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SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIESThe Cosmic Cultural Revolution |
327 Route 105
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“Saturday night at the movies
Who cares what picture you see
When you're hugging with your baby in last row in the balcony.”
The Drifters, 1964
The movies may have been a convenient backdrop to romance in years past, but today’s up-front cinematic offerings have taken a whole new turn. Wake up and watch! A new breed of daring young producers is exploiting industry clout to bring controversial socio-cultural issues to the forefront, stimulating a much needed public debate. The films nominated for best picture of the year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2006 begin to tell the story. Derided in the press as “the movies almost no one saw”, the five nominees were "Brokeback Mountain", "Capote", “Crash" (the winner) "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "Munich". Each, in its own way tackles a current social, moral or political issue. Noticeably absent from the “best picture” rolls were the usual and customary blockbusters (and budget busters) like "War of the Worlds, "King Kong," "Batman" "Harry Potter” and "Star Wars:”, films which distinguished themselves in lesser categories like visual effects and makeup. It seems, from the viewpoint of the critics at least, that this year the medium was truly the message.
Massaging the Message
Message movies are not new; what is noteworthy is their dramatic increase in number, quality, and acceptance by mainstream audiences. Not only are films in this genre now playing in commercial theatres, they are gaining critical acclaim. In a striking symbolic breakthrough, a documentary, Fahrenheit 911, was voted best picture (not best documentary) at the Cannes film festival in 2004 and was also nominated for an Oscar in that same category. This reception opened the door for the hot button flicks of 2005-6—a spate of contemporary films which explore controversial subject matter with sensitivity and dignity. Targeted issues include homosexuality (Brokeback Mountain), racism (Crash), and transgender sexuality (Transamerica). “Good Night and Good Luck” (a docudrama) highlights a courageous journalist’s lone crusade against the McCarthy era Congressional witch hunts. “Capote” and “Munich” raise ethical and moral questions and explore the psychological toll of overstepping these boundaries.
The Cultural Revolution
This “Cultural Revolution”, reflected on the silver screen, is projected from the collective consciousness and (quite naturally) mirrored in the heavens. At its astrological core is the planet Neptune which rules the popular culture (especially our deeply embedded myths and illusions) and, in particular, the film industry. In 1998 Neptune entered the (revolutionary) sign of Aquarius, heralding big changes in popular magazines, literature, TV and films and assuring that Aquarian themes--e.g. politics, social reform, climate change, metaphysical science and New Age spirituality-- would soon be appearing at a theatre near you.
“Soon”, can take a few years in an industry with a long lead time, nevertheless some indicators appeared early on. In 1998, the life after death movie “What Dreams May Come” pioneered a new genre of spiritual cinema. 1999 saw the sci-fi futurism of “The Matrix” and the mystical “Sixth Sense”. “ AI” (artificial intelligence) followed in 2001. “Crossing Over” with medium John Edwards hit the small screen in 2001, followed in 2005 by “Medium” the TV series.
When the planet Uranus (ruler of Aquarius) moved into the sign of Pisces (ruled by Neptune) in 2003, it jump started real quantum shifts. This interplay of planetary rulerships between Neptune and Uranus, is known as a mutual reception (see Amanda Owen’s article “Sign Swap” at www.spiritcrossing.org in the May issue). Uranus, as a higher octave of the planet Mercury (the cosmic messenger) reveals what’s on our collective mind--in present circumstances through the Piscean medium of film. The resulting multi-media explosion may only abate in 2011 when Neptune moves on into its home sign of Pisces and Uranus enters Aries.
It’s Documentary My Dear Watson
Even the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes’ superior skills would be no match for the dirt digging going on in the USA today. The film documentary has come of age—full length, living color. These exposes mainly target politics, as usual, or “politics as usual”. With advances in digital technology, anyone with a camera and a desktop editing system can now make a professional quality documentary movie. They are everywhere. Have you checked the shelf in your neighborhood video store lately? On the big screen, Michael Moore’s award winning films have garnered the largest audiences--“Bowling for Columbine”, (2004) an exploration of violence in America, and Fahrenheit 911, which exposes the Bush administration’s cynical manipulation of the 911 tragedy in service of its wealthy backers’ corrupt ambitions. In the same genre, “The Corporation” released in 2003, is an in-depth examination of the conscienceless psychopathology of the corporate model and its dangerously destructive consequences. Winner of 24 international awards, the film is based on the book The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power by Joel Bakan.
