyce’s estranged husband jack ( tom arnold ) rides in and out of her life on his motorcycle .

get ready for prime day with the amazon app . no purchase necessary . learn more

want to share imdb ' s rating on your own site ? use the html below .

this shopping feature will continue to load items . in order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading .

he still cares about her and their daughters priscilla ( danielle harris , from “roseanne” ) and lisa marie ( kimberly dal santo ) , but has taken up with the town floozie .

this is a feel good movie . i am from south east iowa and most people are loving and thoughtful . joyce [ rosanna ] is the same way my sister and i are . my sister is the poorest person i know and she would give the coat of her back to someone that needed it , and have seen her do it . this movie met alot more to me than just a movie . if more people were like joyce and my sister nancy this world would be a better place . watch this movie and learn from it .

© copyright 2018 variety media , llc , a subsidiary of penske business media , llc . variety and the flying v logos are trademarks of variety media , llc . powered by urltoken vip

i got this for my mother - in - law . she was going with tom arnold ' s brother at the time , and it was filmed in ottumwa , ia , where tom is from . she loves this movie . don ' t know why .

production : filmed by wapello county prods . in association with grossbart / barnett prods . executive producers , tom and roseanne arnold , joan barnett , jack grossbart producer , cyrus yahvneh ; director , bill bixby ; writer , rita mae brown , from the book " graced land " by laura kalpakian .

some parts of this page won ' t work property . please reload or try later .

0 of 2 people found this review helpful . was this review helpful to you ? yes no | report this

explore popular and recently added tv series available to stream now with prime video .

all products featured were editorially selected . urltoken may receive a percentage of sales for items purchased from these links . © 2018 meredith corporation all rights reserved . use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms of use and privacy policy ( your california privacy rights ) . | eu data subject requests

with : cast : roseanne arnold , tom arnold , sally kirkland , cynthia gibb , danielle harris , joe guzaldo , kimberly dal santo , liz muckley , monica mccarthy , james andelin , dottie arnold , w . earl brown , patrick clear , sam derence , john duda , albert flores , marilyn dodd frank , jeremy jones , catherine matt , sarah schrantz , rick snyder , catherine spears , cody . .

crew : camera , ronald m . lautore ; editor , jay scherberth ; production designer , okowita ; sound , jacob goldstein ; music , william olvis .

cast : cast : roseanne arnold , tom arnold , sally kirkland , cynthia gibb , danielle harris , joe guzaldo , kimberly dal santo , liz muckley , monica mccarthy , james andelin , dottie arnold , w . earl brown , patrick clear , sam derence , john duda , albert flores , marilyn dodd frank , jeremy jones , catherine matt , sarah schrantz , rick snyder , catherine spears , cody . .

region : region 1 ( u . s . and canada only . read more about dvd formats . )

i got this for my mother - in - law . she was going . . .

i watched it on hbo , and i thought this was an alright movie , it showed how families stick together . . .

prime members enjoy free two - day shipping and exclusive access to music , movies , tv shows , original audio series , and kindle books .

after viewing product detail pages , look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in .


dark star : h. r. giger 's world ( german : dark star : h. r. gigers welt ) is a 2014 swiss documentary directed by belinda sallin about surrealist h. r. giger .

giger 's friends , family , and fans describe the impact he and his art have had on their lives , and giger discusses some of his early inspirations .

it was shot in 2013 and 2014 , and giger died shortly after production ended .

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world <EOT> dark star dark star : h . r . giger ' s world h . r . giger hr giger

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world h . r . giger

tags : dark star : h . r . giger ' s world , dark star : h . r . giger ' s welt , dark star , h . r . giger ' s world , h . r . giger ' s welt , h . r . giger , hr giger , belinda sallin

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world [ region 1 ]

' dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ' : film review

dark star : h . r . giger’s world opens in philly area theaters today .

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ( world - wide , english title )

h . r . giger in his zurich office in " dark star " h . r . giger ' s world . "

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world rating : nnn see listing .

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ( 2015 ) - financial information

immersive doc dark star plunges into the h . r . giger ' s hellscapes

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ( 2015 ) - box office mojo

review : ‘dark star’ peers into h . r . giger’s creative world - the new york times

scene from the documentary " dark star : h . r . giger ' s world . "

' dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ' theatrical dates ! - bloody disgusting

' dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ' : film review | hollywood reporter

this article is related to : news and tagged alien , clips , dark star : h . r . giger’s world , dark star : hr giger ' s world , exclusive

watch : revisit the eerie art of ‘alien’ in ‘dark star : h . r . giger’s world’ exclusive clip

a . k . a . dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ( 2015 )

' dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ' review : peek inside artist ' s haunted mind

h . r . giger ' s ghost train . le train fantôme de h . r . giger

industrial soundtrack for the urban decay and dark star : h . r . giger ' s world @ the guild

' dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ' gets release date , poster - bloody disgusting

watch : revisit the eerie art of ‘alien’ in ‘dark star : h . r . giger’s world’ exclusive clip | indiewire

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world [ region 1 ] : urltoken dvd & blu - ray

watch : meet the man behind ‘alien’ & more in trailer for documentary ‘dark star : h . r . giger’s world’

this article is related to : news and tagged dark star : h . r . giger’s world , documentary , film trailers

dark star : h . r . giger’s world is a thoughtful documentary that may seem deceptively simple at first . a fitting tribute to the art of h . r . giger .

watch : meet the man behind ‘alien’ & more in trailer for documentary ‘dark star : h . r . giger’s world’ | indiewire

dark star : hr giger’s world opens at tiff bell lightbox tomorrow , june 5th .

“dark star : h . r . giger’s world” opens in limited theaters on may 15 and expands to multiple cities throughout the month .

read more : watch : meet the man behind ‘alien’ & more in trailer for documentary ‘dark star : h . r . giger’s world’

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ( 2014 ) [ 360p ] [ german lang ] [ eng subs ]

belinda sallin on capturing the late h . r . giger ' s world - now magazine

watch : revisit the eerie art of ' alien ' in ' dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ' exclusive clip

watch : meet the man behind ' alien ' & more in trailer for documentary ' dark star : h . r . giger’s world '

dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ( 2014 ) [ 360p ] [ german lang ] [ eng subs ] : fullmoviesonyoutube

round - up : zombified jay & silent bob , 20 seconds to live , captain america v iron man , dark star : h . r . giger’s world

& apos ; dark star : h . r . giger & apos ; s world & apos ; review : peek inside artist & apos ; s haunted mind - chicago tribune

“dark star : h . r . giger’s world” is currently playing in switzerland , but no u . s . release date has been set yet . stay tuned for updates . [

home movies & tv interviews & features belinda sallin on capturing the late h . r . giger ' s world

belinda sallin has spent a lot of time in small , dark rooms with h . r . giger . her new documentary , dark star : h . r . giger ' s world , examines the work of the swiss painter and illustrator by investigating his life .

h . r . giger , the surrealist artist known for his work in “alien , ” in the documentary “dark star . ”

a film by belinda sallin / an icarus films and kimstim co - release urltoken and urltoken more trailers : " dark star : h . r . giger ' s world "

both a mesmerizing introduction to giger’s oeuvre and a must - see for giger devotees , belinda sallin’s definitive documentary dark star : h . r . giger’s world shares the intimate last years of the artist’s life and reveals how deeply he resided within his own artistic visions .

superego : don dimello , andrew lloyd webber , and h . r . giger

debbie harry / h . r . giger - newsnight - bbc 2 - 1981

h . r . giger passed away at the age of 74 a year ago .

influential surrealist painter h . r . giger hypnotized audiences with his oscar - winning visual creatures in ridley scott’s sci - fi classic “ alien ” and altered the pop culture landscape forever with his striking , dark visual imagery . now , the documentary “dark star : h . r . giger’s world” is hitting theaters , and indiewire has an exclusive clip .

a look at the life the dark surrealist swiss artist , h . r . giger shot a year before his death .

both a mesmerizing introduction to giger ' s oeuvre and a must - see for giger devotees , belinda sallin ' s definitive documentary dark star : h . r . giger ' s world shares the intimate last years of the artist ' s life and reveals how deeply he resided within his own artistic visions . limited release schedule : urltoken

biography , documentary [ 1 h 35 min ] leslie barany , tom gabriel fischer , h . r . giger , stanislav grof director : belinda sallin

“dark star : h . r . giger’s world” displays many examples of giger’s output and shows him accepting accolades and puttering around the house toward the end of his life ( he died in 2014 ) . but it’s hard to imagine that the movie has much to say to viewers less than enthusiastic about giger’s imagery — macabre , aggressively sexual mergings of organic and mechanical forms .

read more : new documentary on surrealist h . r . giger , who designed the ‘alien’ xenomorph , coming soon

h . r . giger was famously reluctant to discuss his work . how did you get him to open up ?

over the course of his career , h . r . giger has combined the world of high art and popular culture , and it would be great to hear more about his thought processes and experiences . unfortunately , there’s not that much of it in dark star : h . r . giger’s world . it’s full of interesting commentary about his art , but not much is revealed about the man himself , and what is revealed seems to have been carefully planned out so as not to tip the artist’s hand too much . dark star : h . r . giger’s world serves as a good primer for those who have never been exposed to the vision of h . r . giger , but it doesn’t give the hardcore fan all that much that they haven’t already heard . as a whole , the film is an insightful look into the mind of a fascinatingly strange man . it’s just a shame that it isn’t a little more insightful .

the documentary , dark star – hr giger’s world , premiered at the 2014 zurich film festival , and from the moment giger first appears on screen in director belinda sallin’s portrayal of him , there are clearly two sides to the oscar - winning artist .

