king crimson movie review

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Critic’s Pick

‘In the Court of the Crimson King’ Review: 50 Years of Off-Kilter Rock

Toby Amies’s documentary dives into the history of the British progressive rock band King Crimson and its chief disciplinarian, Robert Fripp.

By Glenn Kenny

The director Toby Amies’s documentary “In the Court of the Crimson King” is part road chronicle and part retrospective, and captures King Crimson, the adventurous British rock ensemble, at what may be the end of its existence. Robert Fripp , for years the band’s sole original member, has strongly suggested that its 2021 tour would be its last. (It hasn’t toured since.)

One of the originators of the subgenre called progressive rock or art rock, King Crimson is, depending on whom you ask, either impossibly pretentious or startlingly adventurous. Fripp, an endlessly thoughtful and meticulously articulate guitarist, is the group’s most tireless and paradoxical explainer in the film. He’s fond of pronouncements like, “For silence to become audible, it requires a vehicle. And that vehicle is music.”

At one point Fripp describes his experience in the band from 1969 to 2016 as “wretched.” What changed in 2016? He put together a group of stellar musicians who did as he requested. The film features their thoughts along with interviews with past members who had strong differences with Fripp.

While the YouTube videos Fripp and his wife, the singer Toyah Willcox, began making during the pandemic reveal the guitarist as a mild-mannered, eccentric, uxorious madcap, he can come off like an egghead martinet in the context of the band he has helmed for half a century. But he is as hard on himself as he is on anyone else, practicing the guitar four to five hours a day and subjecting himself to other forms of discipline such as taking a cold shower in the morning: “Your body doesn’t want to go under a cold shower,” he says in the film. “So you’re saying to your body, ‘Do as you’re told.’”

Bill Rieflin offers another perspective on the band, as a musician who chose to spend his last years alive touring with Crimson. He died of cancer in 2020. His devotion renders Fripp’s adages about the sacred nature of music-making palpable.

In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 26 minutes. In theaters.

‘In the Court of the Crimson King’ Review: Doc About a Prog-Rock Perfectionist Is Nearly Perfect Itself

The SXSW-premiering documentary gives King Crimson's 53-year history its due and is rife with rich characters, starting with the band's natty genius of a leader, tough taskmaster Robert Fripp.

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

• Dead & Company at Sphere, Night 2: What Was the Same, What Was Different 12 hours ago
• Dead & Company Prove Las Vegas’ Sphere Isn’t Just for U2, but Them, Too, in Residency’s Astounding Opening Night: Concert Review  2 days ago
• Billie Eilish Keeps Up Her Winning Streak With the Surprising and Intimate ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’: Album Review 2 days ago

Can a band that seems to operate under rigidly precise conditions that can appear joyless from the outside still produce music that sparks spontaneous ecstasy in listeners? That’s the sort of question that might not seem unusual if it were a classical ensemble we were talking about, or the ballet. But in a new documentary about the group King Crimson , it’s legendary guitar player Robert Fripp, as tough a taskmaster as anyone in the so-called finer arts, who’s keeping the musicians in his hire perpetually on pointe.

Director Toby Amies doesn’t just get the eight current members of the group on camera. He goes back and interviews what we might think of as disgruntled ex-employees, too, most notably another guitar legend, Adrian Belew, who seemed to be Fripp’s equal during a very long and fruitful mid-period for the band, in 1981-2009, until he got the ultimate message that the band did have a boss. Amies even goes back and talks with the two guys who quit right in the group’s first year of existence, in 1969 — including co-founder Ian McDonald, who died just in February of this year, and has a heartrendingly tearful sign-off here. It’s up to you whether you identify more with the many players over the decades who couldn’t hack the stress and got out (or got a push, like Belew), or the ones that decided it was worth the high expectations and frayed nerves to remain in the court of prog-rock’s most enduring royalty.

Almost always clad in a formal vest and necktie, Fripp is the ultimate English gentleman whose willingness to suffer fools even half-gladly is often being tested, not least of all by the filmmaker he commissioned to make this document. At one point the bandleader complains that answering questions cut into the four hours or so of practicing he does every day — no lie — and thus adversely affected the previous night’s performance. There’s a he-can’t-be-serious extremeness to some of Fripp’s on-camera statements, like when he likens being let down by substandard performances of other musicians to feeling “like my mother has died.” The response some viewers will reasonably have to statements like this is: “Lighten up, Frances.” Yet if the severity of his convictions makes him a tough character to embrace, the nearly tender eloquence with which he speaks about his love affair with music may come to feel like grounds for acquittal. (At least if you’re not Adrian Belew.)

You don’t have to come in with a King Crimson fan club card to enjoy “In the Court of the Crimson King,” although it doesn’t hurt to have at least a passing familiarity with a few of the players’ names. But soon enough the extensive cast of past and present King Crimson members comes into relief, even for those not already immersed in a catalog that has song titles that trip off the tongue as heavily as “Larks Tongues in Aspic Part Two.”

With Fripp remaining prickly as protagonists go, there are plenty of other musicians in the film who have more norm-core personalities to relate to. Among them is Bill Rieflin, one of three drummers on the tour that was being followed, who talks openly about soldiering on despite the fact that he is in constant pain from stage 4 cancer. He died in 2020, after principal photography was completed, and Rieflin’s literally till-death-do-we-part devotion to living out his last days as a member of King Crimson is a stoic, finally touching thing to behold. Of course, Fripp is about as openly sentimental about his fallen right-hand-man as his imperiousness would lead you to expect: “Bill’s sense of rightness was within the same frequency range as my own sense of rightness.”

For a band whose polyrhythms and headiness really do require musicians to have and use math skills, Fripp’s elegy comes close enough to feeling like love.

Reviewed online, SXSW Film Festival (24 Beats Per Second), March 14, 2022. Running time: 86 MIN.

• Production: (Documentary) A Discipline Global Media production. Producers: Toby Amies, Nick Freand Jones. Executive producers: David Sngleton, Kat Mansoor.
• Crew: Director: Toby Amies. Camera: Amies. Editor: Ollie Huddleston. Music: King Crimson.
• With: Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Bill Rieflin, Tony Levin, Bill Bruford, Trey Gunn, Ian McDonald, Peter Sinfield, Jakko Jakszyk, Mel Collins, Pat Mastelotto, Gavin Harrison, Jeremy Stacey.

More From Our Brands

‘snl’: jake gyllenhaal tries and tries to cancel a flight, patek philippe leads geneva’s spring watch auctions to a frothy $125 million, wnba investigating $100k bonus to each las vegas aces player, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, snl video: jake gyllenhaal and sabrina carpenter’s scooby-doo parody ends in a violent bloodbath, verify it's you, please log in.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50

What began as a straightforward documentary about the cult rock band King Crimson as it turned 50, mutated into an exploration of time, death, family, and the transcendent power of music to ... Read all What began as a straightforward documentary about the cult rock band King Crimson as it turned 50, mutated into an exploration of time, death, family, and the transcendent power of music to change lives. But with jokes. What began as a straightforward documentary about the cult rock band King Crimson as it turned 50, mutated into an exploration of time, death, family, and the transcendent power of music to change lives. But with jokes.

