Review – Reality UFO Series Volume 2 (DVD)

Title: Reality UFO Series Volume 2
Genre: UFO, Abduction, Supernatural, Paranormal
Production Company: Reality Entertainment

Reality UFO Series Volume 2 takes us into the strange world of UFOs and extraterrestrial intelligences, probing deep into largely unexamined mysteries of the body, mind and beyond.

The film features four speakers. First, Dr. Richard Boylan talks at length about the Star Kids, those supremely gifted children said to have a host of paranormal powers at their command. Dr. Boylan comes across as a pleasant, sincere individual who’s just saying it like it is. In his presentation he recites e-mail correspondences with a mother of a Star Kid, whose incredible stories will make even the most open-minded investigators rethink human potential and what, in fact, it means to be human.

Boylan also presents an alternative history of the human race, suggesting that we’re being monitored by well-intentioned and compassionate ETs whose only goal is to get things right in the universe. His premise is that all intelligent life is intricately connected, making our Earthly actions perceptible to the far reaches of the cosmos. No wonder, then, he claims we’re being watched. To illustrate this idea he sets up an analogy: Just as developed countries are concerned about violent activity in unstable global regions, Boylan says ETs are keeping an eye on us—especially since we’ve learned how to harness the power of the atom.

Next, Freddy Silva talks about crop circles and their transhuman possibilities. Silva is a well known expert who left everything to immerse himself in the study of these intriguing circles. He believes their odd but beautifully symmetrical designs are cosmic signs and, perhaps, sentinels beckoning us to respond to our inherent spirituality and greater purpose within the expanded multiverse.

Reality Films

In addition, Peter Khoury gives a detailed and highly personal first hand account of his unconventional experiences, including an encounter with a female ET that’s tinged with erotic elements. Although talking about pretty far out stuff, Khoury’s candid presentation lends to his credibility. He seems like a regular guy who didn’t ask for what happened to him. Basically, he tells of a series of UFO-related and possible abduction experiences beginning when he was 6 and a half years old.

Finally, Keith Basterfield lectures on links between UFO encounters and psi abilities. Covering the area quite competently, Basterfield recounts the main trends and figures through 1975 to 1999. Like the other presenters in this film, he gives the impression of a well-rounded individual with feet planted firmly on the ground.

Altogether, Reality UFO Series Volume 2 provides comprehensive coverage of documented cases and leading theories about UFOs, ETs and the paranormal, the respective talents of the four presenters serving up a good blend of personal asides, research and reported evidence.

Unlike other Reality Films, this DVD doesn’t make use of flashy graphics. But those wanting to settle in for several hours to get the facts should come away feeling like experts in the field.

—MC

This review has been revised from an original review posted 2009/06/30

Related articles

• Review – Europe’s Roswell: UFO crash in Aberystwyth (DVD) (epages.wordpress.com)
• ETs, UFOs and the Psychology of Belief (epages.wordpress.com)
• The ” Nancy ” Full Length interview: Reptilian Aliens UFO Abductions (panoffolin.wordpress.com)
• UFO Amnesty: Ex-Army Colonel John Alexander Seeks Amnesty For Military Who Witness UFOs (the2012scenario.com)
• Lee Speigel – Huffington Post – UFO Amnesty : Ex-Army Colonel John Alexander Seeks Amnesty For Military Who Witness UFOs – 16 May 2012 (lucas2012infos.wordpress.com)
• EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Army Colonel Seeks Amnesty For Military Personnel Who Witness UFOs (huffingtonpost.com)
• The Galactic Free Press – Daily Blue Star UFOs Report – Yes! Are We Really Here? – 15 May 2012 (lucas2012infos.wordpress.com)
• The Galactic Free Press – Daily Blue Star UFOs Report Yes! Are We Really Here? – 4 May 2012 (lucas2012infos.wordpress.com)
• Aliens and UFOs (segmation.wordpress.com)
• Aliens & UFOs – UFO Sighting – Isfahan, Iran – 2012 (disclose.tv)

Dr. Robert E. Carter talks about self-cultivation

Professor Carter was one of the best undergraduate professors I ever had. His lectures on Chinese philosophy were second to none.

