| GOD AGAINST US: ALIEN SPACEMAN JESUS, THE | | | | told him this is impossible. A not very bright academic |
| THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACK AND MORE | | | | in SIMON (1979) is prevailed upon to impersonate a |
| Alvin Miller | | | | spaceman. After a period of rigorous mental |
| (1986) | | | | brainwashing and physical conditioning, Simon comes |
| My second, newest article: | | | | to believe that he actually is an alien. He uses |
| At my site: TABLE OF CONTENTS | | | | equipment that interrupts regular television |
| PREFACE | | | | broadcasts when he periodically wants to deliver |
| CHAPTER ONE: A PLAUSIBLE TIMETABLE | | | | messages. Similarly, in RIDERS OF THE STORM |
| CHAPTER TWO: A FIRST LOOK AT NORMAN O. | | | | (1986), riders on a bomber interrupt TV broadcasts. |
| BROWN | | | | Woody Allen's ZELIG (1984) features a schizophrenic |
| CHAPTER THREE: THE MEDIA MESSIAH, OR | | | | chameleon who supposedly hobnobbed with the |
| LOOKING FOR JESUS ON | | | | leading political figures of the thirties. In the PURPLE |
| TV | | | | ROSE OF CAIRO (1985), also by Woody Allen, a |
| CHAPTER FOUR: THE MESSIAH RETURNS | | | | larger than life hero steps out of the screen in a |
| APPENDIX: THE SECRET RAPTURE | | | | movie theater and into the squalid life of a New |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY | | | | Jersey housewife. CREATOR (1985) has a loony |
| FILM LIST BY DATE | | | | college professor who is attempting to resurrect his |
| FILM LIST | | | | dead wife. The students he recruits for the project |
| FILM SERIALS | | | | are lectured on the Big Picture. |
| PREFACE | | | | Numerous other films with similar themes are listed in |
| What do you call a crazy spaceman? - - An Astronut. | | | | the bibliography, but, due to space limitations, I won't |
| What follows is a nearly word for word online version | | | | give further examples here. Men play god in the |
| of my ©1986 booklet WEIRD | | | | movies, but do they in real life? I point to such |
| ESCHATOLOGY: AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF THE | | | | research as genetic engineering, or the 'star wars' |
| SECOND COMING (ISBN 0-9616435-0-1; Library of | | | | project (laser weapons, beam projectors, etc.) These |
| Congress Call Number BT823.M55 1986). By the time | | | | devices were first predicted in science fiction, but |
| you finish this, you may conclude that this particular | | | | always accompanied by warnings we conveniently |
| peculiar interpretation of the Book of Revelation | | | | ignored that to develop them would be to court |
| should be relegated to the teachings of | | | | disaster. Further, I will shortly point out that while |
| self-appointed cranks, crackpots, prophets of doom | | | | these films depict physical devices, such actual |
| and various other assorted fanatics. But perhaps, | | | | equipment is unnecessary to produce the effects |
| even so, your own view may be clarified when you | | | | depicted. |
| read this. The first chapter deals with theology and | | | | As for the entertainment industry, we pour multiple |
| may be slightly dull, but fasten your seatbelt, as I will | | | | billions into it year in and year out. For what we pay |
| get more and more weird ahead (in terms of any | | | | we get back entertainment, but additionally, we also |
| interpretation you have seen before). Note that I | | | | get back social engineering that we didn't necessarily |
| make use of mostly unobtainable texts and obscure | | | | ask for. I am by no means suggesting a conscious |
| films. Lack of access to these sources should not | | | | conspiracy or deliberate plot by Hollywood. The |
| impede your understanding of what follows. Also, to | | | | fundamental problem is again expressed by McLuhan |
| emphasize the ostensibly momentous issues I am | | | | - the medium is the message. In other words, |
| dealing with here, I capitalize the subject phrases I | | | | inherent in the nature of the images produced by the |
| discuss. | | | | media is a latent potential for subversion and |
| CHAPTER ONE | | | | ultimately destruction. |
| A PLAUSIBLE TIMETABLE | | | | From this point to the end of the chapter, I will again |
| Are you a Christian? Do you believe in the Second | | | | take up the list with which I began this chapter. Upon |
| Coming at some future date? Is it legitimate to | | | | completing the listing, I said each term was related to |
| construct timetables for these future events? | | | | the term Mass Psychosis. I now claim we have |
| Rhetorical questions such as these right off the bat | | | | already had several actual episodes. The first, in late |
| may well put you off. A major difficulty is that no | | | | August 1973, lasted nearly two weeks. It occurred |
