Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome - Re-imagined

Cast Samson De Brier as Shiva, Osiris, Nero, Alessandro Cagliostro, and Aleister Crowley (credited as “The Great Beast 666“) Marjorie Cameron as The Scarlet Woman and Lady Kali Kathryn Kadell as Isis Renata Druks-Loome as Lilith Anaïs Nin as Astarte Kenneth Anger as Hecate Peter Loome as Ganymede Paul Mathison as Pan Curtis Harrington as Cesare the sleepwalker Joan Whitney as Aphrodite Conceived, directed, photographed and edited by Kenneth Anger Assistant camera, Robert Straede Painted Opening Titles, Paul Mathison Costumes, lighting and make-up, Kenneth Anger Properties and Settings courtesy of Samson De Brier Filmed at the residence of Samson De Brier, Hollywood, California Music, Harry Partch Conductor, Horace Schwartz Voice in Ring Around the Moon, Lynn Ludlow Voice in Even Wild Horses, Allan Louw Instrumentalists, Ruita Churchill, Vincent Delgado, Robert Garfias, Thomas Jerome, Lynn Ludlow, Harry Partch, Charles Schaffer, Jerry Schimmel, Michelle Slivka, Allen Smith, and Marc Smith Manager, Gerd Stern The film is derived from one of Crowley’s dramatic rituals where people in the cult assume the identity of a god or a goddess. In other words, it’s the equivalent of a masquerade party - they plan this for a whole year and on All Sabbath’s Eve they come as gods and goddesses that they have identified with and the whole thing is like an improvised happening. This is the actual thing the film is based on. In which the gods and goddesses interact and in The Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome it’s the legend of Bacchus that’s the pivotal thing and it ends with the god being torn to pieces by the Bacchantes. This is the underlying thing. But rather than using a specific ritual, which would entail quite a lot of the spoken word as ritual does, I wanted to create a feeling of being carried into a world of wonder. And the use of color and phantasy is progressive; in other words, it expands, it becomes completely subjective - like when people take communion; and one sees it through their eyes. – Kenneth Anger Music from Harry Partch’s album Plectra and Percussion Dances was originally used for the soundtrack. Due to a series of “actions” it was removed. For historic reference, “hypothetical” use of music from the album is presented in this re-imagining. If either artist or their representatives are offended, I offer my sincere apologies. Enjoy!