• Robert Fripp
• Biff Blumfumgagnge
• Bill Rieflin
• 19 User reviews
• 19 Critic reviews
• 80 Metascore
• 1 nomination

• Self, Robert Fripp's Guitar Technician

• (as Jakko Jakszyk)
• self, Jakko M. Jakszyk's son
• (as Django)
• Self, stage technician for King Crimson

• (archive footage)

• self, Sister from Notre-Dame de Grâce, Oslo
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia The original title for this film was "Cosmic FuKC. Prog rock pond scums set to bum you out."

User reviews 19

• Aug 5, 2023
• How long is In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50? Powered by Alexa
• October 22, 2022 (United States)
• United Kingdom
• Official film's website
• In the Court of the Crimson King
• Seattle, Washington, USA
• Succulent Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 26 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

Search form

In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 review - Robert Fripp's iron claw | reviews, news & interviews

In the court of the crimson king: king crimson at 50 review - robert fripp's iron claw, penetrating doc about the prog band's fraught journey under its leader.

Whether grinding or eerie, bellicose or plaintive, the exquisite jazz- and classical-infused prog rock dirges disgorged by King Crimson over the last 54 years stand apart from the more accessible sounds made by their illustrious peers, including Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Yes, Genesis, Curved Air, and ELP. Given the discomfiting aesthetic of Crimson’s music – a fulminating anti-panacea, relentlessly modernistic – is it any wonder there was much misery in its making?

Watching Toby Amies’s documentary In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 is an enthralling and often amusing experience. It’s also disconcerting if you labour under the illusion that the people who make the music you love enjoy each other’s company while they’re making it, perhaps forging spiritual bonds.

Assigned to make the film by Robert Fripp, the band’s leader, lead guitarist, and only ever-present member, on the occasion of the 2019 anniversary, Amies shot most of it on the road during a pre-Covid concert tour. He must have gleaned early on that the story’s inherent drama resided in Fripp’s autocratic control of the group. It becomes clear very quickly that Fripp has suffered for his art and has made his bandmates suffer, too.

What emerges is a portrait of a martinet and ascetic – a cold-showerer and four-hours-a-day practicer, no less – whose intolerance of the perceived shortcomings of his bandmates, both musical and personal, led him to berate and eventually oust many of them. 

Drummer Bill Bruford, who played in three different Crimsons in three different decades, is philosophical about his tenures in the band. But lyricist and artistic director Sinfield, who appears in one brief interview clip, is scathing about Fripp ( pictured above ), as Fripp is about him. In his interview, the sax and mellotron wizard McDonald, who died in 2022, apologises to Fripp for leaving the band after it had recorded its epochal debut, In the Court of the Crimson King (1969). It’s clear their 50-year separation didn't assuage McDonald’s sorrow.

When, in 2014, Fripp convened a new lineup for tours and live recordings of material from the entire Crimson catalogue, he excluded Adrian Belew. The logic must have been that the American singer-lyricist-guitarist, a member from 1981 to 2009, would have been ill-suited to playing songs from the seven albums that predated his joining – arguably the quintessential Crimson music. Collins hints, however, that Belew’s rock star posturing was anathema to Fripp, the least showy of performers. Belew tries but fails to hide his bitterness.

Rock groups are heightened experiments in social Darwinism. As Fripp rules King Crimson, Ian Anderson rules Jethro Tull, firing bandmates at will. Genesis was always Tony Banks’s band. Roger Waters took over Pink Floyd at the time of The Wall (1979) and went to court to stop his old mates using the group's name when they relaunched it without him in the mid-1980s.

Fripp’s conversations with Amies on camera suggest he is less interested in power for power’s sake than driven by his obsessive perfectionism. His ex-colleagues are guarded in their complaints. Collins allows Fripp was “very mean” to him during their first stint together, adding that Fripp has since mellowed, which explains the cohesion of the last nine years (not cutting new albums probably helped). Yet Collins, a gentle presence in the film, still sounds nervous when admitting to a bandmate after a gig that he played a wrong note when his finger slipped during a song. 

The most revelatory moment comes when Fripp pauses while recounting to Amies a fleeting conversation he had at a Sherborne retreat with JG Bennett, a month before the New Age philosopher and disciple of Gurdjieff died in December 1974. This pause is as haunting as it is pregnant – it’s so long and Fripp’s struggle is so private, so emotional, you wonder if you should look away.

Whether or not his enlightenment entailed an exegesis, Fripp’s studying with Bennett intensified his discipline – the music changed – and seemingly sanctioned his disciplinarianism. “One of the lines I remember,” he says, “is, ‘If you’re unpleasant and dislike people, it is no obstacle to work.’ Yes, this man is speaking to me!” 

For many years, Fripp’s unforgiving rigour made the King Crimson kitchen too hot a place for many talented musicians. They got out of it, or were forcibly ejected, but not before helping to progress that gorgeously tortured sound. 

The overarching message of Amies’s superb documentary is that the band’s legacy and the pleasure the music gives somehow justified the pain felt on all sides. The hilarious final sequence – chosen to show that the director himself didn’t escape Fripp’s seethingly articulated anger – compounds the fascination. Is there still time for a sequel – and a new King Crimson double album?

• More film reviews on theartsdesk

Related Articles

• Album: The Grid & Robert Fripp - Leviathan
• Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here, BBC Four
• Genesis: Together and Apart, BBC Two
• Mick Jagger: My Life as a Rolling Stone review, BBC Two - the rock'n'roll enigma gives little away as the band reaches 60

Explore topics

• progressive rock

Share this article

Is this having a cinema, it has been released to, i’m so glad for all the, add comment.

More information about text formats

Filtered HTML

• Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now  simply click here .

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription ?

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters

Doormat Navigation

• See our complete archive
• privacy and cookies

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Link to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• The Last Stop in Yuma County Link to The Last Stop in Yuma County

New TV Tonight

• Evil: Season 4
• Trying: Season 4
• Tires: Season 1
• Fairly OddParents: A New Wish: Season 1
• Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.: Season 1
• Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza: Season 1
• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 1
• Mulligan: Season 2
• The 1% Club: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Bridgerton: Season 3
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Outer Range: Season 2
• Bodkin: Season 1
• X-Men '97: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Doctor Who: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Bridgerton: Season 3 Link to Bridgerton: Season 3
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Cannes Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

The Best Movies of 1999

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

What’s Next For Marvel’s Merry Mutants In X-Men ’97 ?