I remember presenting the Tao of (subatomic) physics for his class in the mid-1980s. Back then it was a pretty new idea. So I broke it down with a lot of diagrams.

The presentation went very well. So well that Dr. Carter asked me to present again for another group studying the same course. Interestingly enough, the second presentation bombed. Same material, same presenter, very different audience and response.

Dr. Carter was diplomatic about it. He said something like, “Well, now you can see the other side of the coin.” His comment seemed to fit with the yin-yang philosophy that we were studying at the time.

After that, I was invited to present my Ph.D research at Dr. Carter’s retirement gathering at Trent U. Although my little talk about C. G. Jung’s concept of synchronicity was adequate, it certainly didn’t bring the house down.

Again, Dr. Carter was kind and diplomatic. He really did embody all that was great about undergraduate learning.

—MC

Review – Rose (DVD)

Rose (2012)
Genre: Urban Drama
Producer/Director: Kemal Yildirim
Writer: Stephen Loveless
Stars: Mike Mitchell, Helen Clifford, Patrick Regis

The feature film Rose is a giant step forward for the British filmmaker, Kemal Yildirim, whose 2008 short film Rose was screened at the Cannes Film Festival. The short version was a difficult but redemptive tale based on a true story. A promising film, it was well received by several charities and proactive groups. But the latest incarnation of Rose takes the story to a whole new level.

This suspenseful, sophisticated drama stars Helen Clifford as Rose who, to quote from the film, is “a worn out hooker with a habit.” An otherwise girl next door type who also starred in the previous adaptation, Clifford manages to look godawful through most of the footage (with a little help from talented makeup artists). And totally in sync with Rose‘s stepped up production values, her performance is far more powerful and nuanced than it was in 2008.

Rose falls into deep trouble when her callous pimp, Blondie, (Mike Mitchell) gets word that she’s been taking customers on the side—”freelancing.” Blondie is handsome, wears fine suits, and imports sex slaves from southeast Europe.

Mike Mitchell, who appeared in Gladiator and Braveheart, plays this creepy kingpin to a tee. As the resident crime lord and club owner in Hellville (a metaphorical underworld with a bit of a comic strip feel), Blondie is one bad dude. If anyone crosses him, chances are they’ll get a knife at their throat (or worse) within 48 hours. It’s that bad. And Rose is trapped.

Like many of the main characters in other Yildirim films, the traumatized Rose longs for release. And her angelic young daughter, Ellie, (marvelously played by Chelsea Alcock) reminds us that tenderness, beauty and hope are always possible, even amid the worst kinds of tawdriness, violence and neglect. Rose’s love relationship with Tony (Patrick Regis) also calls to mind the importance of caring. One of my favorite scenes is when the troubled Rose, Tony and Ellie are at the beach, and Ellie is entranced by the sight of a well-to-do couple and their contented child.

Tony, himself, is a favored goon and washed up boxer who fights in backrooms for the amusement of Blondie and his jaded inner circle (these scenes reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes). But Tony is an enforcer with a conscience, and doesn’t like what he sees—especially when Blondie decides to teach Rose a hard lesson for moonlighting.

Regis’ compelling performance as the tough but puppy-eyed Tony is another nice surprise in Rose. After seeing how Blondie hurts Rose and, later, getting thrashed in another backroom brawl, Tony’s not going to kiss up to Blondie any longer. And so the film heads into its gripping climax.

No review of Rose would be complete without tipping one’s hat to actors Eileen Daly (Yondra, a retired prostitute), Lucy White (Magdelena, a statuesque heavy) and Rami Hilmi (Baldo, a mindless stooge), along with several relative unknowns who add texture and intrigue to Rose’s life story.

