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Metaphysical Films of Note

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shadow_xca

Wow thats a pretty extensive list!... I'll have to check out some of your choices, there are a few that i havent seen that hold my interest...thx...=)

                                                                                    Paul


Ashfo

Yeah, its a huge list!

Thanks a lot.


- Ashfo

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"You are First Cause. You are a portion of the great energy. And you, yourselves are thought manifestations of what you think you are."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

PeacefulWarrior

THanks, I will try to find more stuff like this now that I see there is an interest...
-Dan

fides quaerens intellectum
We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

cainam_nazier

You forgot "Dune" http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/images/icon_Smile.gif" border=0>

I suggest the 6 hour directors cut as it has more explinations in it.  But you really need to be a fan to enjoy it fully.  So check out the short 4 hour version first. hehehe.

But it is about a young man "Pual Atreides" who is destined for greatness, even though he does not fully know it.  He is plaged by precognition although he does not fully know it.  Forced into hiding after the Harconans killed his father and tried to kill him and his mother.  He soon finds his dreams to be true and is set of a path of retailiation and revenge.  The movie is a blend of science, religion, dreams, and metaphysics.  A must see film.

Also note.  The original version was made in 1984.  That is the one you should see.  Not the one made in I think 2000, not really important its crap.  But don't take my word for it, checkem both out and deside.  The newer one was a made for tv movie as a pilot for a series that never took off.  So you don't get the whole story.


David Rogalski
cainam_nazier@hotmail.com
I am he who walks in the light but is masked by the shadows.

Joe

Great list - faves include Crouching Tiger, Fight Club and Matrix. I never understood 2001 A Space Odyssey...

Only one I could add is "Akira" - classic Japanese anime with heavy psychic and psychological plot, great action, awesome visuals for a cartoon, and a tragic ending.

steveb

Greetings all,

   Phenomenon,        excelent flick, about a teenager with advanced psi gifts, hidden away by his parents in a cellar,  then introduced to the mainstream in his teens.  Has a good feel ending.

Regards  Steve


cainam_nazier

I thought Phenomenon was about a man who got suddenly smart and developed psi abilities as the result of a tumor?
Or is there another film by the same name.


David Rogalski
cainam_nazier@hotmail.com
I am he who walks in the light but is masked by the shadows.

PeacefulWarrior

Another one I thought of was "Powder"....I saw it a long time ago in the theatre, anyone seen it?  Also, more recent films such as Devil's Advocate, Dragonfly, etc.  I personally thought Dragonfly was ok...and the ending was cool.  ANyway...

fides quaerens intellectum
We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

steveb

Greetings all,

 cainam_nazier,         I stand corrected David (well,Im actualy sitting), the film I was refering to is "Powder". PeacefulWarrior probably read the disciption I wrote for "Phenonemon" ( which I haven't seen ) and thought it reminded him of  "Powder".
  Out of intrest, is Phenonemon worth a look ?

Regards  Steve



cainam_nazier

Yes I think it is.  I enjoyed the film greatly.  It is a great showing of how a "unprepared" person can become overwhelmed by an active mind.   And it also shows how a person too open can incounter other problems with the various people they know.  They want your help but they don't want you around kinda thing.   John Travolta plays the lead and it is one of his better films.

David Rogalski
cainam_nazier@hotmail.com
I am he who walks in the light but is masked by the shadows.

steveb

Greetings all,

caniam,  thanks David, I'll give it a look at.

Just remembered two psi flicks I saw in the 70's, The Fury and Scanners, from what I recall they wern't to bad, may have lost there apeal over the years though.

Regards  Steve


Kristen

Hi Peaceful Warrior -

Hey - you're really good at movie reviews.... I think you should build a web site around what you just did - seriously!

And yes - I would definitely vote for Dune to be on your list....  

Take care : )

KB


alchimiste

Can any of you old farts remember "Altered States" that sensory deprevation tank movie or "liquid sky" that alien tantric wierd thing movie????

come on guys some of you are old enough and wierd enough???????

Alchimiste

Alchimiste
(A student of Evolution)

Demande a Dieu et il te repondra....Cherches et tu trouveras....Frappe et l'on t'ouvrira.

steveb

Greetings all,

"Old farts" , indeed, theres one advantage with age if used correctly. With it comes wisdom. So with that said, I'm hoping to become a "very old fart".

Altered states, one of my favorite   OLDER  :)   type of psi flicks

Regards  Steve  ( time for my afternoon nap )




alchimiste

Don't forget to take your teeth out Steve.