Kinds of Kindness First Reviews: Unpredictable, Unapologetic, and Definitely Not for Everyone

• Trending on RT
• Cannes Film Festival Scorecard
• Best Movies of 1999
• Movie Re-Release Calendar 2024
• TV Premiere Dates

In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 Reviews

In the Court of King Crimson: King Crimson at 50 is not an exploration of what was or who the band used to be, but rather a voyage into their present and future.

Full Review | Original Score: 8.5/10 | Dec 14, 2023

Amies has packed a lot into the doc’s lean 86-minutes. As they prepped for a European tour, there are spikey exchanges. There are also emotional moments, including original member Ian McDonald apologizing to Fripp for past friction and hurt.

Full Review | Original Score: A-minus | Dec 4, 2023

A paean to the pains and ecstasies of extreme music-making.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Dec 1, 2023

Fripp's dyspepsia spoils the experience. That and the lack of King Crimson music.

Full Review | Original Score: C+ | Nov 17, 2023

Filmmaker Toby Amies unearths several gems about Fripp’s internal belief system, despite allowing him to guide the narrative via cryptic and comedically combative commentaries.

Full Review | Nov 10, 2023

Music as beautiful, thorny, and enduring as King Crimson's could only happen under these maddening circumstances. Are you willing to pay such a severe psychic price for artistic immortality?

one wild ride and an essential piece of rock history.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Nov 6, 2023

Part road chronicle and part retrospective, and captures King Crimson, the adventurous British rock ensemble, at what may be the end of its existence.

Full Review | Nov 2, 2023

Lively, amusing and intimate.

An enthralling and often amusing experience. It’s also disconcerting if you labour under the illusion that the people who make the music you love enjoy each other’s company while they’re making it, perhaps forging spiritual bonds.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 10, 2023

There are shades of Spinal Tap and The Office to Toby Amies’ documentary on King Crimson, a monumental prog rock outfit that, over 50 years and numerous guises, has somehow failed to die.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 7, 2023

Few music documentaries feel this intimate, but there aren’t many music documentaries about bands worth revisiting and deconstructing. Toby Amies has a vision about musical legacy and 'In the Court of the Crimson King' is great proof.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Oct 19, 2022

The many musicians that grace the screen with their stories and memories... are the film’s grit and frame Amies’s intentions to understand how King Crimson has reigned so long and so well.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Oct 19, 2022

There’s nothing sentimental about this documentary, which looks at people with the clear, unflinching gaze of a portraitist.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 19, 2022

Toby Amies’s documentary on the prog-rock group King Crimson is not so much a history of the band as a study of what it’s like to be a member.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 17, 2022

Rarely does a music documentary so vividly evoke both the artistic approach and the tricky personality of its subject.

In The Court of the Crimson King works as a cohesive whole, both as a piece of entertainment and as a deep dive into a group with a staunchly loyal fanbase.

Full Review | Oct 17, 2022

One of the finest rock documentaries I’ve ever seen.

Full Review | Mar 22, 2022

Amies celebratory film succeeds in enabling viewers through loose, amiable explorations a temperament playfully at odds with the formal and rigorous manner of KC to remain engaged and present while King Crimson here holds court.

Full Review | Mar 18, 2022

Even if you have zero interest in “Crimson” or Crimson, see this lovely film to check out an unbelievable badass who never let the specter of death win (and an extremely cool nun).

Full Review | Mar 16, 2022

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

‘A force entirely of itself’: Robert Fripp on the difficult legacy of King Crimson

The complicated and fractious history of the prog-rock titans is explored in revealing new documentary In the Court of the Crimson King

W hen Robert Fripp was considering who should direct a proposed documentary about King Crimson – the band he has devoted most of his life to – he knew right away what kind of person it shouldn’t be. “We had been approached by some very good, professional music documentary makers who would make a nice, conventional documentary from which I would learn nothing,” Fripp said by Zoom from his home in the West Midlands.

Rather than go in that direction, he chose director Toby Amies, “who had no familiarity with King Crimson whatsoever. For me, this was ideal,” he said. “I thought, ‘here is an independent film-maker with his own attitude who will come in and show me aspects of King Crimson that I’m perhaps unaware of.’”

More, he hoped Amies’s film would “tell me what King Crimson is”.

That may seem like a strange goal for Fripp, who not only helped conceive this unique beast of a band back in 1969 but who has served as its only consistent member since. Yet, as the documentary, titled In the Court of the Crimson King, cleverly presents, this isn’t a band easily bound by description, even by those who are part of it. Throughout Crimson’s many splendored incarnations, they have always been more about a method than a sound. Or, as Fripp put it, “King Crimson is a way of doing things”.

Unfortunately, the rigors of that way can become a nightmare for musicians who either don’t understand it, or fail to live up to it. A litany of rude and colorful descriptions from former and current members of the group attests to that in the film, which had its world premiere this week at SXSW before an official release later this year. Bassist Trey Gunn likens being in Crimson to “a low-grade infection. You’re not really sick, but you don’t feel well either.” Former member Adrian Belew said his time with the band caused his hair to fall out. “It was so intense to be under that microscope,” he said in the film, while multi-instrumentalist Mel Collins – who has done two tours of duty in Crimson, in the 70s and over the last decade – described his initial run as “a trauma. If you made a mistake, it was the end of the world.”

Common perception would finger Fripp as the hard taskmaster cracking the whip on anyone who doesn’t meet his standards. And while, in certain instances, the guitarist admits he has been just that person, one of the first aims of the film was to “remove this preposterous notion that Robert Fripp is King Crimson”, the guitarist said. “King Crimson is an ensemble.”

He likens it to a cooperative, citing as proof that the money generated by the band is split evenly, while noting “not everybody who has been in King Crimson has been happy that they are paid the same amount as other members of the band”.

Amies (who previously directed the acclaimed documentary The Man Whose Mind Exploded) says that another source of anxiety for some members stems from their own, internal struggle to make the most of the wide creative berth Crimson affords them. “It’s not that you’ve got a tyrant telling you what to do,” he said. “It’s that you have somebody who is giving you the opportunity to be your own personal tyrant. I think that it would be possible to drive yourself mad in that space, especially when you’ve got someone like Robert, who is clearly willing to make great personal sacrifices in the service of their work.”

Towards that end, a key part of the film documents Fripp’s unending desire to make the band what he dreams it can be. “What’s possible for this band remains in potential,” he says on camera. “And that’s an acute suffering.”

Mel Collins says that only after decades of experience with Fripp did he realize that “whatever he put me through, Robert put himself through 10 times over”.

In the film, Fripp describes the first 44 years of his time in Crimson as “wretched”, adding that, only beginning in 2013 did he settle on a lineup in which “not one member of the band actively resents my presence”.

