Lisztomania, Ken Russell's follow-up to Tommy (both films were released in 1975) finds him even more in the mood for desultory spectacle than his garish pop artistry adapting the Who's rock opera. Seeking to tell the story of superstar composer Franz Liszt through a freewheeling series of pop allegories, kitsch, quotes, and pastiches, Russell hopes to reflect in contemporary terms the runaway train of Liszt's celebrity, love life, and alleged rivalry with Richard Wagner.

we need the dvd...we need the dvd

YES...I vote for the DVD....does one of you know how to set up the "voting" ballot type thing on amazon?.... the people demand the dvd. I only have a destroyed second generation vhs of Liszto......p

Suitable to warp young minds....

I rented this film in my youth, and after I had watched it, left it downstairs next to the VCR. My younger sister popped it in, and I heard a mouthful from my older brother about how she shouldn't have been watching it, and I shouldn't have been watching it. Well, it's too late, I already did watch it, and my mind is now officially warped, hehehehe...My brother would freak out at other early favorites of mine, like Joe's Garage and Trout Mask Replica, but he was OK. As for this film, I love Ken Russell's work. He was on fire in the 1970's, and it's a shame that he hasn't really made a great film since Altered States. This film really has nothing to do with Franz Liszt (or Richard Wagner), but it's still a marvel to look at and to listen to. Great stuff. Now, how about a DVD?

A disgrace Warner persist on VHS.

Indispensable, cult-status Ken Russel movie (not only for fans of The Who), that masterfully captures and subversively portrays on screen classical piano player/composer Frantz Liszt's personality: a legendary genious of a man whose life and times match that of a Rock star, 100 years before Rock was invented. If Glen Gould is the flamboyant 20th century classical piano player that rocked an establishment, just watch this movie to compare the original Master on his heyday.

Unfortunatelly however, VHS does not deliver. The movie should've long ago been digitally transfered on DVD. Don't get mislead by Amazon referring to this product as DVD 1992 release, it's default listing manner. If you look closely by the picture it's actually VHS edition only. True, Warner still persist not to release it on DVD, obviously they don't expect a blockbuster out of it. Guess we'll have to wait for Criterion Collection to salvage it. 4* for the movie, 0* for Warner.