| consensus as to when and in what sequence these | | | | during the Watergate period and was done primarily |
| predicted events must take place. This topic has | | | | by the 'hippies'. The April 1983 event occurred during |
| always been a particular source of schism and | | | | the time of the American embassy bombing in |
| polemic. I will be proposing specific dates as | | | | Lebanon. The October 1983 event occurred during |
| numerous have in each generation before me. And as | | | | the time of the Marine barracks bombing in Lebanon. |
| many have been before me, I can be refuted by the | | | | The most recent event was the broadcast made |
| mere passage of time. | | | | while the Tower of Babel 9-11 attack (World Trade |
| The majority view espoused by most evangelicals is | | | | Center) was simultaneously taking place. These |
| pretribulational premillennalism, which I only partially | | | | broadcasts lasted only a day or so each and were |
| agree with. I will point out that part of this view is in | | | | done by a remnant handful of people. |
| fact based on a historical novelty that only traces | | | | What is the Invisible Rain like when it is falling? A |
| back to the nineteenth century. What I mean here is | | | | person walking down the street may stop for a |
| that in terms of the glacially slow movement of | | | | second, look around quizzically (what the #$*!), |
| theology (remember that the canon was finalized | | | | perhaps sniff the air, and then continue on. You've |
| some two thousand years ago), the majority view is | | | | lived through it - you tell me what it's like. |
| a relatively recent innovation. | | | | A few comments to wrap up the chapter. These |
| I prefer a distinctly minority position, which would be | | | | events should not be referred to as a Flood, because |
| called multiple-rapture postmillennialism. The | | | | of God's promise in Genesis that there would be no |
| postmillennial position holds that many of the | | | | more Flood. The New Testament imagery is always |
| predictions made in the New Testament, including | | | | fire. I hold Margaret MacDonald's Secret Rapture |
| those of the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24, Mk 13, Luke | | | | innovation of the nineteenth century correct, since |
| 21), were accomplished in the early Christian era, and | | | | we now have hindsight on these (multiple) events. |
| their past fulfillment limit's the future events to be | | | | There may or may not be more before the Messiah |
| expected. There exists one school, represented by, | | | | returns. After all, no one can predict the weather. |
| for example, Max King and Timothy James, which | | | | CHAPTER FOUR |
| holds that each and every prophecy of the entire | | | | THE MESSIAH RETURNS |
| New Testament was accomplished during the early | | | | I'll begin with another list: |
| Church age. However, I feel this view neglects | | | | THE SPACE COWBOY THE SKY MARSHAL OF THE |
| proper consideration of the Book of Revelation. | | | | UNIVERSE SKY KING KING OF THE ROCKET MEN |
| Postmillennialism is also sometimes referred to as | | | | STARMAN THE LOST PLANET AIRMAN THE MAN |
| preterism, which implies that the text is allowed to | | | | FROM INNER SPACE THE MORON FROM OUTER |
| speak without exegesis. Thus, when Jesus | | | | SPACE THE DIVINE IDIOT THE MAN WITH A |
| repeatedly predicts the Kingdom within a generation, | | | | THOUSAND FACES THE MIRROR MAN THE |
| I do not write off the statement as a mistake or | | | | INVISIBLE MAN THE THIN MAN THE OMEGA MAN |
| excess of enthusiasm. Instead, I draw up a timetable | | | | THE MYSTERY MAN THE MAN WITH THE POWER |
| that shows the Kingdom beginning a generation after | | | | THE MAN WITH THE POISON MIND THE MEDICINE |
| the Crucifixion. Then, when John of Patmos says the | | | | MAN THE RAINMAKER THE FERTILITY KING |
| Millennium starts at this date of the beginning of the | | | | WILD-EYED CHAMELEON THE JOKER THE |
| Kingdom, I duly go to my chart (at the end of this | | | | DEMOLITION MAN BIG BROTHER |
| chapter) and set the Thousand Year Clock ticking. | | | | Let me ask a few rhetorical questions. Are we |
| There was in fact a specific date a generation after | | | | perhaps involved in a real life version of the children's |
| the Crucifixion - the pivotal date of A.D. 70. This was | | | | game King of the Mountain in order to pick out the |
| the historical date of the Fall of Jerusalem, which is | | | | Messiah? Consider the paranoid schizophrenic with |
| not a particularly prominent date in more mainstream | | | | delusions of grandeur or possibly what is diagnosed |
| discussions. This is the date of the First Resurrection | | | | as a messianic complex. What has this to do with the |