Alchimiste (eternal youth sucks)

Alchimiste
(A student of Evolution)

Demande a Dieu et il te repondra....Cherches et tu trouveras....Frappe et l'on t'ouvrira.

bitsmart

You forgot K-PAX and Stargate. Uh, Reality Bites... http://www.astralpulse.com/forums/images/icon_Smile.gif" border=0> The Matrix, 2001 and 2010, Fight Club, these were the most powerful for me, but K-PAX was pretty wild.

Keep 'em comin'!

bitsmart -
information illumination -
bitsmart@bitsmart.org -

PeacefulWarrior

I just saw Minority Report...that was definetly food for thought.

fides quaerens intellectum
We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

PeacefulWarrior

MORE:

What if you had to give an account of your life when you die?
In "The Limited," an award winning short film written and directed by Katherine Mackinney, John Hansen is about to find out.





fides quaerens intellectum
We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum

PeacefulWarrior

Cinema of Dreams

metaphysical films of note — and some tv shows, too
(Titles are capitalized)


The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Beautiful Ladies! Zest for life and the power of untrammeled imagination counter the deadening effects of uninspired rationalism and business-as-usual. But can they stave off Death? A more optimistic take on these themes than Terry Gilliam's earlier, brilliantly dark Brazil.

Agnes of God Interesting study of full-scale neurotic dysfunction. Or was it a miracle?

AI (Artificial Intelligence) Relevant for several reasons, including, most obviously, an android that wants to be real. However, on a more subtle level, the film presents the truly disturbing spectacle of emotional programming taken to neurotic extremes. The poor "guy" is constitutionally unable to change his patterns, or even recognize them as such. Worst of all, he never dies. Try to imagine spending an eternity in the confines of dysfunctional ego — sheer hell. Spielberg worked hard to come up with a warmish ending, but it's not really convincing.

The Anchoress A peasant girl with mystical tendencies agrees to become an anchoress — a woman who lives out her life confined to an enclosed cell in a medieval church. The local priest doesn't know what to make of her ecstasies, or her thealogy. Really not as depressing as it sounds.

Andrei Roublev The first in a series of long, ponderous, brilliant art films by Russian maestro Andrei Tarkovsky; this one isn't so ponderous. The film follows monk and revered icon painter Andrei Roublev on his journeys through 15th century Russia. The harsh, primitive conditions of life only worsen with the Tartar invasion and the cruelties that ensue. What good is art in the face of such barbarity? How can one serve a God that allows such brutality?

Being Human Robin Williams stars in this little-known film. A soul reincarnates in several historical periods until he finally begins to get it right. Lots of interesting cameos.

Being John Malkovich Hidden in the recesses of a New York City office building is a tiny door leading into the mind of John Malkovich. This is of great interest to the puppeteer that discovers the door, but not good news for Malkovich himself. When the puppeteer learns how to pull Malkovich's strings, an already complicated love triangle becomes very complex.

Blade Runner If the robots that were created to serve humanity begin to dream of freedom, then what? A classic in the field.

Contact Besides a big pitch for SETI, this film, based on the novel by Carl Sagan, contains a reasonably developed (for Hollywood) dialogue between science and religion. If you can't demonstrate the reality of a thing, did it ever really happen?

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon A movie for the new millennium, drawn from a centuries-old literary tradition. Chasing Tiger centers around a young woman's dream of adventure and freedom. Reckless and willful, she only realizes the utter seriousness of her destiny long after she's acted to forge it. Often romantic and thrilling, at other times Chasing Tiger, Hidden Dragon is merciless in its depiction of a true warrior's life, but it's always visually gorgeous.

The Cup Several days in the life of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Bhutan, as told by a real-life lama turned film director. The headmaster struggles to balance discipline and right behavior on the part of his young charges with their own enthusiasm for World Cup soccer.

Dancer in the Dark People either love or hate this film, starring pop singer Bjork, about a mother's sacrifice on behalf of her son. As her life takes a bad turn that only gets worse, the heroine escapes into a fantasy life informed by Hollywood musicals — or should we say that she creates her own reality? The film tends to drag in the second half.

Dangerous Beauty In Venice in the late 1500s, the only lives available to women were marriage, the convent, or, occasionally, to become a courtesan; courtesans were allowed to read. At its core, a sensual demonstration of the arts and boons of Aphrodite in a period when she had mostly been stamped out.