A Mere Mouse Click Away
The development of streaming video over the internet in the late ‘90s (technology and the internet are both Aquarian ruled) set off an ever burgeoning on-line revolution. Now, not only are news, sports and weather only a mouse-click away, so is a whole raft of proprietary video propaganda for every cause (Aquarius is the champion of causes) under the sun. At no time was this medium more exploited than during the 2004 presidential election campaign. Two brothers (no, not click and clack) made history when their web-based “Flash” animated political parodies were shown on both the evening news, and “TheTonight Show” –generating a cool 60 million hits for replays on their site. “This Land” and “Good to be in DC”, along with a stable of new offerings, can still be viewed at www.jibjab.com .
New Age Cinema Comes of Age:
“What the Bleep Do We Know” released in 2004 is the poster child of “New Age” cinema. A low budget independent film, part documentary, part drama and part animation, “Bleep” premiered in a few small local theatres on the West Coast. Publicized chiefly by word of mouth, it achieved surprising sticking power—being held over for weeks beyond its original booking dates and eventually being shown in more theatres nationally. Once filmmakers realized that there was an interested audience out there similar efforts followed. Card carrying members of the “Spiritual Cinema DVD of the Month Club” can now watch “Conversations with God”, the movie, or “Celestine Prophecy”, the movie, in the privacy of their homes with a group of like minded friends (how’s that for an Aquarian symbol!)”. Spiritual Cinema clubs are springing up nationwide. “Bleep’s” just released sequel, “Down the Rabbit Hole”, features the fourteen scientists from the original version as its new stars. The film contains over two hours of interviews, and a quantum five hour version is available on DVD.
Decoding Da Vinci
Two current big screen offerings, “The Da Vinci Code” and “An Inconvenient Truth”, strongly echo the Pisces/Aquarius archetypes and additionally incorporate larger Sagittarian themes. Sagittarius holds dominion over issues of religion, truth and nature. Pluto, the planet of transformation, entered Sagittarius in 1996 and will remain there until 2008. When Jupiter moved into Scorpio last November, it also created a mutual reception with Pluto, setting off a new and greatly intensified wave of investigations, political and otherwise. The much anticipated Da Vinci movie, based on the best selling novel (released in 2003) generated another round of vehement criticism by the Catholic Church and other sectarian Christians. The storyline, while admittedly fictional, is loosely based on sound research from the earlier non-fictional work, “Holy Blood, Holy Grail”. Both vehicles are catalysts for an important public debate about the veracity of religious dogma. For example, a recent article in Newsweek magazine (May 29, 2006) reveals the political motives behind the patriarchal Medieval Church’s denigration of Mary Magdalene to the status of whore. She was officially “cleared” by Pope John Paul II in 1996. The restoration of the divine feminine is one of the major tenets of the New Age. Note: Dan Brown’s protagonist, American religious symbology expert Dr. Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, is the author of a best selling book on the divine feminine. Entrenched patriarchal structures will become increasingly weakened when Pluto enters the sign of Capricorn in 2008.
Guts and Gore
Mixing it up, many well known movie stars have become politicians, or political activists, or advocates for social reform. Actress, Angelina Jolie, in her supporting role as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, is set to release a TV special this fall, of her trip through Kenya with a deputy of Secretary-General Kofi Annan. And then there is the classic turnabout, Al Gore, movie star. A man on a mission, Gore has been an environmental advocate for years. The recently released film, “An Inconvenient Truth” highlights his campaign eloquently and effectively. The film is quintessential Uranus/Neptune—dispelling the myths (Neptune) about global warming with hard science (Uranus) and delivering what may be the most urgent and compelling message of the twenty-first century. Uranus has been dubbed the “Great Awakener”. Clearly this film is a wake-up call, designed to burst “America’s bubble of unreality” in Gore’s words. The film’s theme song by Melissa Etheridge, “I need to Wake Up” echoes this sentiment. Gore’s intent is to energize a grass roots movement for change (Uranus in action). You can participate at: www.climatecrisis.net
A People United
What all of these cinematic offerings have in common is the common good. They are divinely designed to shock some, awaken others and energize the base—all of us collectively. Raising consciousness about these issues now is an imperative because so much is at stake. Many of the challenges we face today are global in nature; as such, they have the innate potential to unite us as a global community The Age of Aquarius, (ruled by the planet Uranus) will be co-created by grass roots participation--many individuals working to make a difference in their own lives, in society and on Planet Earth. If the “Cosmic Cultural Revolution” succeeds, we will ultimately transform the world.
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