The impressive cast is augmented by Rose‘s innovative cinematography and minimalist soundtrack. Altogether, Yildirim creates the haunting ambiance that audiences have come to expect from his movies. But this one is different. The director’s considerable talents and influences have fused into a laser-sharp focus. And it shows.

—MC

Review – The Billy Meier Story: UFOs and Prophecies from Outer Space (DVD)

Reality Films

Title: The Billy Meier Story: UFO’s and Prophecies from Outer Space
Genre: UFO, Aliens, Paranormal, Conspiracy
Production Company: Reality Entertainment

A while back someone asked me at the Q&A site, allexperts.com, to assess Billy Meier’s claims about extraterrestrials, their alleged spacecraft and message to humanity.

Although I’d heard the name I wasn’t too well informed, so surfed the internet to find out more. This was before Wikipedia, and after a few minutes it became clear that there was no way to verify or debunk Meier’s extraordinary account, so I either declined the question or said very little—I can’t remember exactly.

Since then, several others have asked about Meier, and my usual response is to provide the appropriate links and say something like, “well, we can’t be certain, either way.”

The other day I watched The Billy Meier Story: UFO’s and Prophecies from Outer Space and, as excellent as this film is, I’m still sitting on the fence.

Written and directed by Meier enthusiast Michael Horn, this is one of the best Reality Films that’s been released in a long time. It’s clean, crisp and hip, with production values comparable to A&E, Biography, History Channel or any other mainstream media company.

But not only is the presentation engaging and well-organized. The content is diverse, balanced and fair, stretching back to Meier’s childhood and early days as a deserter from the French Foreign Legion, to his becoming a freewheeling traveler and acquaintance to the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Saddam Hussein, right up to the present where his cache of firearms, kept under lock and key at his residence in Switzerland, isn’t hidden from camera.

Although Horn makes no bones about his belief in the veracity of the Meier story along with its otherworldly and prophetic implications, he also gives ample opportunity for the skeptics to have their say. In fact, the DVD’s special features include a segment where a representative from IIGWest.org (which is aligned with the James Randi Foundation) analyzes and tentatively concludes that the Meier UFO photos and films depict man-made models instead of extraterrestrial vehicles.

This kind of unafraid reporting on the part of Horn only adds authenticity to his convictions. He seems to have great confidence in Meier’s teachings, to the extent that he’s willing to give the critics an ear and isn’t threatened nor dissuaded by their obvious lack of enthusiasm. Instead, Horn replies to Meier’s detractors with evidence that he considers convincing.

The Billy Meier Story should be invaluable to anyone wanting to learn more about Billy Meier and his intriguing world.

Or should I say… otherworld?

—MC

Related articles

• BREAKING: Astronaut Edgar Mitchell to Explore Billy Meier UFO Case? (prweb.com)
• NASA, JPL Scientists Among First to Endorse Billy Meier UFO Photos (prweb.com)
• Unexpected Development: MUFON Maverick Breaks Ranks, Supports Billy Meier UFO Case! (prweb.com)
• “2012: Earth’s Fate Unknown” – Documentary on Controversial Prophet Debuts on VOD! (prweb.com)
• Twitter Weekly Updates for 2011-08-08 (shanebrady.com)
• Examples of Spacecraft from the Billy Meier Collection (stevebeckow.com)
• Not Everyone May be Thrilled with Disclosure (stevebeckow.com)
• Did aliens really come to earth (wiki.answers.com)
• Its like “Being in outer space but underwater” (amenaskhan.wordpress.com)
• Italian-Extraterrestrial Friendship Project Made Public (stevebeckow.com)

Review – Secrets: The Director’s Cut (DVD)

Image courtesty Knight Productions

Title: Secrets: The Director’s Cut
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Production Company: Knight Productions

Last November I reviewed Kemal Yildirim’s film, Secrets (review is here). Now, with The Director’s Cut I’ve been scratching my head over what to say. The two movies are strangely similar but somehow miles apart.

The closest analogy I can come up with is a stereo signal. Have you ever listened to a favorite song through just one stereo channel, with the other one muted? That might sound okay to most listeners. But to anyone loving that song, something’s not quite right (Try it with Sgt. Peppers and you’ll see what I mean).