the film’s synopsis reads : “hollywood , sci - fi , horror , pop music , album covers , punk and goth culture , tattoos and fetish art have been influenced by his intricate , startling paintings and sculptures depicting birth , life , death and sex . both a mesmerizing introduction to giger’s oeuvre and a must - see for giger devotees , belinda sallin’s definitive documentary ‘dark star : h . r . giger’s world’ shares the last years of the artist’s life and reveals how deeply he resided within his own artistic visions . ”

aww - i thought someone had found a copy of the john carpenter film " dark star " at first .

he does seem more comfortable on camera in dark star than anywhere else i ' d seen him , even when he ' s visibly unwell .

exactly one year after h . r . giger’s death , the film dark star – hr giger ' s world will be released in cinemas in the usa and canada . the documentary film by belinda sallin celebrated its world premiere at the zff 2014 . the film starts in new york , los angeles and san francisco on may 15 , 2015 and will be screened thereafter in cinemas in more than 35 north american cities – a notable success for a swiss documentary film .

if you crossed “the addams family” with an episode of “hoarders , ” you might come up with something like the documentary “ dark star : h . r . giger’s world . ” a deferentially admiring visit with the swiss surrealist artist whose beastie design for ridley scott’s “ alien ” ( 1979 ) earned him hollywood renown , this disordered portrait seems heavily influenced by its equally jumbled setting .

h . r . giger , perhaps best known in mainstream pop culture as the designer of the xenomorphs from the “ alien ” franchise ( for which he won an oscar in 1979 ) , was a reclusive artist who lived in a dark , macabre world of nightmares .

the museum of arts and design 2 columbus circle new york , ny 10019 info @ urltoken 212 - 299 - 7777 coinciding with the recent nameless digest review of the documentary dark star : the world of h . r . giger , a major cinematic event is happening at new york city’s museum of arts and design ( mad ) : the unseen cinema of . . . read more

itunes is the world ' s easiest way to organize and add to your digital media collection .

i got a treat for you . amc has been streaming dark star on their site in hd quality for free for years .

the renowned swiss artist h . r . giger has died at the age of 74 , as a result of injuries sustained in a fall . giger , who passed away in a zurich . . .

visual artist hans rudolf giger is one of the most enigmatic of pop culture icons . his distinct work is everywhere , from the production design for the sci - fi / horror movie alien to his album covers for groups like emerson , lake & palmer and dead kennedys , but few fans know much about the man himself . and , after seeing dark star : h . r . giger’s world , they still won’t know much about him .

the outpouring of grief from around the world following h . r . giger’s death in may came almost as a surprise in his home country . best known for his monster in alien , the swiss artist was ignored by the mainstream . a new film shows how he lived in the darkness .

h . r . giger comes and goes between the houses’ many nooks and crannies as the camera rolls , and he actually says relatively little in a film entirely about him and his work .

surrealist artist h . r . giger ( 1940 - 2014 ) terrified audiences with his oscar - winning monsters in ridley scott’s alien . sci - fi , horror , music , album covers , tattoos and fetish art have been influenced by his dark , intricate paintings and sculptures depicting birth , death and sex .

directed by art historian and scholar michael schindhelm ( bird ' s nest : herzog & de meuron in china ) and produced by marcel hoehn ( dark star : h . r . giger ' s world ) , the chinese lives of uli sigg documents the work of diplomat and collector uli sigg in championing contemporary chinese artists . it features interviews with leading contemporary artists including ai weiwei , cao chong ' en , cao fei , fang lijun , feng mengbo , shao fan , wang guangyi and zeng fanzhi .

when " dark star : h . r . giger ' s world " introduces us to its subject , the swiss artist best known for designing the memorably creepy alien in the movie " alien " ( which won him an academy award ) , he seems on death ' s door — in more ways than one . shuffling unsteadily through a dark old house teeming with books , artifacts and artworks both ghoulish and erotic , the black - clad , white - maned hans ruedi giger ( pronounced " ghee - ger " ) speaks to the camera with a croaking gurgle about his lifelong artistic preoccupation with the stuff of nightmares : sarcophagi , skeletons and specters . ( sex plays a close second to these obsession ; giger ' s paintings are often nc - 17 . )

at present , film director belinda sallin is giving numerous interviews in all kinds of north american media , ranging from hollywood reporter and village voice to sci - fi and horror magazines . in addition , a h . r . giger revival with a great deal of hype has emerged on social media , with a huge fan community in the usa due especially to his alien creations . according to john defore from hollywood reporter , dark star – hr giger ' s world ought to find a modest audience at art - house cinemas as well as a respectable video afterlife on dvd and vod .

