Crimes Of Passion

For fans of Ken Russell's work, this film is a must, and it's rare to see any film packaged with such an impressive set of extras designed to speak to those with a passion for cinema. Much like the film itself, this is a cheap package that conceals something amazing.

The most delightful thing to discover here, give the release date, is an audio commentary soundtrack by writer Barry Sandler and Ken Russell himself, a treasure pulled from the archives. Russell dissects the film in detail, never shy of giving away his secrets, and many budding filmmakers will find this invaluable. It is perhaps a little dry in places for the casual viewer, but it provides illuminating perspectives on some of the film's key scenes.

Sandler is also interviewed at length about his career, positioning the script for this film in context and helping to explain how it got made. Then there's an interview with music legend Rick Wakeman, who composed the film's score and appears in it briefly as a wedding photographer in a music video (It's A Lovely Life, also found here as an extra). Commencing with a remarkable impression of Russell, he goes on to tell some wonderful stories that will have viewers laughing out loud, as well as going into his art, and the nature of his collaboration with Russell, in some depth.

In addition to this, there are deleted scenes. It's easy to see why most of these were cut - they're not needed to drive the plot and they would have slowed down a film that already sags a bit towards the end - but they're full of interest for fans, especially for the way they flesh out and complicate the central romance.

Finally, there's the theatrical trailer. With highly selective cutting and a booming voiceover describing something quite different from the observable plot, this is a gem in itself and a nice way to wrap up a highly entertaining package.