Also, I’m not the same guy who wrote about Secrets last November. My perspective on life has evolved during the past three months, so my resonance with the film has likewise shifted.

This review, then, is something of a completion, sort of like the yin-yang symbol. I’ve seen both sides and, today, am coming from a different angle. You can look over my first review (here) before going any further. Otherwise, what follows probably won’t make much sense.

So… The Director’s Cut.

Well, to begin, some longer scenes are clipped for faster pacing, others are deleted. On the whole, these edits are a good move. The original film was provocative, partly because it challenged some of my cultural expectations about filmmaking. I was able to shift gears and appreciate Secrets for what it is (just as I did, for instance, with Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey). But, again, The Director’s Cut moves faster. And since I’m to some extent a socially conditioned creature, this works better for me.

In addition, some new scenes – and snippets of scenes – are interspersed throughout The Director’s Cut, making this revamped Secrets feel a bit more fleshed out and humane than its predecessor.

Moving toward the close, a prominent part of the first film (where characters privately confess into a video cam) is completely axed. Quite a gutsy move, and an effective one.

My November review also says I couldn’t really identify with the characters. But for some reason, I was right “in there” this time around. Did I feel for the characters more because of the extensive editing, or was it more about me and my updated outlook?

I can’t be totally sure. And that’s okay. Because both versions of Secrets are all about ambiguity. The film’s twisting storyline leaves just as many questions as answers. And its character development takes place within a tight-knit circle of increasingly confused relationships, where friends become lovers and lovers friends.

The Directors Cut‘s portrays a curious mix of merrymaking, musing and mayhem. But among this, the timeless capacity for joy and sorrow stands out crystal clear. And this might be the keystone that connects this vibrant indie film to a larger audience.

–MC

Related Articles

• Review – Secrets (DVD) (epages.wordpress.com)

Review – Secrets (DVD)

Image courtesty kemalyildirim.com

Title: Secrets
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Production Company: Knight Productions

Secrets is all about relationships, ambiguity and the loss of innocence.

Something like Lawrence Kasdan’s The Big Chill (1983), the film kicks off with a tight-knit group of buddies getting together to celebrate the passing of a close friend.

Except for the subplot of substance abuse, however, any similarity to that film pretty much ends here.

After confessing their innermost secrets to one another while camping at the waters edge and carousing in various indoor locations, the group’s unrestrained boozing and, especially, drug habits lead to an unfortunate unraveling.

The turning point occurs over a bad drug deal. Suddenly the innocent, soul searching found earlier in the film moves to something darker.

From the DVD liner notes we learn that Secrets was shot in 7 days with an improvised script. This gives the film freshness and spontaneity. And for me, anyhow, its laissez-faire production style confronted some of the cultural tropes that – God forbid – have burned deep neural pathways in my brain by virtue of my proximity to North American culture.

True, Canadians get a fair amount of European, Asian and other international TV and film. But the American Dream still lights up our CRT and Flat Screen TVs, working its way into our subconscious desires more than, perhaps, we wish to admit.

Like something out of a George Orwell novel, I see that elusive, ephemeral Dream flickering away every night as I take my evening walk. You don’t have to be a peeping Tom to see it. TVs just keep getting bigger and bigger, making it all so much easier to see the 21st-century Screen through so many Toronto living room windows.

Tron..?

So I had to pull back and readjust my expectations while watching this film. Not that I’m a stranger to international cinema. I’m not. I can handle subtitles just as well as anyone else. And I like taking imaginal trips without having to worry about the inherent dangers of flying.

By the same token, the overseas films that make it big here usually follow, to some degree, a commercially proven formula. And why not? After all, most people want to hit the jackpot–even if they claim otherwise with a false humility ironically mingled with an air of artistic superiority. In Western movie halls and DVD sales, making it big often means drawing on, to some extent, the Hollywood legacy (I know next to nothing about Chinese films, except for Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan…).