a great subject generally has the chance of lending itself to the certain success of any documentary . having just watched dark star , the life of h . r . giger , i entered with that predisposed expectation . giger ' s career as a highly influential 20th century contemporary artist , and his oscar winning creative contribution to ridley scott ' s film , alien , is well documented . in this film we are given a bit of historical information about the artist’s past at the onset , and are privileged to see his lovely and dedicated wife carmen expound with great affection about his . . . read more

thankfully , belinda sallin’s documentary takes a reserved approach , allowing the audience to get to know giger more from those closest to him , rather than just attempting to interview the man himself . filmed towards the end of the prolific artist’s life , dark star mostly consists of interviews with carmen vega , his widow , sandra berretta , his former assistant , and “life partner , ” his current dark metal musician turned assistant , and others , as well as candid moments around giger’s home and current events in his life .

upon meeting him , i accepted a lot of things - for example , the fact that the [ spoken ] word wasn ' t the medium of h . r . giger . so i knew i ' d have to use other ways to realize the film . i said , " you don ' t have to give me hours and hours of interviews , " and i think h . r . was pleased when he realized that i understood his situation .

though the documentary opens with creepy music and unnerving shots with giger’s art and home , it really becomes a sincere and compassionate look into the artist’s life that was full of success , heartbreak and the legacy he’s left behind .

icarus films , the us distributor , specialises in innovative and provocative documentary films by independent producers from all over the world . it has had a considerable number of swiss film productions in its line - up for many years , including several productions by t & c film in zurich , producer of dark star – hr giger ' s world . the artist film the way things go by peter fischli and david weiss – also a t & c film production – is one of the most successful dvds with icarus films .

the first english - language trailer for sallin’s film has arrived , and features a ton of giger’s work , as well as the man himself . check it out below .

behind the shuttered windows and ivy - covered walls of his residence in zurich , switzerland , dark star brings viewers into giger’s mysterious realm : from the first skull he was given by his father at the age of six , to macabre dinner parties with his close - knit team , to the grisly souvenirs from his time spent on the alien set and reminiscences about model li tobler , giger’s one - time muse , whose suicide reverberates throughout his work .

sallin lets giger ' s younger wife do most of the talking about the art in their compound ( his mother - in - law also works in giger ' s home office ) , while digging up good vintage documentary footage of the artist in his prime . we close with a trip to the h . r . giger museum and its movie set - like bar , where the artist is greeted for a book signing by fans of all ages , some of whom weep while thanking him for the disturbing art he made .

many people don’t know much about the man behind the iconic and gruesome designs of the acid - bleeding extraterrestrial in ridley scott’s alien . dark star : hr giger’s world , directed by belinda sallin , explores the life and works of the late swiss surrealist artist hans rudolf giger who’s influenced an array of artists from sci - fi and horror films , to music including album cover design , tattoos and fetish art . not only did he win an academy award for best achievement in visual effects for his design work on the film but he also defied a very niche realm of art that many people find hard to interpret and understand .

despite giger’s sudden shoot to fame in 1980 , when he won an oscar in special effects for the terrifying creature and sets he created for the blockbuster film alien , it didn’t mean he was suddenly accepted by the art world .

the film captures both the claustrophobic and melancholic mood of giger ' s house , and also , perhaps , his mind .

that sounds about right . giger’s art isn’t meant to be pleasant , but it does provide catharsis for some ( like the assistant ) . perhaps they are the movie’s real target audience .

“he was not a dark man , he was not a dark character , which i had assumed he would be , based on his art . he was quite a nice man , ” sallin told swissinfo . ch .

for his dedicated fans , dark star : hr giger’s world is certainly a must - see and for those not quite familiar with the artist and the type of work he did , it’s an interesting world to enter . it may seem bizarre and eerie at first , but the more you delve into his work throughout the documentary the more you adapt to and understand giger and why he made the peculiar art that he did . as a child , giger was easily frightened and began using his art to cope and gain control of his fear and emotions . the documentary of course follows many milestones over the course of his career as well as the tragedies that have greatly affected him and his work including the suicide of his one - time partner and muse li tobler .

by showing so many examples of his art , the film attests to giger’s real gift for startling images . but it’s hard not to see , in addition , elements of repetitive adolescent provocation .