Part of his negative experience, he said, came from feeling the need to either school or scold certain members when they “felt themselves to be of greater value or importance than others”. That is, when they didn’t honor what he calls “the ethics of improvisation”, which dictates that each player listens deeply to the other rather than trying to pull them into their orbit. At other times – mainly during the eras of the Islands and Larks Tongues albums in the 70s – Fripp’s ire rose when various players ruined their performances through drug use. “When that happens,” he said, “it’s awful . It burns. And there’s a righteous anger involved.”

Issues within the band date back to the very start, despite the excitement that surrounded them even before they issued a single recording. Four months before the appearance of their debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, the group had already generated enough buzz for the Rolling Stones to invite them to open their historic show in Hyde Park. In a later piece about the event, the Guardian wrote that Crimson upstaged the headliners. When the band’s debut finally appeared that fall, a besotted Pete Townshend wrote copy for an ad in Rolling Stone in which he called it “an uncanny masterpiece”.

Still, half the performing band members – multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald and drummer Michael Giles – ditched the group within a year. In the film, McDonald (who died in February) said one reason he left was because he could no longer bear “inflicting” the darkness of the music on the audience. But, for fans, the depth of that darkness has been a major draw. The first time I heard the see-sawing, gates-of-hell Mellotron riff in the 1970 track Cirkus, I leapt under the bed in terror. Fripp roars with approving laughter when I tell him. “ That was the power of King Crimson being in your room,” he said.

At the same time, Crimson made sure to balance the music’s apocalyptic shock with passages of ravishing beauty. “Life is rich,” Fripp said. “And if music is reflective of life, it’s going to have a broad dynamic.”

Another draw for fans was the mystery the band created. Not a single picture of its members appeared on their first three albums and because they didn’t tour during most of that period, listeners were left to wonder what shape the creatures who created these otherworldly sounds could possibly take. Were they even human? According to Fripp, that was by design. “I wanted the people playing the music not to be seen,” he said, “because, ideally, the music has nothing to do with them”.

In conversation, Fripp often emphasizes the mystical power of music, favoring abstract statements like: “You have the notes, you have the music, and then there’s something above that,” he said. “It’s silence itself, which moves into the music and then the music moves into the notes that the people are playing.”

In a similar mode, the film finds Fripp saying that when Crimson perform, they “tune the air”.

When asked to explain what he means by that, he shoots back, “would you ask a poet to explain his poem in prose?”

At the same time, Fripp is fully aware that his less trenchant descriptions of music’s power can make some people’s eyes roll. “It’s easily filed under the heading of cosmic horseshite,” he said, with a laugh.

Even so, he insists that everyone has a vivid understanding of the experience he describes in those moments when music transports them. Fripp likens it to “when you close your eyes and someone you love walks into the room. You can’t see them,” he said. “But you know they’re there.”

In parts of the film, Fripp speaks with an almost religious awe the about sound. “There is definitely a spiritual element to it,” Amies said.

To stress that angle, the director presents in the film someone he calls “the prog nun”, a middle-aged woman of the cloth who happens to be a Crimson devote. “She says that the process of making music is not dissimilar to a liturgy,” Amies said.

In one of the most intense, and unusual, segments in the film, Fripp recalls an encounter with the late philosopher JG Bennett, with whom he studied in the early 70s. When recounting a key exchange with him, Fripp pauses and appears to go into a kind of trance, which Amies daringly preserves in a near three minutes stretch of film filled with nothing but silence. I asked Fripp what was going in his head at the time. “I went to a place,” he answered. “What is that place? That place is where Robert is. And where Robert is, so is everybody else.”

Fripp admits that only a select group of people can relate to comments like that. Within the recent band, just one member could: Bill Rieflin, a drummer and keyboardist who had earlier worked with industrial acts like Ministry and the Revolting Cocks. One of the most moving and stark parts of the film covers Rieflin’s dire diagnosis of late stage colon cancer. He speaks at length about facing certain death with unflinching honesty, great articulation and even humor. “Bill embraced his cancer intentionally,” Fripp said. “It became his personal discipline to free himself from this life so that, when he left, he flew away clean.”

The word “discipline” has great resonance for Fripp. He named his company after it and he lives it as a kind of mantra. While many view the word as harsh or condemning, Fripp sees it as vow of honor. “It means that when you say you’ll do something, you can rely on yourself to do it,” he said.

In turn, Fripp expects the musicians he works with to figure out what to do in the band. Former Crimson drummer Bill Bruford describes Fripp’s strategy this way: “Find the most interesting people you can, put them in a recording studio, throw away the key and, sure enough, you’ll come out with something interesting after a while – if they haven’t killed each other.”

Often, it seems, various members have wanted to do just that. Some of the most fractious exchanges have occurred between Belew and Fripp. The two can’t even agree on whether the former quit or was fired from the band. In structuring the film, Amies aligned quotes from musicians of different eras with those who play the same instrument now. “The older members have an acute understanding of what current members are going through,” said Amies. “The older members become a Greek chorus to comment on the current action.”

Despite the presence of players from earlier eras, they are only seen in fresh interviews, keeping nearly all the film’s action in the present. Amies said he used this approach to avoid telling the age-old story of King Crimson so he could, instead, capture “the experience of King Crimson”.

Part of that experience makes Fripp look strict, combative and, at times, horribly self-involved. In one indelible moment, he says “I don’t have the problem. The problems lie elsewhere.”

In our interview, Fripp said that the quote was taken out of context. Likewise, he believes the film captures only a part of him. “My wife [the musician Toyah Willcox] was disappointed,” he said. She told him she wishes the film showed more of the fun side of him, as captured in the couple’s Covid lockdown series Toyah and Robert’s Sunday Lunch, in which they playfully performed unexpected covers of popular songs.

Even so, Fripp says he thinks the film is superb. “What Toby has done is to show me a specific part of King Crimson and I find it moving and informative,” he said. “What he doesn’t do is tell me what King Crimson is .”

For that, he said, you have to immerse yourself in the music. “Ultimately,” he said, “King Crimson is a force entirely of itself.”

In the Court of the Crimson King is screening at SXSW and will be released later this year

• Documentary films

Most viewed

Vague Visages

Movies, tv & music • independent film criticism • soundtrack guides • forming the future • est. 2014, review: toby amies’ ‘in the court of the crimson king: king crimson at 50’.

Vague Visages’ In the Court of the Crimson King  review contains minor spoilers. Toby Amies’ 2022 documentary features Robert Fripp, Bill Rieflin and Jakko M. Jakszyk. Check out the VV home page for more film reviews , along with cast/character summaries , streaming guides and complete soundtrack song listings .