Sure, artistic styles have always been evolving, interpenetrating and expanding, and no doubt will continue to. As Heraclitus once put it, you can’t stand in the same river twice. But, having said that, there’s still a river to think about.

Ha. Okay. Now you get it.

Well, actually, maybe you don’t. Because the most powerful and surprising secret about Secrets is that it subtly undermines quite a few contemporary conventions.

Secrets is almost like a watercolor in motion. It’s got focus; but different approaches and ideas flow into one another, offering complexity and a touch of chaos without sacrificing overall coherence.

At first, I didn’t really connect with the characters in this film (although many of the same actors were quite absorbing in other Yildirim films). But after letting Secrets percolate for a while, the film simply wouldn’t let me go. Like other Yildirim productions, this one, too, got under my skin.

The phrase “thought-provoking” comes to mind. Along with “challenging.” Both are good things, as has been the lingering influence of Secrets.

–MC

(Review for Secrets: The Director’s Cut is here)

Related Articles

• Review – Rose (DVD) (epages.wordpress.com)
• Review – Shades of a Killer (DVD) (epages.wordpress.com)
• Elisabeth Moss Joins Lawrence Kasdan And Kevin Kline’s Reunion (cinemablend.com)
• Q&A: Jackie Chan (guardian.co.uk)

http://epages.wordpress.com/2011/02/08/review-%e2%80%93-secrets-the-directors-cut-dvd/

Review – Rose (DVD)

Knight Productions

Title: Rose (2008)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Production Company: Knight Productions

There’s something about a Kemal Yildirim film. Just what it is isn’t easy to put your finger on. But it’s certainly there. In spades.

His short film Rose is based on a true story and shot, in his own words, on a “miraculous” budget. This might contribute to the film feeling something like an early performance of Shakespeare, where the key actors apparently pulled together to get the most out of their modest resources.

Over the years, Shakespeare’s troupe got bigger budgets and more elaborate staging. And from watching Rose, one would expect a similar evolution with Yildirim’s work.

Also like a Shakespearean play, Rose’s direction gazes from an almost mystical, mind’s eye. That is, Yildirim’s films can deal with the harshest of topics with unruffled focus and calm compassion. This rare perspective arguably takes Rose to a spiritual plane, even though the film deals with some of the rough and disturbing aspects of contemporary society.

The film features Helen Clifford, a pretty 20-something actor who convincingly portrays the distressed character of Rose. Rose could be your little sister, daughter or niece. She’s a “nice girl” who’s made some very bad choices, finding herself tragically hooked on junk.

To make matters worse, Rose doesn’t have a lot of money to fuel her addiction. Her struggle for inner and outer peace is brought out by Clifford’s promising performance and by a solid supporting cast. Add to that the director’s unique way of getting to the point without lapsing into sheer vulgarity, and Rose comes out a winner.

Without giving away the details, suffice it to say that the opening and closing scenes involve light—first in darkness and last, shining through a cross.

Rose is a pleasant surprise, to be sure. And for a film that deals with such difficult subject matter, that’s quite an achievement.

Extras include some extensive behind the scenes footage, a five minute promo, a photo gallery, along with trailers for additional Knight Productions.

—MC

Review – Shades of a Killer (DVD)

Knight Productions: kemalyildirim.com

Title: Shades of a Killer
Production: Knight Productions
Genre: Drama, Action, Neo-noir

Some say that if the German poet Goethe had written in English he’d be a serious contender for the crown of “Greatest Writer Ever,” which many believe Shakespeare wears in literary heaven.

Goethe’s lasting masterpiece, still talked about by scholars and art lovers today, is the tragic play Faust.

What does Faust have to do with British film maker Kemal Yildirim’s Shades of a Killer? Well, for starters, I was exploring Goethe’s imaginary world for the first time when Shades of a Killer appeared next on my list of pending reviews.

The two seemed to fall together nicely, helping to make sense of both Faust (who sells his soul to the devil but ultimately is redeemed) and Jaan, the reflective assassin played by Yildirim in the film that he also writes and directs.

