Spencer Leigh

Born in Liverpool, Spencer Leigh is an actor who first came to prominence in the 1980s as Icky Higson in the Willy Russell series One Summer. Face Magazine called him one of the Brit Pack actors, alongside the likes of Tim Roth, Colin Firth and Gary Oldman, tipping him for international fame. However Leigh favoured arthouse overall, and worked almost exclusively with Derek Jarman in a series of the auteur's films from the mid '80s through to his death. Moving to the States Leigh commenced a secondary career directing TV commercials and resurfaced in 2012, taking the part of Nunzio in Hitchcock.

Prick Up Your Ears (1987)

Stephen Frears directs this biographical drama focusing on controversial British playwright Joe Orton, revealed in flashback after his murder by lover Kenneth Halliwell. Born in 1933 in Leicester, in the English Midlands, John 'Joe' Orton moves to London in 1951, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Stephen Frears
CAST:  Gary Oldman  •  Alfred Molina  •  Vanessa Redgrave  •  Frances Barber

Stephen Frears directs this biographical drama focusing on controversial British playwright Joe Orton, revealed in flashback after his murder by lover Kenneth Halliwell. Born in 1933 in Leicester, in the English Midlands, John 'Joe' Orton moves to London in 1951, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Stephen Frears
CAST:  Gary Oldman  •  Alfred Molina  •  Vanessa Redgrave  •  Frances Barber

Caravaggio (1986)

A retelling of the life of the celebrated 17th-century Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the underworld.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Nigel Terry  •  Tilda Swinton  •  Sean Bean  •  Spencer Leigh

A retelling of the life of the celebrated 17th-century Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio through his brilliant, nearly blasphemous paintings and his flirtations with the underworld.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Nigel Terry  •  Tilda Swinton  •  Sean Bean  •  Spencer Leigh

The Garden (1990)

A nearly wordless visual narrative intercuts two main stories and a couple of minor ones. A woman, perhaps the Madonna, brings forth her baby to a crowd of intrusive paparazzi; she tries to flee them. Two men who are lovers marry and are arrested by the powers that ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Tilda Swinton  •  Johnny Mills  •  Pete Lee-Wilson  •  Spencer Leigh

A nearly wordless visual narrative intercuts two main stories and a couple of minor ones. A woman, perhaps the Madonna, brings forth her baby to a crowd of intrusive paparazzi; she tries to flee them. Two men who are lovers marry and are arrested by the powers that ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Tilda Swinton  •  Johnny Mills  •  Pete Lee-Wilson  •  Spencer Leigh

The Last of England (1987)

The artist's personal commentary on the decline of his country in a language closer to poetry than prose. A dark meditation on London under Thatcher.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Tilda Swinton  •  'Spring' Mark Adley  •  Gay Gaynor  •  Spencer Leigh

The artist's personal commentary on the decline of his country in a language closer to poetry than prose. A dark meditation on London under Thatcher.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Tilda Swinton  •  'Spring' Mark Adley  •  Gay Gaynor  •  Spencer Leigh

Hitchcock (2012)

Following his great success with "North by Northwest," director Alfred Hitchcock makes a daring choice for his next project: an adaptation of Robert Bloch's novel "Psycho." When the studio refuses to back the picture, Hitchcock decides to pay for it himself in ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sacha Gervasi
CAST:  Anthony Hopkins  •  Helen Mirren  •  Scarlett Johansson  •  James D'Arcy

Following his great success with "North by Northwest," director Alfred Hitchcock makes a daring choice for his next project: an adaptation of Robert Bloch's novel "Psycho." When the studio refuses to back the picture, Hitchcock decides to pay for it himself in ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sacha Gervasi
CAST:  Anthony Hopkins  •  Helen Mirren  •  Scarlett Johansson  •  James D'Arcy

Aria (1987)

Ten short pieces directed by ten different directors, including Ken Russell, Jean-Luc Godard, Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, and Nicolas Roeg. Each short uses an aria as soundtrack/sound (Vivaldi, Bach, Wagner), and is an interpretation of the particular aria.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Robert Altman  •  Jean-Luc Godard  •  Nicolas Roeg  •  Bruce Beresford  •  Charles Sturridge  •  Julien Temple  •  Ken Russell  •  Franc Roddam  •  Bill Bryden  •  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Theresa Russell  •  Bridget Fonda  •  Buck Henry  •  Stephanie Lane

Ten short pieces directed by ten different directors, including Ken Russell, Jean-Luc Godard, Robert Altman, Bruce Beresford, and Nicolas Roeg. Each short uses an aria as soundtrack/sound (Vivaldi, Bach, Wagner), and is an interpretation of the particular aria.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Robert Altman  •  Jean-Luc Godard  •  Nicolas Roeg  •  Bruce Beresford  •  Charles Sturridge  •  Julien Temple  •  Ken Russell  •  Franc Roddam  •  Bill Bryden  •  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Theresa Russell  •  Bridget Fonda  •  Buck Henry  •  Stephanie Lane

War Requiem (1989)

A film with no spoken dialogue, just follows the music and lyrics of Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem, which include WWI soldier poet Wilfred Owen's poems reflecting the war's horrors. It shows the story of an Englishman soldier (Wilfred Owen) and a nurse (his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Nathaniel Parker  •  Tilda Swinton  •  Laurence Olivier  •  Owen Teale

A film with no spoken dialogue, just follows the music and lyrics of Benjamin Britten's "War Requiem, which include WWI soldier poet Wilfred Owen's poems reflecting the war's horrors. It shows the story of an Englishman soldier (Wilfred Owen) and a nurse (his ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Derek Jarman
CAST:  Nathaniel Parker  •  Tilda Swinton  •  Laurence Olivier  •  Owen Teale

Jubilee: A Time Less Golden (2003)

Documentary about the making of Derek Jarman's 1979 film "Jubilee".  (more)

DIRECTION:  Spencer Leigh
CAST:  Tony Rayns  •  John Maybury  •  Lee Drysdale  •  Christopher Hobbs

Documentary about the making of Derek Jarman's 1979 film "Jubilee".  (more)

DIRECTION:  Spencer Leigh
CAST:  Tony Rayns  •  John Maybury  •  Lee Drysdale  •  Christopher Hobbs

Smart Money (1986)

Leon, a hacker convicted for a crime he did not commit, escapes from detention centre following the death of his father, to take revenge on the man who really did it.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bernard Rose
CAST:  Spencer Leigh  •  Bruce Payne  •  Alexandra Pigg  •  Sean Edwards

Leon, a hacker convicted for a crime he did not commit, escapes from detention centre following the death of his father, to take revenge on the man who really did it.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Bernard Rose
CAST:  Spencer Leigh  •  Bruce Payne  •  Alexandra Pigg  •  Sean Edwards