Rowland S. Howard

From myth to legend Rowland Howard appeared on the early Melbourne punk scene like a phantom out of Kafkaesque Prague or Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A beautifully gaunt and gothic aristocrat, the unique distinctive fury of his guitar style shot him directly into the imagination of a generation. He was impeccable, the austerity of his artistry embodied in his finely wrought form, his obscure tastes and his intelligently wry wit. He radiated a searing personal integrity that never seemed to tarnish. Despite the trials and tribulations of his career, in an age of makeover and reinvention, Rowland Howard never ‘sold out’. With recent and moving interviews, archival interviews and other fascinating and original footage, AUTOLUMINESCENT traces the life of Rowland S Howard. Capturing moments with the man himself and intimate missives from those who knew him behind closed doors; words and images etch light into what has always been the mysterious dark.

Rowland S. Howard, the Primitive Calculators, Ollie Olsen, Phillip Brophy and many others proffer their recollections and air their animosities in a tribute to the underground music scene of '77-'81 in Melbourne, Australia. This is a warts and all look at the Melbourne underground music scene of 1977 to 1981 that spawned the likes of Nick Cave, Rowland S. Howard, Ollie Olsen, The Birthday Party, the Primitive Calculators, The Ears as well as venues such as the Crystal Ballroom and others that fostered what became known as the Little Band scene.

When director Heiner Mühlenbrock showed up with his cameras to document the tense April 1983 recording sessions for the final Birthday Party EP, Mutiny!, the group was well beyond the verge of dissolution and barely on speaking terms. Mutiny! was cut at Hansa Ton studios in Berlin.

A short film to accompany the reissue of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album Kicking Against the Pricks (originally released in 1986). The result is a determinedly human portrait of the unique body of work produced by the band over the last 25 years, told through those who have lived and loved the music, including close collaborators.

When a sultry torch singer falls for a sinister rock musician, she is pulled into a dark underworld of crime and corruption. As her fascination with her criminal lover grows so does the danger and she is caught in a brutal shutdown between a psychotic blackmailer and a determined cop.

The thrilling, debauched and frequently hilarious adventures of the legendary Melbourne post-punk band, in their own words.

Featuring footage from two live performances at the Hacienda club in Manchester, England, as well as the original promotional videos for "Nick the Stripper" and "Deep In the Woods," Pleasure Heads Must Burn offers a solid collection of footage from The Birthday Party's musical history. Some of the songs featured include "Sonny's Burning," "The Six Strings that Drew Blood," and "Pleasure Avalanche," among many others. Bonus material includes footage from several television appearances which originally aired on British and Dutch stations.

Lestat finds acceptance in a tattooed and pierced world, rekindling the desires of all-powerful Akasha.

A short film to accompany the reissue of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album From Her to Eternity (originally released in 1984). The result is a determinedly human portrait of the unique body of work produced by the band over the last 25 years, told through those who have lived and loved the music, including close collaborators.

A short film to accompany the reissue of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album The Firstborn is Dead (originally released in 1985). The result is a determinedly human portrait of the unique body of work produced by the band over the last 25 years, told through those who have lived and loved the music, including close collaborators.

Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds -- with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk -- that it might be possible for him to take human form.