Dark City The city is asleep. One man finds himself awake after hours. Why is this, and what is going on? Similar to The Matrix in that it externalizes the agents of human ignorance.

Dead Man A western and an art film, at once. An effete CPA from the East arrives at the farthest edge of the American frontier, only to find that his anticipated job has fallen through. He soon finds himself on the run with a bullet lodged next to his heart. A Native American loner named Nobody takes him under his wing, determined to assist the poet (well, his name is William Blake) realize his ultimate potential before he dies. A shimmering, salty approach to death and transformation.

Dogma Never before has a film so resembled fruitcake to me. Imagine that you like fruitcake, but hate those green candied fruits. The cherries, yum; the nuts, delicious; the batter, divine. The weird green fruit, though—yucko. Same here. This is really an interesting film—chunky, substantial, humorous, open-minded ... if someone had just toned down the occasional flourishes of gratuitous bad taste! I think Kevin Smith might have been trying to say something with them, but... I just really hate those gross green fruity things! (The plot involves an attempt by two fallen angels to get back to heaven through a loophole in canon law. If they succeed, that would prove God to be fallible, and we can't have that, can we?)

Earth on Edge A PBS documentary by Bill Moyers, who rings the visionary alarm bell for humanity. Will we awaken in time? An incredibly well-documented view of the environmental impact humanity has had on this planet. What will the future hold for us who live here?

Emotions & Consciousness This PBS program examines the science of consciousness, perception and reality.

The End of the Affair Damn the Other Lover. An unlikely triangle underlies this examination of love, jealousy, and sacrifice in 1940s London. Based on the novel by Graham Greene.

ExistenZ "Which world is really real?" as presented through the device of virtual reality-style gaming, which also presents us with the questions "What are the rules of this game?", "What is my role is this game?", and "What the hell is the objective here?"

Fight Club Beginning as a sly manifesto about the superficiality of life in the consumer-age, Fight Club is about the search for vitality in the face of relentless cultural artifice, then it develops into something else entirely. A surprisingly complex film, by Hollywood standards, about cultural and personal Shadow.

The Fisher King Terry Gilliam reworked this archetypal Grail legend into a modern rite-of-passage for damaged adults — men especially. Opening the heart, the kingdom turns green again.

The Game A rich executive is given a once-in-a-lifetime birthday present, an invitation to the Game, an esoteric manipulation of a person's physical and psychological makeup designed to provoke to new realizations. Fascinating, but a violent introduction to the initiatory process. — CC

Groundhog Day In which Bill Murray is forced to undergo the same banal day over and over, again and again, until he begins to figure out how to shift the pattern.

Harry Potter Ah, what Muggles can do to magic. Riding the Nimbus 2000 to the big screen, the film is an eclectic mix of Mary Poppins and Star Wars (some of us liked Mary's parrot umbrella better — Ed.). Too true to the book, and lacking its imagination, the movie still has its benefits. Magic, wizardry, and varying levels of perception become the elixir of life to the world of Muggles. Still, traces of the Orphic Mysteries, the alchemists, and the hero's journey are better served in the book. — CC Click here to stimulate some interesting trains of thought.

Heavenly Creatures A real-life cautionary tale about imagination gone awry. Two unconventional teenage girls find each other in 1950s New Zealand. Their strong attachment to one another and to their make-believe world begins to scare their parents, with disastrous results. Beautiful and terrifying with intense renderings of an unusual imagined world.

Hideous Kinky Despite its hideous title, a nice little film about the spiritual search. Kate Winslet plays a hippie chick drifting through Morocco, desperate to find an anchor. She's certain she's ready for the annihilation of her ego; too bad she's brought her two young daughters along for the ride. Told from one of the girls' perspective.

Hi-Fidelity This film offers a glimmer of hope for the perpetual adolescent in your life. An unambitious record store owner begins to review his love life when his long-term girlfriend leaves him. Reestablishing contact with earlier girlfriends, he begins to realize that the story (and soundtrack) of his life thus far has had virtually nothing to do with the facts of it. A fun movie with a great soundtrack.

Highlander Oh those immortals! The student-Teacher relationship; the sacrifice of the Teacher (Obi Wan, anyone?); the classic conflict between good and evil. And a soundtrack by Queen to boot.

Household Saints Absolute faith and purity of heart lead to classic manifestations of sainthood in 1950s Little Italy. Of course, that's impossible...well, highly unlikely, anyway.