Like Faust, Jaan realizes that life is largely about ethical choices. Some folks nurture love, others hate. Others try to straddle these disparate worlds by respecting their enemies. And others, represented in both the characters of Faust and Jaan, find themselves enmeshed in darkness but are always hoping to find their way back into the light.

Theologians describe this as a developmental approach to redemption (i.e. “don’t give up, you’ll get there in the end”), a dynamic portrayed in Goethe’s interplay between Mephistopheles and Faust.

Mephistopheles is the devilish character who tempts Faust and, theologically speaking, represents the idea of necessary evil. Thinkers like John Hicke (and St. Irenaeus before him) contend that, without the likes of Mephistopheles, mankind would never be compelled to choose, overcome the bad, and nurture the good. Accordingly, Mephistopheles calls himself:

Part of that force which would
Do evil evermore, and yet creates the good.†

As a sort of composite of Mephistopheles and Faust, Jaan sinks deeper and deeper into the grim complexities of violence and turf warfare, but he and his wife are forever hoping to make a clean break and start again.

This is the most encouraging aspect of the film. Another interesting aspect is that Jaan is not just a top gun but also an accomplished martial artist. In several scenes, leather clad combatants drop their weapons in favor of a good, old fashioned Kung Fu kickout–scenes which, on the whole, are well choreographed.

A very intense film, to be sure. It does, however, contain moments of sincere human tenderness. While some of the secondary characters are a bit one dimensional (perhaps because the film was inspired by comic books), the main players are fully human. Indeed, the gentle and loving “we can work it out” scenes with Jaan and his wife give the story some necessary breathing space, balance and hope.

And this brings us back to the comparison with Faust, a play that runs the whole gamut from heaven to hell. Like Faust, Shades of a Killer is paradoxically realistic and hypnotic, hard hitting and dreamlike. The film’s uneasy tension – both moral and stylistic – grips our attention right up to the final scene. Without giving out a spoiler, the story ends on an ironically humorous note, revealing a directorial style reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino and other masters of film noir.

–MC

† Quoted from Walter Kaufman, Discovering the Mind: Goethe, Kant and Hegel, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980, p. 30.

Related Articles

• Faust | Theatre review (guardian.co.uk)
• Faust, Young Vic, review (telegraph.co.uk)
• Digested opera: Faust | John Crace (guardian.co.uk)
• This Faust is best at its darkest (thestar.com)
• Doctor Faustus | Theatre review (guardian.co.uk)
• math & manic-depression, a Faustian bargain (neverendingbooks.org)
• Faust, Coliseum, London London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Festival Hall, London (independent.co.uk)
• Faust | Opera review (guardian.co.uk)
• Director McAnuff bridges romantic opera, Jersey pop (omg.yahoo.com)
• Clunky sequel is Stone dead (fullcomment.nationalpost.com)

Review – The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter (DVD)

Title: The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter
Genre: Harry Potter, Fantasy, Adventure
Production Company: Reality Films

Harry Potter has stirred up much controversy. The bestselling children’s fantasy books have delighted literary critics, won countless awards, raised eyebrows from Christian groups, and made their author, J. K. Rowland, a billionaire.

Academics in Cultural Studies, Religion and Mythology have also found within the books a veritable treasure chest of ideas for scholarly analysis.

Contributing to this development, The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter features Dr. Geo Athena Trevarthen of the University of Edinburgh, who brings to her investigation of the Harry Potter series a practical and academic expertise in Celtic Shamanism.

Dr. Trevarthen’s breakdown of the novels draws from a variety of perspectives, from Jungian and transpersonal psychology to the, perhaps, deeper disciplines of ritual magic, alchemy, wizardry and cross-cultural shamanism.

Her exposition is sprinkled with quotes from the Harry Potter novels, along with pithy sayings from leading figures like Joseph Campbell and Mahatma Gandhi.