“where others flee , he makes his home . what others dread , he makes his habitat . what others fight to suppress , he drags back to the surface . throughout his life , hr giger inhabited the world of the uncanny : a dark universe on the brink of many an abyss . ”

much of the film takes place inside his zurich home , a dark labyrinth overstuffed with books and giger’s art . it could serve as a sinister movie set . the backyard features a pint - size train that takes passengers through corridors decked with three - dimensional representations of his work , essentially a giger - themed carnival ride .

i met sandra [ beretta , giger ' s former assistant ] by coincidence , and she introduced me to him - she opened the door . i paid the giger family many , many visits afterwards , and i think giger saw that my research was serious and my knowledge of his work profound . i think that ' s something he appreciated .

i have no idea why a “world cat day” exists , but i just read that it’s today . that makes it the perfect moment to pay tribute to a certain feline : müggi iii .

sallin’s documentary digs into the intimate , final years of giger’s life and reveals how deeply he resided with his artistic visions behind the shuttered windows of his residences in zurich , switzerland . fun fact : the first skull giger received was given by his father at the age of six .

the film also addresses giger’s complex relationship to the art world , where he defied traditional categories and embraced commercial projects for musicians including debbie harry , korn , emerson , lake and palmer and the dead kennedys . fittingly enshrined in a museum dedicated to his work , giger’s output includes sculpture , painting , drawing , film and architecture , integrating meticulous technique with a instantly - recognizable sensibility that has inspired generations of nightmares .

despite a strong belief in the “death of the artist , ” the analytical lens for interpreting art without taking into account the thoughts of the author about their own work , anyone who thinks about art enough will still crave to know the personalities behind the work . and for an artist as famously enigmatic as h . r . giger , a revelatory documentary is tempting proposition even for those who just know his work through ridley scott’s alien .

living in what looks like the set of a rob zombie film , giger “did not create this world because he held it dear , but rather because he had no other option . it was the only way this amiable , modest and humorous man was able to keep his fears in check . giger was merely the bearer of dark messages , charting our nightmares , drafting maps of our subconscious and moulding our primal fears . ”

hr giger next to the bust he had created of his deceased girlfriend li .

opening theatrically in the u . s . and canada in over 30 cities :

there ' s little dialogue to interrupt the onslaught of imagery , which actually hurts the potential for audiences unfamiliar with hansruedi ' s history to enjoy the film .

it ' s steven spielberg vs . the white house in ' the post '

and sophia wong boccio , founder & executive director of sophia ' s choice .

i have been a fan of giger for years and was thrilled to find this . his work had an enormous impact on my work when i was in art school and his delving into dark areas of the mind to reveal what lies there is fantastic . the world lost an amazing jewel when he past . this video does a very good job of presenting his ideas and showing a tangible side to giger during a difficult time with respect and dignity . thank you for doing this project and allowing us a view inside this incredible man ' s life .

“i think it should be more than a niche film because so many people all over the world know who this guy is , ” hoehner said .

lost soul : the doomed journey of richard stanley ' s island of dr . moreau

as a nearly lifelong giger fan , i was terribly excited for the chance to discover more about this artist who changed so many mediums and whose designs meshing the worlds of nature , mechanics , the occult and humanity will continue to influence other artists for generations to come . what made him tick ? how did he view his own work ? unfortunately , dark star falls far short of asking those questions and so many more . i wondered if dark star was taking a naturalistic angle and just following giger around being giger ? unfortunately itís too contrived and posed for that , so the result just feels hollow and lazy . if director sallin was going for a hands - off , fly - on - the - wall approach , she fails utterly , and it feels like an opportunity tragically wasted . this true artistic pioneer is an enigma that this documentary seems determined to remain an enigma .

he feels at home in places we would flee from and lives his life among the very things we fear . throughout his life , hr giger had inhabited the world of the uncanny , a dark universe on the brink of many an abyss . it was the only way this amiable , modest and humorous man was able to keep his fears in check . giger was merely the bearer of dark messages , charting our nightmares , drafting maps of our subconscious and molding our primal fears . a film with and about the internationally acclaimed and controversial painter , sculptor , architect and designer ( oscar for ' alien ' ) . written by anonymous

he feels at home in places we would flee from and lives his life among the very things we fear . throughout his life , hr giger had inhabited the world of the uncanny , a dark universe on the brink of many an abyss . it was the only way this amiable , modest and humorous man was able to keep his fears in check . giger was merely the bearer of dark messages , charting our nightmares , drafting maps of our subconscious and molding our primal fears . a film with and about the internationally acclaimed and controversial painter , sculptor , architect and designer ( oscar for ' alien ' ) . ( imdb )

although giger received limited appreciation in switzerland , it is clear how popular he was around the world with groups who identified with his unique style and work . this intense following came clearly to the surface as news spread of his death in may .

the opinions of giger in the film vary as much as his own personality seemed to .

want to share imdb ' s rating on your own site ? use the html below .

that could’ve made for interesting films as well : hr giger through the eyes of his contemporaries , or the reception of hr giger’s art in the ' 70s , or the religious symbolism of hr giger , and so on and so forth . there were not only dozens of former companions but also critics that could be interviewed . i could’ve easily found both pro and contra positions .

one of the most insightful analyses of giger ' s art , which fascinates even as it repels , comes from stanislav grof , a psychiatrist who has written about what it is in giger ' s art that we both recognize and are repelled by . " for some reason , " says grof , " he decided to become the artistic reporter about what the darkness in us is . "

death has always hung like a shadow over giger and his art , which has its passionate partisans , but is not for the faint of heart . the artist , as a child , developed a fixation with an egyptian mummy in a museum , and it seems to have stuck . sallin ' s film includes many examples of giger ' s disturbing images , which have appeared on album covers and posters , along with archival footage and new interviews with the artist ' s associates and family members .