Jacob's Ladder 1990 take on the 'Mind Control by the Powers-That-Be' theme, played out with Vietnam vets. A cross between The Matrix and The Manchurian Candidate.

Jesus Christ Superstar PBS' Great Performances broadcast this revamped, updated version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice classic. Set against the neo-Nazi propaganda, Jesus progresses through relatively modern dress to those of Biblical times. The archetypal theme transcends time and the casting and setting made the production fresh and enlightening. A bit of Darth Vader, dog collars, and ultramodern lighting weave the historic myth repeating itself and the mystic's role within the world while maintaining an identity that transcends it. A must see - especially since it's free! — CC

Kundun This film takes frequent breaks from conventional narrative in its depiction of the early life of Tenzin Gyatso — more commonly known as the 14th Dalai Llama — until his forced exile from Tibet. Scorsese pushes the medium to express Buddhist principles such as the plasticity of spacetime. A truly beautiful, transcendental (& long) film.

Ladyhawke What God has put asunder let no man put together. Sun and moon, earth and sky, man and woman. The tantric dance of opposites set in the Middle Ages.

The Last Temptation of Christ What is this that burns inside me? The uncovering of one's destiny, and the regrets that might keep one from attaining it. Scorsese's underappreciated labor of love based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis.

Little Buddha A introduction to the essentials of Siddhartha Gautama's biography. In his search for a reincarnated lama, a monk arrives at the home of a American boy. Neither he nor his parents understand what this means or entails. Thus a child's primer on Buddhism unfolds in full cinematic splendor, while the boy travels to Bhutan and Nepal for further inquiry into his identity.

The Lord of the Rings Besides the fact that this is just a good old-fashioned movie-going experience, The Lord of the the Rings is significant here for its archetypically-loaded imagery and themes, its multi-racial backdrop of identity, interrelationship and destiny, and its examination of fate and free will in the face of epochal events.

The Matrix A contemporary variation on a familiar theme: There's more going on behind the scenes than most people ever imagine. Wake up...

Meetings With Remarkable Men 1979 adaptation of G.I. Gurdjieff's account of his quest for spiritual fire. The dancers at the end of the film were trained and choreographed by one of Gurdjieff's close students. The dance isn't simply for pleasure.

The Messenger The voices Joan of Arc heard — whose were they? Is there a difference between the real and the imagined? How do we distinguish between them? An example of the importance of self-examination — lest one mistake one set of operating instructions for another.

Mindwalk A failed U.S. presidential candidate, an expatriate poet, and a disillusioned yet philosophical physicist share views about the failings of modern civilization and the alternatives available to us. The politics of the possible, systems theory, and the music of the spheres are among topics discussed. Slightly dated, but aspiring politicians should watch it anyway. Adapted by Fritjof Capra from his book, The Turning Point.

The Mists of Avalon If you care for the book, don't watch this television adaptation which primarily focuses on the most superficial, salacious and embarrassing aspects of the story. The spirituality which imbued the book is missing, as are various subplots — which makes practical sense in adapting such a long work, but come on — Morgaine never even becomes Lady of the Lake in this! Marion Zimmer Bradley's estate should be ashamed of themselves. Not only will this disappoint the choir, it also makes paganism and Goddess-worship look ridiculous. What was the point, exactly?

Music from the Painted Cave A PBS extravaganza. Native America follows the Riverdance craze. Nevermind, native and modern music merge to bring the heart of the Native People into the consciousness of 2001. Great flute, drums, voices, and dances establish the return of the White Buffalo. And Robert Mirabel is easy on the eye, too. — CC

My Dinner With Andre Who would ever have thought that a dinner conversion would make such an interesting film? One man's inner doubts prompt a fascinating dialogue between two contrasting philosophies about meaning and existence.

1984 An interesting translation to screen of Orwell's classic novel. Another take on the quest for vitality and meaning in the face of an oppressive status quo.

Pi An eclectic, paranoid thriller about numbers, master codes, the stock market and Cabbala.

Ponette After her mother's death in an automobile accident, four-year-old Ponette tries to understand the totality of her loss. All the contradictory beliefs she encounters about death and religion are perplexing, but she finally manages to cobble together a cognitive map that works well enough for her. A heart-wrenching, yet sweet, film.

Princess Mononoke If you liked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, try this fairytale in which the creatures and spirits of the forest struggle to maintain their way of life in the face of encroaching human civilization. While this sounds like a no-brainer (forest good; humans bad), this animated feature (yes, animated) is much more ambiguous, and actively searches for middle ground.