The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter suggests that the runaway success of the Harry Potter series is, in part, due to its filling a void in contemporary Western culture. This Occidental void has to do with the sense of mystery, magic and, as Rudolf Otto (and later Carl Jung) put it, an encounter with the numinous.

Dr. Trevarthen shows how the protagonist, Harry, aptly fits the bill for the archetypal image of the hero, as expressed in countless fairy tales, folklore, myths and world religions that, despite their differences, also exhibit key similarities.

Filmed in and around Edinburgh, where Dr. Trevarthen lives and works, this film is not only smart but also visually pleasing. Punctuating the commentary are scenes of Dr. Trevarthen reading under a tree in the lush, Scottish countryside, or perhaps brandishing a sword in the ritual manner of a legendary European knight or, to evoke another cultural framework, a medieval Samurai. The film also includes indoor scenes of Dr. Trevarthen in full ritual attire, speaking, singing and positioning a wand in ways keeping with her magico-religious beliefs and practices.

On the topic of magic, some Christians cherry pick the Old Testament to argue that the Bible offers no saving distinction between white and black magic, and that all magic is evil. In actual fact, however, divination (as one form of magic) is alternately prohibited and condoned in different parts of the Old Testament. Meanwhile, other Christian thinkers say there’s a general move away from divination to revelation and a sheer trust in God, this being most apparent in the New Testament.

To those who say that magic is altogether sinful, Dr. Trevarthen clearly disagrees, proposing that magical power, itself, is morally neutral. Drawing on the analogy of electrical power, she says that magical power can be used for good or ill. Accordingly, she believes that white magic and its apparent corollary of profound self knowledge (i.e. gnosis) are useful tools for personal and collective development.

What distinguishes Dr. Trevarthen from some of the more gnarly gnostics, however, is her willingness to engage with Christians in intelligent discourse, as made obvious by her active participation in interdisciplinary conferences and colloquia. And her emphasis on the importance of love, especially in the early childhood years, brings her into close contact with contemporary psychology and, we could say, the underlying thread of all world religions–along with those individuals who simply have their heart in the right place.

But to return to Harry, it seems his incredible journey speaks to anyone finding him- or herself dealing with an initial transition from, and subsequent balancing act between, secular and sacred realities. As Dr. Trevarthen observes, Harry is both regular and special. He suffers and loses much but is repaid more than he could have ever imagined. As such, Harry represents those who truly live rather than just talk about the spiritual life.

Overall, The Seekers Guide to Harry Potter challenges the worldly wise (humorously called “Muggles” in the novels) by not reducing the imagination to biochemistry and neurology but seeing it as evidence for the indwelling of the spirit. Seekers interested in the meeting of fantasy literature and contemporary religious movements should find this DVD an extremely worthwhile part of their collection.

Extras include Dr. Trevarthen discussing beliefs about the four traditional elements of earth, air, fire and water and their correspondence to magical implements.

–MC

Related Articles

• ‘Harry Potter’ 3 & 4 Blu-ray giveaway (popwatch.ew.com)
• ‘Harry Potter’ author JK Rowling wins Danish award (omg.yahoo.com)
• New ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ TV Spots (screenrant.com)
• DVD: Contest: Win Harry Potter Ultimate Edition DVDs for Prisoner Of Azkaban and Goblet Of Fire (avclub.com)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ‘epic’ trailer blasts anything that moves (joystiq.com)
• The Harry Potter books, each outlined as a poster-sized comic [Concept Art] (io9.com)
• Projects ” Creations ” Harry Potter Drawing (cutoutandkeep.net)
• “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I soundtrack cover art revealed” and related posts (snitchseeker.com)
• ‘Harry Potter’ Ticket Presale Begins. Will You Buy Your Tix Early? (jsyk.com)
• Harry Potter author wins Danish literature prize (thestar.com)

Review – Buddha Wild: The Monk In A Hut (DVD)

Title: Buddha Wild: The Monk In A Hut
Genre: Documentary, Buddhism, Spirituality
Distribution: Reality Films

Buddha Wild: The Monk In A Hut is one of the best documentaries about Buddhism to appear in a long time. Written, directed and filmed by Anna Wilding, this film is fresh, sincere and fun without sacrificing its critical edge.

