Björk Movies
The diminutive Icelandic pop star Björk is best known for her work with The Sugarcubes and her enormously successful solo career. Despite her foray into acting with Lars von Trier's musical tragedy Dancer in the Dark, that's exactly how she would like it. Born November 21, 1965, in Rekjavik, Iceland, Björk trained as a classical pianist and became a pop star as an 11-year-old when her teachers sent a tape of her singing to Iceland's Radio One. In 1987, after drifting in and out of several bands, forming the Sugarcubes, and birthing her son, Björk took her first cinematic role in The Juniper Tree, a tale of witchcraft and mysticism based upon a Brothers Grimm story.The bizarre fantasy hardly took the world by storm; although filmed in 1987, it never had a theatrical release in the United States and arrived on video only in 1996. Björk spent the next 13 years concentrating on her musical career, returning to acting in 2000 when she accepted the lead role as a Czech immigrant slowly going blind in Dancer, von Trier's paean to old American musicals. Tension grew between the director and his star, who also scored the film and set his lyrics to music. The shoot caused so much difficulty for Björk that she has gone on record saying that she will never make another movie. The international film community, however, felt quite differently, rewarding her with the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance. Further acclaim arrived in early 2001, when Björk and von Trier were nominated for a Best Song Oscar for "I've Seen It All," one of Dancer's standout tracks. ~ Stephanie M. Kuenn, All Movie Guide
- 2007
This 2007 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Scarlett Johansson and features musical guest Björk. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scarlett Johansson, Björk, (more)
With his acclaimed Cremaster Cycle and 2005 feature Drawing Restraint 9, avant-garde artist Matthew Barney established himself as a bold experimentalist who wasn't afraid to take a few risks for the sake of his art. Set into motion in the late '80s, Barney's Drawing Restraint series consists of works in which the artist attempts to create works while hindered by physical weights and barriers. The result, claims Barney are creations that are much more rewarding due to the difficulty it takes to render them. With Drawing Restraint 9, the artist teamed with his wife, Björk, to tell the tale of a couple who boards a Japanese whaling ship to partake in a series of obscure rituals -- including a ceremony that took place in a tank filled with 45,000 pounds of petroleum jelly. For fans longing to see how the innovative artist achieves his unique vision, this documentary by filmmaker Alison Chernick mixes clips from Drawing Restraint 9 with interviews and footage of Barney playing high-school football to create a comprehensive look at her subject's entire career. Additional conversations with Guggenheim curator Nancy Spector, New York Times art critic Michael Kimmelman, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art chief curator Yuko Hasegawa, and more, this portrait of Barney transcends the trappings of your typical making-of documentary. Björk and Mayumi Miyata collaborate to create the musical score. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Barney, Björk, (more)
The unique sounds of the Icelandic music scene are explored in a visually dazzling collection of performance clips by such acclaimed musical artists as Bjork, Sigur Ros, Bang Gang, Mugison, Nilfisk, Erpur Eyvindorson, and Purrkur Pillnikk. In the late 1980s The Sugarcubes introduced international music fans to an exciting, vibrant, and highly original brand of music. As music lovers began delving ever deeper into the Icelandic scene, a whole new generation of Reyjavik musicians emerged blending contemporary electronic music with traditional classical influence to stunning effect. Two years in the making, this release finds some of Iceland's best-known musical acts performing at venues all across the globe. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Filmmaker and artist Matthew Barney collaborated with his wife, noted musician Björk, for this ambitious experimental feature. Aboard a Japanese fishing vessel named the Nisshin Maru, a crew of laborers constructs "the Field," a sculptural mold in the shape of an oval that is filled with melted petroleum jelly. As the crew slaves over the project, a man and woman (played by Barney and Björk) are brought on board, and while the ship sets sail the couple prepare to be married in a traditional Japanese ceremony. As the pair are about to be wed, the captain of the Nisshin Maru (Susil Osoma) relates the history of his ship to them. That night, a massive storm at sea disturbs "the Field," and the petroleum jelly floods the room where the newlyweds are staying, forcing them to tear away their outer shells and reveal the animals which lurk within in order to survive. Drawing Restraint 9 was one of Matthew Barney's first major works after completing his widely acclaimed five-film series The Cremaster Cycle. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Barney, Björk, (more)
- 2003