The creative mind operates most efficiently when guided by a fine-tuned belief system. A person of absolute faith can open their mind to their darkest fears, whereas someone more spiritual can reflect upon the differences between a traditional God and an intelligent designer of the universe. For Robert Fripp, the co-founder of English rock band King Crimson, his musical concepts and demands have long irritated a rotating group of bandmates while inspiring a devoted fanbase that understands the need for an original musical experience. In the Court of the Crimson King , a 2022 rock doc, wrestles with themes of faith, fear and death as the seemingly royal subject rallies his crew for a 50th anniversary reunion. Filmmaker Toby Amies unearths several gems about Fripp’s internal belief system, despite allowing him to guide the narrative via cryptic and comedically combative commentaries.

Amies positions Fripp as a looming God during In the Court of the Crimson King’s first act as bandmates nervously talk about their leader as he listens nearby. Over time, though, the documentary mostly clarifies the primary subject’s worldview. Fripp is a perfectionist, yes, but one who views consciousness as “a continuum,” evidenced by numerous sequences in which he preaches the importance of being present with both fans and bandmates. This is the same ideology that allows Bob Dylan to maintain a meaningful bond with followers, even if he doesn’t stick around to chat or fill time with career anecdotes. As for Fripp, it’s the purity of musical performances that translates to a “peak” experience for King Crimson loyalists. Amies’ revelatory rock doc succeeds by exploring the sacred and profane aspects of the subject’s musical mentality.

In the Court of the Crimson King Review: Related — Know the Cast: ‘Sister Death’

Kubrickian imagery underlines themes of unity and silence throughout In the Court of the Crimson King . Amies, who worked as his own cinematographer, stages Fripp in empty auditoriums; a way to complement the subject’s belief system. The bold color contrasts align with the Crimson King’s personality (isolation, emotionally present) and practical ways of thinking (do or don’t), while the live concert visuals accentuate the spiritual aspects of the performance scenes. Midway through In the Court of the Crimson King , a fan describes Fripp’s angst as “part of the experience,” which in turn complements various commentaries from band members who recall their traumatic experiences, along with what they learned by giving in to Fripp’s perfectionism.

In the Court of the Crimson King Review: Related — Know the Cast: ‘All the Light We Cannot See’

Unfortunately, In the Court of the Crimson King doesn’t reveal much about Fripp’s identity outside of his band. And perhaps that’s because King Crimson is indeed his identity; a way to grapple with sacred and profane experiences without actually speaking about them. A bandmate acknowledges that Fripp used to wash his hands 10 times a day , but Amies never includes the letters “OCD” or any reductive terms that might diminish his subject’s accomplishments. At times, Fripp delivers performative answers, almost like a King on his throne cackling like a Big Bad. In contrast, tears drip down the musician’s face as he recalls a meaningful encounter with British author John G. Bennett. It’s a moment of spiritual vulnerability, one that links to later sequences in which Bill Rieflin reckons with the past, present and future while dying from colon cancer.

In the Court of the Crimson King Review: Related — Soundtracks of Cinema: ‘Sister Death’

“There is a party waiting for me,” Fripp says near the end of In the Court of the Crimson King — an honest moment that ties together all of the documentary’s themes. These are the words of a man with a flexible belief system, a musician who demands excellence because that’s always been the established standard. For every morally righteous and judgmental person on planet Earth, there’s someone like Fripp who knows that one doesn’t need organized religion in order to find enlightenment — just feeling a presence is enough.

In the Court of the Crimson King released in theaters on November 3, 2023. The documentary will be available digitally on December 1, 2023 via Monoduo Film.  

Q.V. Hough ( @QVHough ) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.

In the Court of the Crimson King Review: Related — Know the Cast: ‘The Enfield Poltergeist’

Categories: 2020s , 2023 Film Reviews , 2023 Horror Reviews , Comedy , Documentary , Film , Film Criticism by Q.V. Hough , Horror , Movies

Tagged as: 2022 , 2022 Film , 2022 Movie , Bill Rieflin , Comedy Movie , Documentary Movie , Film Actors , Film Actresses , Film Critic , Film Criticism , Film Director , Film Explained , Film Journalism , Film Publication , Film Review , Film Summary , Horror Movie , In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50 , Jakko M. Jakszyk , Journalism , Movie Actors , Movie Actresses , Movie Critic , Movie Director , Movie Explained , Movie Journalism , Movie Plot , Movie Publication , Movie Review , Movie Summary , Q.V. Hough , Robert Fripp , Rotten Tomatoes , Streaming , Toby Amies

You must be logged in to post a comment.

In the documentary ‘In the Court of the Crimson King,’ one man rules

The British saxophonist Mel Collins has built a noteworthy 50-year career as a session musician. He’s played on classic albums by the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Bryan Ferry, Tina Turner, and many others.

Beginning in 1970, Collins served as an early member of King Crimson, the progressive rock band that defined precision and rigor in rock music. He left the band in 1972, disillusioned by the unforgiving leadership style of the guitarist Robert Fripp.

“You didn’t make mistakes. It was verboten,” he recalls in “In the Court of the Crimson King,” a new feature-length documentary that screens Wednesday at the Brattle Theatre, the Cabot in Beverly, and other local cinemas and for two days next week at the Somerville Theatre.

Advertisement

Collins rejoined the band in 2013, more than 40 years after he left. Having received an apology from Fripp, he was confident that the notoriously prickly bandleader had grown into “a nice person.”

Based on director Toby Amies’s behind-the-scenes footage, which makes up the bulk of the documentary, that seems debatable. Fripp, son of working-class parents who was groomed to be a property manager, carries himself like a proper British gentleman — reserved, wry, methodical.

Explaining how he may have mellowed a fraction in the last years of the band (which ceased touring during the pandemic and has no plans to reunite), Fripp tells the director, “This is the first King Crimson where there’s not one member of the band that actively resents my presence.”

There’ve been two dozen or so musicians who have done time in King Crimson, among them the late Greg Lake, the band’s original vocalist; drummer Bill Bruford, a founding member of Yes; guitarist Adrian Belew, who had a contentious partnership with Fripp during the band’s early-’80s renaissance; and the late multi-instrumentalist Bill Rieflin, who also played with R.E.M. and several industrial rock bands, including Swans and Ministry.

The film features interviews with plenty of the band’s former members, one of whom describes the group’s sound as “a roaring, bellowing, regal animal.” But the focus is on the last touring band, including bassist Tony Levin, vocalist Jakko Jakszyk, and Rieflin, who died from colon cancer in 2020. They provide some levity, balancing Fripp’s relentless austerity.

“Thanks for having me,” Amies hollers from behind the camera, as the band members file out of a hallway after a concert.

“You’ve been had,” replies Rieflin over his shoulder.

King Crimson may be the most obvious classic-rock era band that has yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fripp likely could not be bothered to care, but the fans who appear in the film talk about the band as if they’re in a cult.

“It’s like Scientology or something, you know?” says one. “It’s quasi-scientific religious [bull], kind of [a] freaks’ club . . . It goes over most people’s heads, but if you get it, you really get it.”