Rashomon A classic from Akira Kurosawa. In medieval Japan, four witnesses tell remarkably different stories about a murder to which they are all connected. An object lesson in the relativity of human perception.

Ravenous Dances with Wolves as told by an Anne Rice fan, with a little Silence of the Lambs thrown in. Elements of the mysteries abound in this bloody flick.

Restoration In which great talent is led astray. Through the misuse of his gifts, Robert Merrivel (played by Robert Downey, Jr., in a sad twist of fate) becomes a fool. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have something to live for — or the opportunity to rediscover it anew. Visually magnificent.

Rosencranz and Guildenstern Are Dead Tom Stoppard directed this adaptation of his own play, in which two minor characters from Hamlet struggle to understand their place in the universe, both on-stage and off. Hapless and existentially confounded, Rosencranz and Guildenstern — or is that Guildenstern and Rosencranz? — eventually find themselves done in by a script they barely understand, much less have control over, despite hints from the Master Player that there may be a method to the madness.

Scientific Frontiers: Alternative Medicine This episode of the PBS series Scientific Frontiers offers thought-provoking challenges to conventional and alternative medicine with surprising results.

The Silence of the Lambs In case you've forgotten, the gristly Dr. Lecter provides young Clarice Starling with several gifts in this taboo-ridden film. Not the least of these is uncovering the source of her egoic motivations.

The Skulls An action-packed adventure about Yale's secret society. Everything is on the line for initiation, brotherhood, and survival. Interesting, though focused more on power and leadership than spirituality. — CC

Star Wars The hero's journey, perfectly encapsulated. What else is there to say?

The Thin Red Line Meditations in the face of Death. Beautiful, hallucinatory, extremely moving — but relentless in its final analysis. The film's ever-shifting points-of-view can be confusing, but this is exactly the point. In battle, it doesn't matter who you are; the meatgrinder of war requires bodies, not individuals. The grunts struggle to cope in the face of this grim reality. Those who've found some saving grace are the worst off; eventually they discover they've been deluding themselves all along. A long, meandering film.

2001 The stages of man as seen through the lens of Stanley Kubrick. What's not dated here is the subtext about the in/fallibility of logic and technology divorced from a holistic approach to existence. And the star child, of course.

2010 In the darkest hour, light. The star child returns with a completely new paradigm — just in time to avert an earthly catastrophe of human design. There seem to be some important clues in this film.

The Truman Show In which an affable young man begins to awaken to the truth: he lives a scripted, artificial life. Can he escape from the charade while the whole world watches?

The Turning Point Resolution of life's decisions against the brilliant tapestry of some of the world's finest ballet.

Waking Life A cross between Slackers and My Dinner with Andre. Although most reviews focussed on the unusual visual techniques employed in the film (it was shot with a camera, then each frame was animated ), it's the protagonist's dreams and the lessons within them that we would find especially notable.

What Dreams May Come The afterlife as determined by one's disposition in life — another reason to muck out one's psychological garbage. Despite a clunky script, a vivid representation of the astral realm.

Why Has Bodhidharma Left for the East? Three stages in the life of man, considered from a Zen perspective. A young boy is taken in by an elderly monk at his remote mountain retreat. While the child learns the ways of the novice, a young monk struggles to transcend the vagaries of samsara — consensual reality. The elderly monk oversees all this while preparing for his impending death. A long, ruminative film.

Wings of Desire While its sequel, Far Away, So Close is actually more metaphysical in theme — it focuses on the perils that attend divine beings when they walk the earth — Wings of Desire is the original, and the more beautiful of the two. An angel sacrifices his wings in order to taste, feel, experience color, and love. Loosely remade by Hollywood as City of Angels.

Wonder Boys With luck, you comes to a point when you realize you have a choice: remain as you have been, or reconfigure and move on, with all the sacrifices that might entail. Optimistically, Wonder Boys suggests that it's never too late to grow up and that it might be worth it after all.

X-Men In a not-so-distant future, apparently random individuals begin to mutate, developing superhuman abilities. As mainstream society struggles to understand and control the situation, the mutants themselves "debate" the proper approach to mainstream society: integration or survival of the fittest?

§§§


fides quaerens intellectum
We shall not cease from our exploration, and at the end of all our exploring, we shall arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Elliot
---------------
fides quaerens intellectum