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Musician and talk show host Jools Holland has played host to some of the most exciting talents in pop music on his British chat show Later...With Jools Holland, and one of his most remarkable guests has been the Icelandic pop visionary Björk. Björk: Live on Later...With Jools Holland collects several of her appearances on the show, many of which have been previously unseen in the United States. Selections include "Venus as a Boy," "Bachelorette," "So Broken," "Hunter," and more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Nobuyoshi Araki is Japan's most famous and notorious photographer. In a culture where complete female nudity is frowned upon even in men's magazines, Araki has been acclaimed and condemned for his photo books and exhibitions which usually focus upon women, usually nude and often in bold (and sometimes disturbing) poses. While he has been decried as a pornographer and a misogynist in his homeland, many others regard him as singular voice in the photographic arena, and many of the women who work with him have spoke of his sincere love and respect for them. Arakimentari is a film by American documentarian Travis Klose which offers a look at the professional and personal sides of Araki, including his background, his relationships with his models, his less well known portraiture and landscape work, and how he spends his spare time. Also included are interviews with several friends and contemporaries, including musician Björk, photographer Richard Kern, and actor/filmmaker Takeshi Kitano. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nobuyoshi Araki, Beat Takeshi Kitano, (more)
Inside Björk is a retrospective DVD of the tiny artistic whirlwind that is Björk, covering her early work in several Icelandic local bands to her part in the Sugarcubes to her solo work and many collaborations. Features interviews with Missy Elliot, Thom Yorke, RZA, and more. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 2002
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Björk: Greatest Hits -- Volumen 1993-2003 is a complete Björk video collection presented with a standard full-frame transfer with Dolby Digital Stereo Sound. Includes the 2003 videos for "It's in Our Hands" and "Nature Is Ancient." The videos for "Hidden Place," "Pagan Poetry," and "Cocoon" are also offered in Dolby Digital 5.1. Side one contains the NTSC version, side two contains the PAL version. The beautiful black-and-white packaging features art by Gabriella Fridriksdottir and a booklet. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
This DVD single features the video for "Hidden Place," the first song from Vespertine, the highly anticipated album from Icelandic pop visionary Björk. In addition to the video, this disc features two previously unreleased songs in DVD audio, "Verandi" and "Generous Palmstroke." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2001
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Björk: Live at the Royal Opera House contains a live performance in London, Convent Garden, on Sunday, December 16, 2001. One of the first contemporary pop artists to perform on the historic stage of the Royal Opera House, Björk is joined by harpist Zeena Parkins and the electronic duo Matmos. An all-female Inuit choir from Greenland and a 56-piece orchestra appears under the direction of conductor Simon Lee. Contains 19 tracks, mainly taken from the 2002 album Vespertine, along with "Overture" from Selmasongs and "All Is Full of Love" from Homogenic. On stage, Björk wears plain white clothes while the choir wears red beaded outfits. She changes into a red dress for "Possibly Maybe," "Isobel," and "Hyperballad" from the album Post. After "Human Behavior" from Debut, she performs the single "It's in Our Hands" for the finale. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 2001
In what could be her greatest musical challenge to date, Icelandic songstress Björk attempts to record an entire album utilizing nothing but human voices as instruments -- with her unique vocal talents serving as the glue that holds the experiment together. Watch her record the album alongside such talented vocalists as Fantômas singer Mike Patton and Japanese beat-boxer Dokaka, and listen as the unique vocalists talk about the making of the album and the experience of working with Björk and the challenges of expanding the perceived limits of the human voice. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Björk: Minuscule is a behind-the-scenes documentary about the 2001 Verspertine tour. Includes interviews with Zeena Parker, the Inuit choir from Greenland, the electronic duo Matmos, and Björk herself. Directed by Ragnheidur Gestsdottir. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Icelandic pop visionary Bjork released her first DVD single with this home video release, which features a clip for her song All Is Full Of Love directed by Chris Cunningham (who previously worked with Portishead, Nine Inch Nails, and Aphex Twin). The video is accompanied by the original audio mix for the song's release as a single, as well as two additional alternate mixes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Björk: Live in Cambridge is a live concert performance recorded on December 2, 1998. Contains 14 tracks, including "Hunter," "Isobel," "Human Behavior," and "Hyperballad." ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1997
This 1997 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Brendan Fraser and features musical guest Björk. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Björk, (more)