Amies, a Brit, has a long history in media, as a DJ, an MTV host, and director of the bizarre 2013 documentary “The Man Whose Mind Exploded.”

He’s also a portrait photographer, which comes in handy as he spends time with King Crimson members past and present. At one point, while Fripp haltingly recalls an influential encounter with the British philosopher and spiritualist J.G. Bennett, the camera lingers on his frozen face for two full minutes as he eventually produces a single teardrop, which rolls down his cheek.

There’s not a whisper about Fripp’s extensive work outside the band, including recording projects with David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Peter Gabriel. Beyond interviews and snippets of concert footage, the film is light on variety. There is, however, a surprising chat with a nun, Sister Dana Benedicta, who is a devoted fan (“What’s very important is to not try to make your own solo,” she says), as well as a brief, lovely sequence in which several couples dance together in the rain.

At various points Fripp’s hold over the band is likened to God (Belew) and “a father figure” (Amies). The affable Jakszyk, who was in a group of Crimson ex-pats called the 21st Century Schizoid Band before being recruited into the latter-day incarnation of King Crimson, says he’s been a fan from childhood: At 13, “I had a dog called Fripp, for [God’s] sake,” he says with a laugh.

The last word, of course, goes to Fripp (the guitarist, not the dog). When Amies greets the band backstage one final time, asking “What did I miss?,” Fripp takes the opportunity to belittle the entire process of making a King Crimson documentary.

“Everything,” he says.

James Sullivan can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @sullivanjames.

IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING: KING CRIMSON AT 50

Directed by Toby Amies. 86 min. At the Brattle Theatre, the Cabot, Somerville Theatre, more. Not rated.

‘Some of Us Went Through Hell’: New King Crimson Doc Trailer Reveals Agony and Ecstasy of Legendary Band

By Hank Shteamer

Hank Shteamer

An upcoming documentary will provide a rare look at the inner workings of King Crimson , one of rock’s most respected but also mysterious bands. Titled In the Court of the Crimson King , after the group’s legendary 1969 debut , the film will premiere at South by Southwest this March, and a new trailer is available to view now.  

As seen in the trailer, the film follows the most recent incarnation of King Crimson, a three-drummer “double quartet,” on tour in 2018 and 2019. We see intimate, fly-on-wall footage of the band onstage, backstage, and in transit, and clips of sit-down interviews with members from throughout their half-century-plus history. Bits of King Crimson’s signature song, the fiercely futuristic anti-war anthem “21st Century Schizoid Man,” punctuate the scenes.

Toby Amies, who previously profiled the eccentric British actor and dancer Drako Oho Zarhazar in 2013 doc The Man Whose Mind Exploded , directed the film. The new trailer reveals the updated title of the doc, originally called Cosmic F*Kc , and hints at how In the Court of the Crimson King will focus not just on the band’s artistic genius — the way guitarist, co-founder, and sole consistent member Robert Fripp has piloted it from progressive rock into art pop, free improvisation, and more — but also the interpersonal struggles that have kept King Crimson’s lineup in near-constant flux.

“It’s the dream band viewed from outside; it’s the band you could do anything you wanted to in it,” says drummer Bill Bruford , a King Crimson member on and off from the Seventies through the Nineties, early in the trailer. Then a parade of other former and current members hint at their difficulties during their time in the band. “Some of us went through hell,” says saxophonist Mel Collins , an early-Seventies member who rejoined in 2013 after reconciling with the famously exacting Fripp. “I came back from making some of that music, my hair had fallen out,” says guitarist-vocalist Adrian Belew, who fronted Crimson’s New Wave–informed Eighties incarnation. At one point, co-founding keyboardist-saxist Ian McDonald, who left the group at the height of its initial success in late ’69, turns up to offer a tearful apology to his former bandmate Fripp: “I love you, Robert, and I’m sorry I broke your heart.”  

Editor’s picks

Every awful thing trump has promised to do in a second term, the 250 greatest guitarists of all time, the 500 greatest albums of all time, the 50 worst decisions in movie history.

Fripp himself marvels at how the band’s latest lineup — which will likely go down as its final one, following the end of King Crimson’s 2020 tour, apparently its last ever — managed to achieve some degree of harmony after so many decades. “This is the first King Crimson where there’s not at least one member of the band that actively resents my presence,“ he says. “Which is astonishing.”

Also heard from in the trailer are co-founder and former drummer Michael Giles, elusive early-Seventies percussionist Jamie Muir, and current singer-guitarist Jakko Jakszyk and drummer Pat Mastelotto, as well as drummer Bill Rieflin , a member since 2013 who died from cancer in 2020 .

The movie was commissioned by the band, but as King Crimson manager David Singleton tells Rolling Stone , they left the project firmly in Amies’ hands.

“Robert and I have long believed that there should be a good King Crimson documentary,” Singleton writes in an email. “We have been approached by various broadcasters, but felt that the ‘standard talking head’ format was becoming increasingly cookie cutter and uncreative. We therefore approached Toby Amies, an independent filmmaker, and asked him to make an original music documentary. To reimagine the format. And gave him complete creative freedom to do so. So the film is really sanctioned by the band only in as much as they set the ball rolling and gave Toby the access and interviews he requested. Thereafter they happily ceded all creative control. Musicians are well accustomed to the problems that come with outside attempts to control their creativity, so this was an area they all understood well.”

“A grown-up documentary showing the lives of King Crimson’s working players during 2018–2019,” Fripp tells Rolling Stone in an email when asked for his impression of the film. “The rock & roll lifestyle of glamour and excess in fine detail, including getting on and off buses, living and dying, resentment, a little humor, and even some music.”

In a director’s statement, Amies explains how he knew very little about the band before he embarked on the project.

Related Stories

Steve vai and tool's danny carey unite with king crimson musicians for 'beat' tour, king crimson's robert fripp nearly shows his whole prog rock in onlyfans teaser.

“Music means the world to me. But I was innocent of King Crimson when on Christmas Eve 2017 Robert Fripp (a fan of my first feature documentary, The Man Whose Mind Exploded ) suggested we make a film. A film about what King Crimson is, in advance of the band’s fiftieth anniversary,” he writes. “I accepted the challenge with no idea of how hard that would be to make. I wanted to make a movie to understand what it felt like to be in King Crimson, both then and now. That’s a difficult and complicated process for everyone involved. The film documents that, and I want the audience to have a sense of what a high-pressure creative environment feels like, and what that can do to the individuals who enter it.  

'SNL' Weekend Update Tackles Trump-Biden Debates, MTG Getting Roasted By Colleague

'snl' cold open: trump wheels out hannibal lecter, his 'favorite' vp pick, the mad scientist and the killer whales, trump attacks joe biden's economic policy... over snickers bars.

“I hope that the film resonates with musicians and anyone who has made hard sacrifices to come even a little closer to making something extraordinary, even transcendent,” he continues. “There’s something very beautiful and inspiring about a band who are still willing to take risks, make mistakes and challenge themselves even as time catches up with them.”