| in the terminology of John of Patmos that begins the | | | | Messiah? Am I suggesting the Messiah will be merely |
| Millennium. | | | | a madman? Let me define a fairy or Peter Pan. A |
| What happened in A.D. 70? After a lengthy siege by | | | | fairy is chronologically and physiologically an adult but |
| the Roman legions, Jerusalem was ransacked and | | | | has refused to assume an adult identity (ego) and |
| leveled. To the secular eye, as detailed by Josephus | | | | has refused to take on adult responsibility. A fairy |
| in THE JEWISH WAR in gory detail, the scene was | | | | more or less never outgrows the omniscience, |
| one of mass destruction in which not even the | | | | omnipotence and sense of wonder possessed by the |
| Temple was spared. But to the spiritual eye, as | | | | infant, and inhabits fantasy mental worlds in |
| Russell's PAROUSIA demonstrated more than a | | | | preference to the real world. Again, I ask, what has |
| century ago, these events were the fulfillment of the | | | | this to do with the Messiah? |
| Olivet Discourse and the return of Jesus and His | | | | I took a brief look in the preceding chapter at some |
| conquering armies in the clouds to inaugurate the | | | | of what I felt were candidate messiahs being put |
| spiritual reign with the saints and martyrs. Other | | | | forward by the movie industry. I wonder if we might |
| sources listed in the bibliography including Chilton's | | | | be getting practice for recognizing the actual Messiah |
| PARADISE RESTORED espouse this view. Chilton | | | | when He returns. I feel such practice may well be a |
| nominated Jerusalem as the Whore of Babylon and | | | | good idea, since; for one thing, the Messiah won't be |
| Rome as the Beast. (Note added 2006: In my 1986 | | | | riding the White Horse this time (that was done in |
| Timetable I followed Chilton. I have since reversed | | | | A.D. 70). Neither do I expect to see a flying saucer |
| my opinion. I now see Rome as the Whore and | | | | descending from the skies to a world capital. |
| Jerusalem as the Beast.) | | | | I suspect it will be an Incarnation in the manner that |
| I need to stop for a moment to consider the | | | | occurred at Bethlehem. At that time, only the Wise |
| question of the dating of the Book of Revelation. | | | | Men and a handful of others could discern the |
| The presently accepted date for the appearance of | | | | Messiah. One dictionary definition of blasphemy is for |
| the Book of Revelation is A.D. 95. If this is the | | | | a mortal to name himself a god. I feel there could |
| correct date, the fulfillment of the predictions made | | | | well be an early period when the Chosen One is |
| so far would be merely a matter of hindsight. I | | | | accused as a blasphemer or the Antichrist. A |
| recommend John A. T. Robinson's examination of this | | | | considerable period of time may elapse before He is |
| question in REDATING THE NEW TESTAMENT. | | | | acclaimed Lord of lords and King of kings. |
| Robinson cites extensive internal and external | | | | At any rate, once the Messiah is actually recognized, |
| evidence for moving the date of the Book of | | | | it will then become a situation of "when the saints go |
| Revelation back to the A.D. 70 timeframe. Further, he | | | | marching in". In whichever country He first appears, |
| traces the standard A.D. 95 view back to a single | | | | the Messiah and a motley crew of followers will walk |
| source. This source is a statement by Irenaeus that | | | | into the capital city and take power. You say you |
| the Apocalypse first appeared "toward the end of | | | | want to be in that number? I suggest you think |
| Domitian's reign." This statement is ambiguous and | | | | carefully about it. To the secular eye this will be a |
| may even be merely mistaken. Other sources listed in | | | | Fool's Parade or Goon Squad made up of Snake |
| the bibliography (including Chilton and James) accept | | | | People (Marching Morons) - the actual 'meek' who will |
| an earlier date. | | | | then inherit the earth. I repeat - do you want to be |
| The Book of Revelation represents a significant | | | | in that number? |
| amplification of the preceding Gospels and Epistles. | | | | How, you may object, will a mere handful of such |
| Here the concept of the Millennium is introduced for | | | | people be able to take over a major capital city? The |
| the first and only time. The timetable presented by | | | | context is important here. We are dealing at this |
| John of Patmos extends forward to the future | | | | point in time with a nation under siege internally and |
| Judgment Day and the establishment of the New | | | | externally, soon to fall. Numerous other portentous |
