Comments on: Velvet Goldmine (1998)

By: Joe Valdez

Joe Valdez — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 19:14:34 +0000

Kimberly: Next time you're at the library, check out Peter Biskind's book Down and Dirty Pictures. It's about Redford/Sundance, Miramax and the indie film movement in the '90s and is a terrific read. Harvey Weinstein is perhaps the last movie mogul of the 20th century; many agree that he loves movies, knows how to market movies, has produced some of the best movies of the last quarter century, while in the process, alienating filmmakers with his personality and tactics. Sort of like Michael Corleone in The Godfather Part II. Biskind seems to insinuate that Velvet Goldmine didn't work, but I agree with you, I thought this film was fantastic. The approach Haynes took was creative, but at no point in the film was I bored or thinking "This shit ain't workin." I'm flattered by your comment. Thank you! Small time journalists rule! Moviezzz: What's sad is that Miramax jettisoned Velvet Goldmine so thoroughly that Haynes was not even asked to provide an audio commentary for the DVD, which other than not being panned and scanned, is devoid of extras. I feel the same way about Safe that you do about this film. I need to see it again. Haynes' approach to his movies is alien, but it's like that really cool, green skinned alien that was trying to seduce Capt. Kirk on that episode of Star Trek. I just rolled with the creative audacity of it.

By: Moviezzz

Moviezzz — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 19:01:57 +0000

I saw VELVET only once on video and have been meaning to see it again.

I’m not much of a Haynes fan (SAFE is one of my least favorite of the 90s) but really loved this film. I think about it quite a bit.

I will have to see it again.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 06:01:33 +0000

Now this is a Miramax film I have seen and I love it! I guess I was one of the few who paid to see it in a movie theater (I saw it twice!) but it was made to be seen on the big screen and I’ve been a fan of Todd Haynes since seeing Poison back in ‘91.

The musical numbers in Velvet Goldmine are terrific and I love the way it was shot by Haynes. He really did a great job of recreating the ’70s and ’80s. The whole Bowie/Iggy love triangle is played out with a lot of flair and fun. I thought Bale was really terrific as the journalist Arthur Stuart and I could relate to him a lot since I was a small-time musical journalist myself in the ’80s for zines.

I couldn’t agree more with this statment:

Velvet Goldmine conjures a trippy, dreamlike feel that engages the imagination. The film suggests that this is exactly what made glam rock unique in the first place.

Very true! Along with Dancer in the Dark, Velvet Goldmine is easily my favorite musical of the past 10+ years.

I constantly butt heads with other people who hate this movie and I have no idea why. I really enjoyed your write-up about it and it’s nice to see that I’m not the only person who enjoyed this terrific film.

I don’t know a lot about the Weinsteins, but after reading your pieces about Miramax they sound like rather nasty people.