* belinda sallin , director a little over a week ago i was back at the hr giger museum in greyerz for an interview . yes , it ' s true , it ' s remote . it ' s a good two - and - a - half hours from zürich . but it ' s worth it , the backdrop is fantastic , the moléson thrones impressively over the whole scene . and if you know that hansruedi giger already wanted to be a lord of the manor as a small boy , then it makes sense he set up his museum there in the château st . germain .

this might prove disappointing to those with preconceived notions , but that’s a risk i’ll have to take .

the documentary goes into giger’s home in the north of the city of zurich – a winding labyrinth of rooms , packed from floor to ceiling with books and piles of paper , balancing between pictures and paintings .

giger himself seems fine with intimations of mortality . late in the film , the artist explains that he has no interest in either an afterlife or reincarnation . he ' s seen it all already , he says .

“people like me , regular film critics , saw how foreign newspapers had it in their obituaries . i think a lot of people only at that point realised how much of a star he was . ”

the film glances at some possible sources for giger’s style , including a human skull he was given as a child by his father , a pharmacist , and early memories of a mummy seen at a museum . there’s little analysis of his imagery , though a psychiatrist suggests that much of it was inspired by birth trauma .

once someone asked me : what’s the thing that scares you most at hr giger’s house ? i knew the answer right away : müggi ! müggi is totally unpredictable ! when i’m in the same room with müggi i don’t like to let him out of my sight . it’s not that i don’t like him . on the contrary , i have great respect for him , but he has scared the daylights out of me on several occasions . he delights in sticking his claws into visitor’s thighs , or resting on their shoulders . i’m sure he means well . maybe it’s just his predatory genes getting the better of him . maybe he’s just looking for attention ( not that i ever had the feeling he needed to look very far ) or maybe he’s just showing us who the man of the house is . whatever the case may be , hansruedi loved his müggi iii and his predecessors müggi ii and i more than anything else in the world . several photos testify to this . he often posed with his cats , or had them filmed .

the soundtrack is almost complete . i am once again given new insight into hr giger’s work . it’s the music of peter scherer that shifts my perspective once more , slightly changing my focus from time to time . it’s impressive to hear how masterfully peter was able to transform the discussions i had with him about hr , his art and surroundings into themes , melodies , rhythms and sounds . people , you have to hear this film !

world premiere : september 2014 original version : swiss - german / german / english ( german / french / english subtitles ) , colour and b / w , dcp , 95 min . isan

lol that ' s great ! definitely going to check it out now , i was expecting spaceballs or something .

[ laughter ] not giger all the time . but giger will stay with me , of course - his art and his family . i see carmen giger [ his widow ] regularly because i want her to know what is going on with the film . and i have many other projects in my head , but nothing to share yet .

there can be no doubt that somm pulls all the stops of his ability . and anyone who believes the works of hr giger is merely somber and black is severely deluded . yes , there are colours in hr giger’s work ! many of them , and with countless nuances . i became aware of this when i took the time to carefully observe hansruedi’s work during the course of film research . i soon understood that it ' s important to carefully film the works , such as those in the hr giger museum . only then could we bring them to the silver screen in the manner that i imagine . i am particularly glad that colour grading was so effective , fulfilling my desire .

when i was young and first saw the movie alien , i was gripped by the artwork . it ' s different in a way that seems plausibly otherworldly , as opposed to the stereotypical gigantic eyed ' greys ' . i long wondered about who this person was or what they were like , but frankly i was too lazy to look it up sooner . this seemed like a promising opportunity . through ' dark star ' there is a glance into the man ' s life , but it ' s the twilight . during the filming , giger was obviously in stark decline . there are some examples of the sort of man he is , which is why i watched . for the most part , we hear through surrogates and while it was rich , it felt just a bit lacking at times . for a novice to art like myself , i found it a worthwhile watch .

an affordable dvd showing some work that ' s been around since the 60s . very interesting and ironic he died shortly after this documentary discussing death and war and how it effected hr giger ' s life . anyone who is a visual artist should see this to get a taste of what promoting your art means and why work ethic is so important .

another solid documentary about guys that worked on the failed dune project . giger has a lot more ground to cover than jodowowksy and it shows because in a lot of ways the documentary feels incomplete in that there ' s a ton of little details not followed up on . i mean a ton of little details . in that sense , it really emulates his art style but it ' s extremely frustrating cause i honestly don ' t know a ton about the guy outside of his work . the film assumes a level of familiarity with him that ' s probably not common . the biggest issue i have is that the documentary is constantly flattering . it ' s him surrounded with friends and family constantly praising him . while it ' s definitely fun , it never gives a complete portrait of anyone and there ' s some very odd stuff going on in his art that could stand a little more explanation . outside of that one issue , it ' s a solid documentary . the film makers don ' t interject themselves . they simply let the man present himself as best he can , which it ' s clear he can ' t do a ton since he ' s obviously ill being on the older side of things . it ' s objective enough in form if not in content .