| Jerusalem, thereby completing the New Testament | | | | dire events will be occurring simultaneously that will |
| Canon. | | | | dilute the significance of the central event. The World |
| Turning to the time period of the Millennium, lasting | | | | Trade Center attack, 9-11, was just the inaugural |
| approximately from A.D. 70 to A.D. 1070, the starting | | | | event of a coming series of catastrophes. We are on |
| point was the spiritual event, the Parousia, as detailed | | | | an accelerating descending slope. God is against us |
| by Russell and Chilton. But secular historians looking | | | | now for our Godless Wicked ways. This will be |
| back at this time period as a whole have labeled it | | | | confirmed by the disasters coming ahead predicted |
| the Dark Ages. More recently this verdict has been | | | | here. |
| tempered by the demonstration of the development | | | | Initially the Messiah will assume actual secular political |
| and technical progress that occurred in the Middle and | | | | power in order to obtain the objective of reinstating |
| Far East during these years. But it does remain true | | | | theocracy - an archaic form of government long |
| that for Western Civilization, primarily Western | | | | abandoned and forgotten by Western nations. |
| Europe for these years, these were times of | | | | Looking again with secular eyes, whether considered |
| unprecedented barbarism and ignorance. During these | | | | from the political left or from the political right, the |
| times the blood of countless martyrs was spilled in | | | | government will be a de facto fascist government - |
| belatedly laying down the Roman Empire and | | | | no matter what label is ostensibly applied to it. To |
| establishing the Church. Violence was the order of | | | | provide an example of the type of events that will |
| the day and sugarcoating or rose-colored glasses are | | | | be taking place, if, and I cannot overemphasize the |
| unnecessary. The First Resurrection was an event of | | | | hypothetical, if this occurs in Washington, DC, the |
| mass destruction and the Kingdom or Millennium was | | | | Constitution and the Bill of Rights will be abolished and |
| an era of barbarism. In other words, it is not an | | | | both Houses of Congress dissolved. I find this idea |
| accident or coincidence that the fulfillment of the | | | | unpalatable, and I feel none of the sources I have |
| prophecies was apocalyptic. Instead, there is an | | | | mentioned would find this palatable, nor would you. I |
| important principle to remember here, since I will | | | | do not believe these events will occur in the actual |
| point out that Judgment Day will also be mass | | | | Jerusalem, but, as I have indicated, one of the major |
| destruction and the New Jerusalem to follow will | | | | Western capitals, which will then become a platform |
| appear to secular eyes again be relative barbarism. I | | | | for world domination. |
| will take up these thoughts again in later chapters. | | | | W. Reich in the forties prior to even the advent of |
| Why didn't Judgment Day begin about A.D.1070 with | | | | national TV took a look at popular culture in THE |
| the end of the Millennium? Historically, many of the | | | | MURDER OF CHRIST. He was acutely aware of the |
| people living then did expect to see the Messiah | | | | possibility of fascism, having had direct experience |
| return. I answer instead that this was the date when | | | | with the mass movements of the twentieth century |
| Satan was unbound for his season. Here I part | | | | of both the left and the right. What would be his |
| company with many of the sources listed in the | | | | verdict now, some sixty years later? Many science |
| bibliography. They prefer to see the Millennium as an | | | | fiction films have dramatized a fascist takeover. Are |
| indeterminate period extending potentially thousands | | | | they a prototype for future real events? |
| of years with Satan loosed for his season only | | | | The evolutionary stages the government will undergo |
| shortly prior to the Second Coming. They see the | | | | can be expressed in the Marxist schemata. The first |
| Church still in the Millennial period expanding and | | | | phase corresponds to the dictatorship of the |
| consolidating its gains to ultimately convert the entire | | | | proletariat (rule by the meek). Then begins the |
| world immediately prior to the Advent. On the | | | | transition period to the withering away of the state |
| contrary, I hold that John of Patmos really meant a | | | | and the classless society or New Jerusalem. |
| time period of approximately one thousand years, | | | | Theologians have previously published outlines of the |
