British director Ken Russell, the flamboyant director of such films as Women in Love, The Devils, and The Who's Tommy has died at age 84 of an apparent stroke. Active to the end, he reportedly was working on a new Alice in Wonderland movie musical and had reportedly just completed an article for the London Times about The Devil. In an interview with the BBC, Glenda Jackson, who won an Oscar for her performance in Women in Love told the BBC that it was "a great shame" that Russell was virtually ignored by his peers in the British film industry. "I find it utterly scandalous for someone who was so innovative and a film director of international stature," she said. Producer/director Michael Winner said, "He pushed the barriers completely and got away with it sometimes and didn't others, but he made some startling movies."

28/11/2011