hr giger in front of his work " friedrich kuhn ii " . it shows his friend photographed shortly before his death .

his mother in law , carmen scheifele de vega , described him as “just a normal guy” , while the curator andreas j . hirsch who worked on two large exhibitions of giger’s work said , “he feels at home in places we run from in fear” .

i realized once again how much one can project onto hansruedi giger . marcel hoehn , the producer of the film , visited us during the final mix . he brought someone along for the screening who told us about the first time as a child he had heard about hr giger . and it hadn’t been a good experience . his strictly religious parents had told him giger was a satanist .

rotten tomatoes , a review aggregator , reports that 63 % of 35 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review ; the average rating is 6 . 3 / 10 . metacritic rated it 62 / 100 based on 13 reviews . john defore of the hollywood reporter wrote that it " feels like it was made by a friend , in a good way " . jeannette catsoulis of the new york times called it a disordered and free - form documentary that is " carefully curated to flatter " . walter addiego of the san francisco chronicle rated it 2 / 4 stars and wrote that it is uninteresting to non - fans . alan scherstuhl of the village voice wrote that the film does not shy away from the controversy that surrounds giger ' s art and " is fascinating , even if you ' re resistant to this dark star ' s gravity " . ( wikipedia )

this documentary peels back the layers into the world of giger . listening to him explain his paintings , as well as insights from his close friends and family gives a new dimension and way of looking at his vast body of work . i definitely recommend this to any fan of his work and anyone who just wants to understand what the heck it all means .

even the first time i entered hr giger’s house ( actually three connected houses ) i had the feeling that it was alive . it is its own microcosm . peter is injecting this life to the film by adding the sounds i heard or felt there . cool .

what’s so special about this new film is that it features actual interview with the man himself , who we lost this past may .

that shrink is a buddy of giger ' s , and we don ' t need his help to make sense of things after hearing stories from the artist ' s childhood , like the time his big sister took him to a museum and he was so terrified of an egyptian mummy that he came back every sunday , forcing himself to spend time with it . or when his father was given a real human skull , and giger , too repulsed to hold it , tied a string to it and dragged it around the neighborhood with him .

trippy indie madeline ' s madeline is the movie that lakeith stanfield and boots riley from sorry to bother you want to see the most .

what’s better than watching a movie under the stars during those long warm summer nights in the city ? whether you’re a movie or music junkie , this year’s sixth open roof festival in toronto has some impressive films from a variety of different genres . from sci - fi to documentary to horror and much more , there’s bound to be a film that not only intrigues but leaves you wanting more . plus , there will be an on - site caterer with some delicious food , which will be paired with a refreshing beer from orf’s long - standing partner amsterdam brewery .

while on the surface giger’s art would seem easy to analyze or diagnose , there is a depth to it that definitely captures the imagination . giger himself is an interesting figure within the documentary . while his health was ailing , he was definitely a man of few words . there are some very candid moments where despite the lack of what he says , his face says it all , especially when talking about past relationships . otherwise , he is almost a background figure in the film , always around , but not the focus of the camera . giger’s reluctance to talk in detail about what inspired specific pieces of his work doesn’t just include the public , but even those who best knew the man himself only have their own ideas to draw from . while some may find their speculation about some of his art to be unimportant , sallin realizes that each person’s interpretation of this genius’ work tells us everything about the people that dedicated their lives to him and so much about how they see giger himself .

several hundred people have attended a memorial service for the swiss surrealist painter hr giger who died two weeks ago . the creator of . . .

his appearance in jodorowsky ' s dune a couple of years ago was a little contentious . did you find him a difficult interview as well ?

your post isn ' t showing up ? it ' s probably stuck in the spam filter . message the mods so it can be removed .

it’s finally june , which not only means that there will be lots of festivals , concerts and road trips – that are in need of some new summer playlists – but also time for our bands spotted feature . check out this month’s toronto - based bands and find your summer anthems here !

i chose another approach . i wanted to make a personal film . i didn’t want to show what you can already find on the internet and in countless newspaper articles and tv reports . so i decided on protagonists who had a close relationship with hansruedi ( for the most part anyway ) , mostly from his family . i wanted to show hr giger’s world from the inside out , so to speak , and to view him and his surroundings in the most unbiased way possible . such an approach leaves no room left for accusations , stereotypes or clichés .