One would scarcely know this was Wilding’s first documentary. The polished narration, interviews, camera work and editing seem more like the work of a seasoned director, while the soundtrack enhances but never overshadows the story.

The film kicks off with a brief synopsis about the historical spread of Buddhism. Then it shifts to a Theravada temple nestled deep in Thailand, where much of the footage takes place.

We learn about the legend of the Buddha–his early life, insights and subsequent enlightenment. In addition, the film takes a penetrating look into some of the rules, opinions and objectives of several monks and an abbot, and is sprinkled with comments from visiting lay Buddhists.

Before watching this DVD I prepared myself for the usual ho-hum cliches about how materialistic city folk just don’t get it because we’re locked into our so-called “monkey minds,” obsessed with gadgets, and so on. But this film contains none of that talk, which usually comes off as thinly veiled discrimination and hypocrisy. Instead, these monks seem sincerely gentle, playful and compassionate.

Also commendable is Wilding’s probing with regard to the status of women in Buddhism. Some of the monks she interviews attribute questionable gender-related practices to “Tai culture” and not to Buddhism, itself, where women and men are said to be equal.

This raises the hot button issue as to whether any person, religious or otherwise, may justify unfair or discriminatory practices by pointing to “culture” or “tradition.”

Buddha Wild pursues the question of gender inequality without upsetting the apple cart. Wilding is provocative but also diplomatic. After all, if she’d pressed the monks too hard, the film might not have been finished and gone on to receive the Dalai Lama’s official blessing in 2010.

Like most religions (and many things in life), Buddhism abides by an organizational hierarchy. And these particular monks know that politics matters. They even say so. At first glance they might seem naïve and simple, but it soon becomes clear that they’re well aware of the complex world around them and, for the most part, university educated.

Central to any worldview, political or not, is the meaning of freedom. Wilding observes that the monks are free from worry when it comes to paying the monthly bills. But they’re not free, she adds, to pursue the worldly pleasures that many of us take for granted. For instance, the monks observe a rigid mealtime schedule and, like their Catholic counterparts, take a vow of celibacy.

Perhaps the most engaging part of the film occurs when Wilding enters a monk’s hut. But don’t conjure up images of a quaint straw dwelling without any modern conveniences. In this hut spirituality and technology converge. The joyful and contented monk in the hut sits at a computer, reads in two languages, meditates, and has, as he puts it, “sweet dreams” in his simple but adequate bed.

Wilding talks candidly about her initial apprehension to enter the hut alone. But she leaves somewhat relieved, finding the experience to have been wholesome and refreshing.

Altogether, Buddha Wild is a great introduction to the philosophical underpinnings, ideals and observances of Buddhism. It’s one of those films where theory and practice easily coalesce to produce something really quite memorable.

Bonus features include a segment with a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk residing in Los Angeles plus a shorter scene with the Dalai Lama, amid countless camera flashes, talking about the intimate connection between personal and global caring.

–MC

Related Articles

• Mike Ragogna: The Buddha Image…Out Of Uddiyana: A Conversation with Collector Nik Douglas, plus a Forward by Tibet House’s President Robert Thurman (huffingtonpost.com)
• Jillian Burt: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Sutra (huffingtonpost.com)
• Ed and Deb Shapiro: What the Buddha Might Say to Christine O’Donnell (huffingtonpost.com)
• Confession Of A Buddhist Atheist (anatheist.net)
• Great Buddha’s ritual cleaning (bbc.co.uk)
• Sokushinbutsu – Japan’s Self-Mummified Monks (odditycentral.com)
• Buddhism in America (time.com)
• Buddhism 101 (brighthub.com)
• New Buddhist monastery opens in Richmond (theprovince.com)
• New Buddhist monastery opens in Richmond (globaltvbc.com)