The Paul Duane-directed movie follows musician duo Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty from their 2017 reunion as they become ‘new age undertakers’ building The People’s Pyramid.
- Jan 7, 2021
AceShowbiz – Art pranksters and musicians The KLF‘s reunion movie, “Welcome to the Dark Ages”, has been released just days after the duo allowed tracks to be uploaded to major streaming services for the first time.
Paul Duane’s new movie follows KLF stars Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty from their 2017 reunion as they become “new age undertakers” building The People’s Pyramid – a monument featuring bricks forged from the ashes of the dead.
A synopsis for “Welcome to the Dark Ages” reads, “Welcome to the Dark Ages begins in the 23rd century, in a post-apocalyptic wasteland which was once the northern English City of Liverpool. In the district once known as Toxteth, a mysterious pyramid stands among demolished buildings.”
“Returning to the late 20th century, we revisit the origins of the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The JAMs – otherwise known as the KLF – who became the top-selling singles act in the world and then left the music business, burned £1 million of their own money and signed a contract agreeing to a 23-year silence.”
“23 years later, in Liverpool, this silence ended at 23 seconds past midnight on 23 August, 2017. On this day the KLF were no longer pop stars but had become undertakers, and were planning to build a 23-foot-high pyramid in Toxteth, Liverpool, made from bricks which would each contain 23 grams of a dead person’s ashes, proposed as a new British ritual for the commemoration of the dead.”
The film tracks the first year of this project.
Duane admits the filming process was tough at times because Cauty and Drummond are notoriously camera shy.
“The band hadn’t agreed to be filmed since the early 90s, but I persevered, and they eventually agreed,” he says. “We started filming. On day two they told me they were no longer interested in taking part in the film. I just kept filming, and they allowed me to film anything I wanted as long as I didn’t ask them anything or try to make them do anything. When I showed the finished film to the JAMs, they asked me to destroy it.”
“I disagreed with their judgement. Eventually, they came around to agreeing with me that the film should be released after all. So here it is.”
The film is available to rent or buy here: https://burning-bridges.vhx.tv/products/welcome-to-the-dark-ages.
Source: Movies - aceshowbiz.com