at last the moving images are receiving the colours that they are supposed to have . colourist roger sommer , ( known as somm ) is going about his business in his skilful way . my first meeting with somm , for the grading of the teaser in autumn 2012 , was surprising to say the least . hardly had i asked him if he knew anything about hr giger before he’d shown me his alien tattoo on his forearm . i was meeting the very colourist in this world who had a giger on his skin . you could hardly call it coincidence .

nestled in this chaos , mr . giger is a benign , yoda - like presence in declining health . ( he died in 2014 , at 74 . ) gentle and modest , he shuffles in repetitive loops through his tangled yard , a child’s wonderland of miniature railway cars and oversized sculptures . partners past and current , romantic and professional , cycle through his front door bearing food and commentary that the director , belinda sallin , assembles in a free - form style that’s carefully curated to flatter . it’s disappointing : a man with this many skeletons on display must have a few in his closet .

basically the story of a man forced to finally see the injustice around him . riley’s movie is designed to do the same thing to you . …

he developed a style that was little known at the time . through the hollywood film alien , hr giger became internationally renowned , but that . . .

that would be mr . giger’s home in zurich , a murky warren of buckling bookshelves and crammed corridors . disturbing paintings plaster the walls , endless iterations of his childhood terrors and lifelong obsessions . in them , metallic tentacles penetrate or sprout from soft female flesh , the tussle between birth and death replayed in erotic duels that the camera is reluctant to leave . when it does , it’s to linger on skulls and other artifacts — the spooky detritus of a darkly creative life .

she met giger for the first time in 2012 after getting to know an ex - girlfriend of his , and the idea of the film soon took shape .

jungen agrees it should have a wider appeal than giger’s normal fan base . “the film succeeds in bringing you closer to this artist if you’re not aware of his paintings , but it will also be accepted by the fans because it gives you glimpses behind the scenes…the director really had access to all the key people . ”

, ” which shines light on the mysterious swiss artist during the final years of his life ( giger passed away in may of this year ) . directed by filmmaker

roger ebert ' s speech on empathy for the " 11th hour " series on april 9th , 1994 , being republished here in honor of his birthday june 18 .

images don’t become truly three - dimensional until you add the sounds , the atmosphere and undertones of a location . i was reminded of that again today in peter bräker’s studio .

at the time of filming , giger was showing his age , but seems to have been game to participate . writer - director belinda sallin gives him a lot of camera time , though he speaks less in the film than his wife , carmen , or his assistant , a former heavy - metal musician who talks emotionally about the artist’s impact on his life and worldview .

what does provide a small , desperately needed bit of charm ( as sallin only allows glimpses of what appears to be gigerís impish personality to shine through ) are moments like his interactions with his beloved cat , muggi . muggi is really the star of the show , cavorting here and there , demanding to be carried by interview subjects , completely doted on by his owner . muggi is such a spoiled kitty that when we are taken on a ride on the railroad giger built inside his house , muggi saunters across the tracks as giger shouts for him to get out of the way before slowing down to allow the feline to calmly stroll off . in the war between cat and machine , in gigerís house , the cat wins .

free for kids 12 & under ! olympia farmers market presents : ofs kids club the sandlot scotty smalls ( tom guiry ) moves to a new neighborhood with his mom and stepdad and wants to learn to play baseball . the neighborhood’s best player , benny rodriquez ( mike vitar ) , takes smalls under his wing , and soon he’s part of the squad . [ … ]

april 6 – april 12 darkest hour during the early days of world war ii , with the fall of france imminent , britain faces its darkest hour as the threat of invasion looms . as the seemingly unstoppable nazi forces advance , and with the allied army cornered on the beaches of dunkirk , the fate of western [ … ]

renowned for his set design and illustration work for bands including the grateful dead and the rolling stones , returns to sacred gallery with his new exhibition , “road trip to the fourth dimension . ” larkin presents iconic images of america’s cultural past , borrowing heavily from the aesthetics of the atomic age and the golden age of sci - fi , to present at once a critique of america’s past , present , and past - futures . aliens , mushroom clouds , and rocket ships mingle with the family unit through larkin’s unique painted sculptural reliefs that present depth and tangibility to his fantastic canvases

free for kids 12 & under ! olympia farmers market presents : ofs kids club kiki’s delivery service in this anime feature , 13 - year - old kiki ( kirsten dunst ) moves to a seaside town with her talking cat , jiji ( phil hartman ) , to spend a year alone , in accordance with her village’s tradition for witches in training . after learning to control [ … ]

, the film offers a rare look at the man and the mind behind the uncanny , uncategorizable art that is certified nightmare juice for some , and comfort zone for giger . ( check out this

we’re doing the final mix . music , sound design , sound editing . finally , it’s all coming together . i know i ' ve described it already , but i’m going to say it again : you have to hear this film ! admittedly , the attached pictures don’t look all that illustrious , and the people look rather tired . laura insisted that i add that it’s 2 in the morning !