In the Court of the Crimson King will premiere next month at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

'SNL': Sabrina Carpenter Brings Swanky 'Espresso' to Late Night

• Caffeinated
• By William Vaillancourt

Taylor Swift Debuts ‘Guilty as Sin?’ and Triple ‘1989’ Mashup for 89th Eras Tour Show

• By Althea Legaspi

Watch the Avett Brothers Showcase Songs From Self-Titled LP for 'Saturday Sessions'

• country kids
• By Daniel Kreps

See Lzzy Hale Make Her Debut as Skid Row's Singer at Illinois Gig

• monkey business

Reyna Roberts, Alice Randall Highlight Black Contributions to Country Music at Nashville Event

• Reclaiming History
• By Joseph Hudak

Most Popular

'mad max' director says 'there's no excuse' for tom hardy and charlize theron's 'fury road' set feud: tom 'had to be coaxed out of his trailer', bill maher says he doesn't understand harrison butker's graduation speech criticism, john travolta’s alleged new romance may have a major hurdle on his end, dj akademiks says he'll take entire industry down if convicted in rape lawsuit, you might also like, cate blanchett’s new film ‘rumours’ is named after the fleetwood mac album: its characters are ‘creatively fraught and everyone was sleeping with each other, so it made sense’, exclusive: iris van herpen unveils the world’s first 3d-printed wedding dress, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, ‘eephus’ review: not even beer league baseball is spared the cruel passage of time, wnba investigating $100k bonus to each las vegas aces player.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

New King Crimson Documentary, In the Court of the Crimson King, Set for Premiere in March

You can view the trailer for the Toby Amies-directed film, which features interviews with both current and former members of the prog-rock institution.

A new documentary on the history of prog-rock titans King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King , has been announced.

Directed by Toby Amies, and set to make its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW film festival in Austin, Texas, the film follows the band on their 50th Anniversary tour in 2019.

Far from looking exclusively at the present-day King Crimson though, the documentary also explores the band's past – which is as knotty and complicated as the band's music – via interviews with a number of the group's prominent former members. 

You can watch the movie's trailer below.

First formed in 1968, King Crimson have experienced a number of drastic musical and personnel shifts over the last 50+ years, with the sole constant member being electric guitar player Robert Fripp. On more than one occasion, King Crimson have disbanded, only to reform years later with a dramatically different lineup. 

In the Court of the Crimson King 's trailer fully explores this bumpy history, with Fripp at one point quipping “This is the first King Crimson where there’s not at least one member of the band that actively resents my presence, which is astonishing.”

Other members from King Crimson's past – including former drummer Bill Bruford and Adrian Belew, who spent over 10 years in total with the band as a singer and guitarist – also appear in the trailer to offer their perspectives on the group.

Get The Pick Newsletter

All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!

Bruford, for one, points to King Crimson as "the dream band viewed from outside," while Belew says, “When I came back from making some of that music, my hair had fallen out.” 

For more info on when and where  In the Court of the Crimson King  will be screened at the SXSW festival, head on over to sxsw.com .

Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player . Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded . Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.

“That guitar went through a lot of different phases and changes... I kept changing it because I was tired of people copying my guitar”: Eddie Van Halen on Frankenstein, and why he never apologized for modding

“I trade licks with Joe on Funk 49; that’s enough for me – my head would explode if I had to go back and forth with Joe on a song like Hotel California”: Vince Gill on his role in the Eagles, and the wonders of playing with Joe Walsh

“A three-in-one tribute to the best of British tone”: Carr Amplifiers' Bel-Ray excels at just about any vintage-voiced intentions a guitarist might have for a compact tube combo in 2024

Most Popular

• 2 “When I told my father I wanted an acoustic guitar, he was thrilled about getting me an instrument that wouldn’t deafen the family, like my Les Paul and Twin Reverb”: With a spunky vintage National resonator, Tinsley Ellis has finally gone acoustic
• 3 “That guitar went through a lot of different phases and changes... I kept changing it because I was tired of people copying my guitar”: Eddie Van Halen on Frankenstein, and why he never apologized for modding
• 4 “The only way I could afford my ’66 Strat was to take the ‘66 neck off and sell it to a guy across the street, then go back to Manny’s and buy an ESP neck”: Marshall Crenshaw looks back on the making of his unsung, under-appreciated masterpiece, Field Day
• 5 “I was on a mission to find the next big guitar hero. When I heard Yngwie, I knew that he was the guy I was looking for”: How Guitar Player's Spotlight column made Yngwie Malmsteen a guitar hero overnight, and sent neoclassical shred into overdrive

In the Court of Crimson King, King Crimson at 50

By Sabina Dana Plasse | October 19, 2022

In the Court of Crimson King, King Crimson at 50  is a documentary by Toby Amies that dives into the music and musicians of King Crimson. The visionary band has never strayed from its artistic and professional mission and purpose. Half a century later, King Crimson maintains a level of performance and sound perfection that the writer-director deconstructs while providing an intimate experience with current and past band members.

With a knack for good lighting and direction, Amies creates a well-filmed and constructed documentary that reflects the band’s inner sanctum. He dives into the musicianship that defines being a member. It is a commitment beyond anything a musician from the 1960s through the 21st century typically encounters. At its core, King Crimson is Robert Fripp, who maintains a level and standard that musicians want. Still, they all struggle with the discipline it takes to stay there, which explains the many members who left, came back, or exited permanently.

Yet, King Crimson still exists.  In the Court of Crimson King, King Crimson at 50  illustrates and conveys this at every moment. Much like the music of King Crimson, each band member has a place of their own. Amies offers the cycle of performance and practice as a metaphor for life illustrated by the band members, who understand their place and purpose. They are all artists, and their art fills the air and space with a fan base who cannot get enough.

“… offers the cycle of performance and practice as a metaphor for life…”

So geek out and take the journey of King Crimson’s precise, progressive rock combined with fusion jazz and splits of hard rock and lofty sounds; just know it is a dive into the unknown — an experience, a journey. Amies delivers on par with the King Crimson philosophy of standards while filming the band practicing, preparing, and performing around the world in amphitheaters, historic halls, and even Rome’s ancient coliseum.

In the Court of Crimson King, King Crimson at 50  features clips and images of the band in the 1960s, showing their transformation. These are not just a jaunt down memory lane but offer more context for the music that was carved out for an audience who craved it. But what does the music mean, and why does it exist? It is an answer that Robert Fripp has devoted his entire existence to. Throughout the film, Fripp is always there for his band, and they are there for him. Each personality comes across with honesty and humility as they encounter age, death, and performance without compromise and on their terms or stage of choice.