| and that Satan has been at work sowing his evil. I | | | | analogies between Marxist mythology and Christian |
| admit that the season has now lasted nearly a | | | | eschatology. And the return of the Messiah will |
| thousand years in its own right. One consolation is | | | | actually fulfill Marx's predictions, as well as those of |
| that this extended period is finally about to come to | | | | John of Patmos simultaneously. During the transition |
| a close. Satan has been quite busy from my point of | | | | period, it will be a matter of being forced to do |
| view during the last centuries. Examples of his | | | | without various items we now take for granted. The |
| infamous work would be such events as the | | | | entire entertainment industry will be dispensed with - |
| Renaissance, the Reformation, the | | | | television broadcasts, movies, rock music, etc. Much |
| Counter-Reformation, the Inquisition, the | | | | of the high technology of the West will be |
| Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution on down to | | | | abandoned. We will cease constructing aircraft, |
| the contemporary horrific mass movements. I could | | | | rockets and probably even automobiles (do only |
| be accused of being a feudalist or an obscurantist | | | | angels have wings?) This will be accomplished with |
| here. However, I do not look back to the Kingdom | | | | only a minimum of objection because the Messiah will |
| so much as forward to the approaching New | | | | rule with a Rod of Iron as the Book of Revelation |
| Jerusalem. At this point in time I feel we are reaching | | | | predicts. He will be a combination Joe Stalin, Jim |
| the low point of the curve descending to Hell, | | | | Jones, Adolph Hitler and Ayatollah Khomeni rolled into |
| immediately prior to the Messiah's return. | | | | one. Amos in the Old Testament correctly prophecied |
| Thus, I teach hellfire and damnation, as do most of | | | | the gnashing of teeth and tribulation that would come |
| the right wing evangelists who hold the premillennial | | | | with the Day of the Lord. |
| view. But, as I have said, the postmillennialists of the | | | | Is Western Civilization about to officially end? Are we |
| bibliography, who are also uniformly conservative for | | | | and our descendants to become almost exclusively |
| the most part, place much less emphasis on this | | | | concerned with physical survival, staying alive? Don't |
| aspect. | | | | go outside to watch the skies for the Advent. Merely |
| I am also in agreement with the premillennialists with | | | | stay tuned to your TV set and start paying more |
| respect to the Rapture. Historically, for eighteen | | | | attention. Have I seen one too many science fiction |
| centuries the Rapture was taken as essentially | | | | movies? Or is the show you never expected to see |
| simultaneous with the Advent. This is detailed by, | | | | ABOUT TO BEGIN?!APPENDIX |
| among others, MacPherson in THE GREAT RAPTURE | | | | Brief excerpts from Margaret MacDonald's 1830 |
| HOAX and Kimball in THE RAPTURE: A QUESTION | | | | Secret Rapture prophecy: |
| OF TIMING. MacPherson demonstrates that the | | | | It was first the awful state of the land that was |
| nineteenth century so-called Scotch seer Margaret | | | | pressed upon me. I saw the blindness and infatuation |
| MacDonald in 1830 introduced the pretribulational | | | | of the people to be very great. I felt the cry of |
| Rapture - a temporal separation of a Secret Rapture | | | | Liberty to be just the hiss of the serpent to drown |
| from the Second Coming. This introduction was a | | | | them in perdition. It was just 'no God', ---- |
| theological novelty or innovation. MacPherson traces | | | | I saw the people of God in an awfully dangerous |
| the concept from its introduction through the | | | | situation, surrounded by nets and entanglements, |
| nineteenth century figures Darby and Scofield to the | | | | about to be tried, and many about to be deceived |
| mainstream electronic evangelists of today. I have | | | | and fall. Now will THE WICKED be revealed, with all |
| said that I accept the multiple-Rapture view, which is | | | | power and signs and lying wonders, so that if it were |
| a variation of the pretribulational Rapture. I agree, | | | | possible the very elect will be deceived. |
| based on the work of my sources, that this view | | | | PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY |
| had its origins only in the nineteenth century. I will | | | | Chapter One. |
| indicate why I hold that view in the last part of | | | | The following titles are examples of conservative |
| Chapter Three. | | | | postmillennial and amillennial views as opposed to the |
