Lucifer Rising (film)

[1] In mid-1966, Anger began renting a flat on the ground floor of the Westerfeld House,[2] referred to by locals as the Russian Embassy, a dilapidated building located at 1198 Fulton Street in the Alamo Square district of San Francisco.

[3] Then in his late thirties, Anger began to plan Lucifer Rising, initially intending for it to document the growing countercultural movement as it existed in California.

Reportedly, Beausoleil was playing his guitar and licking sweat off a woman's breasts when Anger spotted him, later approaching him to offer a part in the film.

[15] Beausoleil served as Anger's chauffeur during this period, and together they attended counter-cultural events such as the Human Be-In at Golden Gate Park in January 1967.

[16] During their early conversations, Beausoleil suggested that he could also compose a soundtrack for the film, assembling a band to be known as the Magick Powerhouse of Oz in order to do so, largely out of jazz musicians.

[20] Anger was aided in the early phases of Lucifer Rising by the filmmaker Richard Patton, who was then residing on the top floor of the Russian Embassy.

"[21] While still in early production, Anger began to produce promotional items for Lucifer Rising, commissioning a poster from Rick Griffin which incorporated an etching by Gustave Doré, Purgatorio, depicting an eagle lifting up a human body wrapped in cloth.

[25] Anger proceeded to inform the Berkeley Barb underground newspaper that his house had been burgled, and that his camera, props, and footage for Lucifer Rising had been stolen.

[27] In this, he was imitating Crowley, who had faked his own death in order to drum up interest for an art exhibition, although Anger also told friends that it was a stunt to protest the limited finances that were available to independent filmmakers.

[28] Anger then furthered this publicity campaign by arriving at the New York City office of the Film-Makers' Collective and burning dozens of his old films,[29] before returning to San Francisco to appear at the funeral for one of the Church of Satan's parishioners.

[30] In London, he involved himself with the social circle of Robert Fraser and his Indica Gallery in Mayfair, through which he met John Paul Getty, Jr., who would become a key patron.

[32] It was also in this circle that Anger met rock band The Rolling Stones, becoming friends with lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, as well as their respective girlfriends Marianne Faithfull and Anita Pallenberg.

[40] After the disastrous events of the Altamont Free Concert in December 1969, in which a fan brandishing a handgun was killed by Hells Angels, Jagger began to distance himself from Anger.

[42] To attract press attention, Anger arranged a photo shoot at his basement flat, in which a number of other film directors were in attendance, among them Cammell himself, Dennis Hopper, and Alejandro Jodorowsky.

[43] This action sparked some controversy in the conservative press, with the Sunday Telegraph publishing a March 1971 headline of "Devil Film to Get State Aid".

[45] Back in London, Anger met Jimmy Page of the rock band Led Zeppelin at an auction where they were both bidding for a piece of Crowley memorabilia.

He was able to collect his belongings later that week, subsequently giving a press conference in which he lambasted both Page and his wife, stating that "I'm beginning to think Jimmy's dried up as a musician.

"[50] Learning that Page had been removed from the project, Beausoleil wrote to Anger from Tracy Prison (DVI) in California, suggesting that he compose a soundtrack for Lucifer Rising, as they had originally agreed almost a decade earlier.

Beausoleil spoke of his inspiration for composing the score in his liner notes for the boxed set: When I was originally cast to play Lucifer in '67, my role was described to me as a portrayal of the disobedient angel representing the spirit of love rising to herald the dawn of a new age.

[57]The specifically Thelemic associations can make Lucifer Rising initially cold and inaccessible to viewers not versed in such matters, and, admittedly, the narrative is more internalized than any film Anger has made.

[58] He would further refer to it as "a religious movie ... of the top order", comparing it favourably to the "kitsch" films of that genre such as The Ten Commandments and Mohammad, Messenger of God.