King Crimson is a type of symphony, and as said in the film, “music is a vehicle to end the silence.” Whether one must suffer to arrive at what is possible, Amies reveals how this is perfection, even though members claim that being a member of King Crimson is like having a low-grade infection. Although the band has its rituals and its irreplaceable sounds and artifacts, which are kept in mint condition, the overall reign of Robert Fripp is the nucleus and the reality of its existence — a British man in a tie and vest with a brain for music and the ability to produce a sound that knows no limits.

The many musicians who grace the screen with their stories and memories, which all lead back to Fripp, are the film’s grit and frame the filmmaker’s intentions to understand how King Crimson has reigned for so long and so well. But, of course, even Amies must take his beating from Fripp, which in its way is that backhanded compliment and seal of approval because “the only thing that matters is the work, so when it’s left behind, it’s good and makes the world better and people happy.” I would say that is the case for  In the Court of Crimson King, King Crimson at 50 .

In the Court of Crimson King, King Crimson at 50 (2022)

Directed and Written: Toby Amies

Starring: Mel Collins, Robert Fripp, Jakko Jakszyk, Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto, Bill Bruford, Adrian Belew, Bill Rieflin, Jeremy Stacey, etc.

Movie score: 9/10

"…good lighting and direction..."

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

I have known Toby for 55years but am still astounded by this piece of work and the acclaim that it has drawn to him. A remarkable effort that makes me buzz with pride (I’m his father, by the way).

[…] Source link […]

Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free

SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2021 REVIEW! Tom Petty, also known as Charlie T. Wilbury Jr., arrived on the scene as an anomaly. In the late 1970s, rock 'n' roll had...

Randy Rhoads: Reflections of a Guitar Icon

The closest I've ever come to playing a musical instrument is Guitar Hero. That game was a rush, but I'm sure it's nothing like playing in front of...

Echo In the Canyon

In the mid-60s big changes were afoot in the US, culturally, politically, and musically. The British invasion brought The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and...

Join our Film Threat Newsletter

Screen Rant

Stephen king reviews horror movie with 88% rt score: "you have never seen a movie as black as this".

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

1 Horizon Scene Proves Kevin Costner's Character Isn't Just Yellowstone's John Dutton With A Mustache

Vin diesel teases fast 11 will include key brian car in bts video, kingdom of the planet of the apes brilliantly fixed the franchise’s timeline with just 1 line.

• Stephen King raves about the Spanish movie The Coffee Table, calling it "horrible and horribly funny," comparable to the Coen Brothers.
• King's recommendation holds weight, potentially helping The Coffee Table gain new viewers and recognition in the horror genre.
• Despite its controversial content, the film has gained attention and might appeal to horror fans looking for something especially disturbing.

Legendary horror novelist Stephen King shares his rave review of the little-known Spanish movie The Coffee Table . Directed by Caye Casas, The Coffee Table is a 2022 Spanish black-comedy horror movie starring Josep Riera, David Pareja, Estefanía de los Santos, and Claudia Riera. Known for his extensive work in the horror genre after rising to fame with his debut novel, Carrie, King has written a total of 66 books . Many of his works, including IT , The Shining , The Green Mile , and Salem's Lot , have been adapted for the screen.

Well-known for his outspoken views and opinions on pop culture, King has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to give his review of The Coffee Table . Check out King's full post below:

He has claimed The Coffee Table is one of the blackest movies he has ever seen . Labeling it as " horrible and also horribly funny ," and describing it as being akin to " the Coen Brothers' darkest dream, " he heaped praise on the movie, which he notes is available on Apple TV+ and Prime Video.

What Is The Coffee Table About?

The movie has controversial themes.

The Coffee Table is a controversial movie, following a Spanish couple with a newborn baby who purchase a coffee table after being told the glass is indestructible, only for tragedy to befall them. With a particularly graphic and shocking moment that would disturb even the most hardcore of horror fans, this is a film that the King of Horror clearly approves of . King often posts rave reviews about the movies and shows he enjoys, but this is still very high praise indeed from the man.

Although it is not particularly well-known in the United States, now is the perfect time for viewers to discover The Coffee Table for themselves, and enjoy some very graphic horror, endorsed by the master himself.

King is not the only one to praise The Coffee Table so far. At the time of writing, the film has an 88% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes with 26 reviews. Among audiences, this film is even more liked, as the approval rating currently stands at 100%. This high rating suggests that The Coffee Table ’s controversial elements do not come at the expense of its quality. It is important to note, however, that The Coffee Table currently has fewer than 50 audience ratings, thus the audience approval could diminish over time.

Could King's Review Help The Coffee Table Gain New Viewers?

King's recommendations hold a great deal of weight.

Foreign movies often lack an audience in the United States, but they can enjoy a spike of interest if they are publicly supported by successful or renowned celebrities, and King certainly falls into this bracket. His opinion on what constitutes great horror often carries a lot of weight . King often recommends horror books , movies, and shows, so his tweet could see a spike in interest in the film domestically. Due to the controversial subject matter of The Coffee Table , it is unlikely it will ever achieve mainstream prominence, but many horror films thrive with a devoted underground audience.

The Coffee Table placed #10 on El Mundo's top 10 best Spanish movies of 2023.

Independently of King’s review, The Coffee Table may struggle to get a wide viewership . After all, its director, Caye Casas, is not well known in the United States. Casas’ films, which have included Killing God and Asylum: Twisted Horror and Fantasy Tales have not gained significant traction in the United States, so there is not already an existing draw to the director’s work. This fact will make it even harder for The Coffee Table to reach mass audiences.

The window of time when audiences can watch The Coffee Table might be small and will depend on the streaming run it has. King is clearly a fan of the movie, and his comments should come as a positive to horror buffs looking to find a new movie to watch. Although it is not particularly well-known in the United States, now is the perfect time for viewers to discover The Coffee Table for themselves, and enjoy some very graphic horror, endorsed by the master himself.

Can The Coffee Table Stand Out In a Tough Year for Horror?

2024 hasn't been horror’s best year.

The Coffee Table has not had a wide release in the United States , but either in theaters or streaming, it is coming out in a tough year for horror. Multiple horror films, including Abigail and The First Omen , have underperformed box office expectations already this year. Both of those suffered despite doing well among critics, receiving 84% and 81% Tomatometer scores, respectively. Amid a trend like that, The Coffee Table ’s critic acclaim is far from enough to propel it forward in 2024.

A more hopeful sign at the 2024 horror box office, however, is the film Late Night with the Devil . An indie, experimental-leaning horror film with a modest budget, Late Night with the Devil ended up taking in $11.1 million worldwide. This is a hopeful sign for a film like The Coffee Table , which similarly has a less mainstream approach. It seems that 2024 horror fans are coming out for some of the more daring content rather than the more mainstream movies. Hopefully, The Coffee Table can benefit from the same trend on streaming or in theaters should it get a wide release chance.

Source: Stephen King /X/Twitter

The Coffee Table