Recorded live in England, Björk: Live at Shepherd's Bush is a concert containing the wide range of Björk 's style from popular renditions to lesser-known pieces, all infused with her signature flair. ~ Sarah Sloboda, All Movie Guide
Björk: Unplugged - Live 'n' Loud consists of two concert performances produced by MTV Europe, for a total of 15 tracks in all. For MTV Unplugged, she performs nine songs on a small candlelit stage. Recorded in 1994 during the promotion of her album Post, it features "Human Behaviour," "Big Time Sensuality," and "Violently Happy." For MTV Live, she performs six songs with a much larger stage and a full band. Recorded in 1998, this set contains "Isobel," "Bachelorette," and another version of "Human Behaviour." ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Performances filmed in New York, Paris, and Iceland are combined with behind-the-scenes footage and personal commentary to provide a three-dimensional experience of musical artist Björk in Vessel. Songs performed include "Lights," "Human Behavior," "Atlantic," "One Day," "Venus As a Boy," "Come to Me," "The Anchor Song," "Aeroplane," "Play Dead," "Crying," "Violently Happy," "There's More to Life Than This," and "Big Time Sensuality." ~ Sarah Sloboda, All Movie Guide
Icelandic rock visionary Bjork has always made videos that are just as interesting as her music, and 14 of them are including on this DVD collection. Titles include "It's Oh So Quiet," "Human Behavior," "Big Time Sensuality," "Possibly Maybe," and "Hunter." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
This stark black-and-white drama explores the vast territory of interpersonal pain in an unrelenting manner. It is a retelling of one of the stories from the "Grimm's Fairytales" about two sisters who have survived after their mother was burned as a witch. Told in a rigorous and challenging manner, the story focuses on the two sisters after their escape. The eldest sister has married a widowed man with a young son. The younger sister is a teenager and lives in the new household. The challenge of winning over her hostile young stepson eventually proves too much for the elder sister, and since the younger sister has been warning the boy that her sister is "a witch," it stands to reason that the whole situation quickly becomes very difficult indeed. Reviewers felt that this bleak story held rewards for the patient viewer because of the careful craftsmanship of the film though they warned that most casual viewers would find it immensely unappealing. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Björk, Bryndis Petra Bragadottir, (more)
Visionary pop musician Björk appeared on the well-respected British talk show The South Bank Show in 1998 to discuss her career and her music, in particular her album Homogenic, which had just been released. Björk: The South Bank Show features the entirety of Björk's appearance on the program, including her interview with host Melvyn Bragg and footage of Björk in the recording studio, performing several songs from her album. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Björk: Volumen Plus is a collection of the seven Björk music videos from 1998-2003, not included on the original Volumen video collection in 1999. "Alarm Call," "All Is Full of Love," "It's in Our Hands," and "Nature Is Ancient" are available in Dolby Digital Stereo. "Hidden Place," "Pagan Poetry," and "Cocoon" are also offered in Dolby Digital 5.1. Side one contains the NTSC version, side two contains the PAL version. The beautiful black-and-white packaging features art by Gabriella Fridriksdottir. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Filmmaker Drew Thomas brings California's popular Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival to the screen with a different kind of musical documentary that not only showcases performances by some of the hottest acts to take the stage, but offers interviews with such musical icons as Beck, Joshua Homme, Mos Def, and Perry Farrell as well. From English icon Morrissey's performance at the inaugural Coachella Festival back in 1999 to Canadian indie rockers the Arcade Fire's electric 2005 set, the musical acts featured here run the gamut from hip-hop to alternative and virtually everything in between. Other artists featured include the Pixies, the Flaming Lips, Kool Keith, Radiohead, Saul Williams, and Squarepusher. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In 1970, a music aficionado and entrepreneur named Michael Eavis staged a "pop, folk, and blues" festival on a dairy farm in the English community of Glastonbury, not far from Stonehenge. 1,500 attended the "Glastonbury Fayre," and a second festival followed in 1971. By 2005, The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts had grown into the biggest pop music festival in the world, playing host to the biggest names in rock, reggae, electronic, blues, and world music for a crowd of up to 150,000 people over the course of a three-day weekend in June. Filmmaker Julien Temple offers a backstage look at the history of this event, as well as a cross section of the memorable performances which have taken place on the festival's stage in the documentary Glastonbury. Performers featured in archival footage include R.E.M., David Bowie, New Order, Radiohead, Coldplay, the Velvet Underground, Nick Cave, Oasis, Blur, Björk, and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Eavis, T. Rex, (more)