| I should note that because I take a preterist | | | | standard premillennial view. |
| perspective, I place less emphasis on seeing the | | | | Bray, John L., THE MILLENNIUM - THE BIG |
| events that occurred with the First Resurrection | | | | QUESTION? |
| exactly duplicated on Judgment Day. For example, | | | | Chilton, David, PARADISE RESTORED: A BIBLICAL |
| Nero was clearly the Antichrist for A.D. 70, but I | | | | THEOLOGY OF DOMINION. |
| don't necessarily expect to see a new Antichrist prior | | | | Brunner, Constantin, OUR CHRIST: THE REVOLT OF |
| to the Second Coming. If forced to, one could select | | | | THE MYSTICAL GENIUS (1921 - published 1990). |
| from many twentieth century candidates for this | | | | James, Timothy A. THE MESSIAH'S RETURN: |
| post. Similarly, I don't expect to see the coming | | | | DELAYED? FULFILLED? OR DOUBLE-FULFILLMENT? |
| events occurring at the actual Jerusalem this time. I | | | | Jones, R Bradley, THE GREAT TRIBULATON. |
| predict in Chapter Four they will more likely begin in | | | | Kik, J. Marcellus, AN ESCHATOLOGY OF VICTORY. |
| one of the advanced Western nations. | | | | Kimball, William R., THE RAPTURE: A QUESTION OF |
| Beginning with the next chapter, I will be using | | | | TIMING. |
| apparently incongruous sources, such as left wing | | | | King, Max, THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY. |
| sources from the sixties. I will delve into films and the | | | | Lewis, Arthur H., THE DARK SIDE OF THE |
| media in general. These sources I will bring up are | | | | MILLENNIUM. |
| relevant to the issues of this chapter. So far I have | | | | Logston, Robert, THE END-TIMES BLOODBATH. |
| outlined a plausible but not mainstream view of | | | | MacPherson, Dave, THE GREAT RAPTURE HOAX. |
| Christian eschatology. From this point forward, as | | | | Robinson, John A. T., REDATING THE NEW |
| promised, expect the view presented to be 'weird'. | | | | TESTAMENT. |
| CHAPTER TWO | | | | J. Stuart, THE PAROUSIA (1887). |
| A FIRST LOOK AT NORMAN O. BROWN | | | | Stevens, Ed, WHAT HAPPENED IN 70 A.D. |
| It is a tale | | | | Terry, Milton, BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS. |
| Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury | | | | Chapters Two-Four. |
| Signifying nothing. | | | | Brown, Noman O., CLOSING TIME (1973). |
| -Shakespeare | | | | ______________, LOVE'S BODY (1966). |
| There is a good possibility you have never heard of | | | | Campbell, Joseph and Robinson, H., A SKELETON KEY |
| Norman O. Brown or come across any of his writings. | | | | TO FINNEGANS WAKE (1944). Gutkind, Eric, THE |
| His books are now a generation old and partly out of | | | | BODY OF GOD: FIRST STEPS TOWARD AN |
| print. Perhaps certain of the issues he raised have | | | | ANTI-THEOLOGY (1966-Horizon Press). |
| become moot with the passage of time. | | | | Harrington, M. THE POLITICS AT GOD'S FUNERAL: |
| I think when his books originally came out Brown was | | | | THE SPIRITUAL CRISIS OF WESTERN |
| taken as merely a sexual radical. I say merely here in | | | | CIVILIZATION (1983) |
| the sense that Brown would not be under discussion | | | | Hyde, Lewis, TRICKSTER MAKES THIS WORLD |
| if I felt that was solely what he was about. A | | | | (1988). |
| superficial reading of his cryptic, aphoristic style | | | | Joyce, James, FINNEGANS WAKE (1939). |
| indeed does give this impression. However, the actual | | | | Reich, Wilhelm, THE MURDER OF CHRIST: THE |
| subject of two of his books, LOVE'S BODY (1966) | | | | EMOTIONAL PLAGUE OF MANKIND (1966). Robinson, |
| and CLOSING TIME (1973) was religion. Of the two | | | | Paul A., THE FREUDIAN LEFT: WILHELM REICH, |
| books, CLOSING TIME is currently out of print but | | | | GEZA ROHEIM, HERBERT MARCUSE (1969). Roheim, |
| necessary for a complete picture. With these two | | | | Geza, MAGIC AND SCHIZOPHRENIA (1955). |
| books Brown actually solved the mysteries of religion. | | | | ____________, ANIMISM, MAGIC AND THE |
| Am I here claiming that if you comprehend these | | | | DIVINE KING (1930). Sontag, Susan, "The imagination |
| books you will have all your questions answered on | | | | of disaster." AGAINST INTERPRETATION AND |
| religion? Yes, that is indeed what I am claiming. Brown | | | | OTHER ESSAYS (1966). Tausk, Victor, "On the origin |
| did get all the way to the inner sanctum. If you are | | | | of the 'Influencing Machine' in schizophrenia" (1933). |
| able to solve Brown's puzzles, you will simultaneously | | | | Tindall, W., A READER'S GUIDE TO FINNEGANS |
| solve the mysteries of religion. I say this fully aware | | | | WAKE (1969). |
| that Brown's erudition makes this a monumental task. | | | | Verene, D., KNOWLEDGE OF THINGS HUMAN AND |
| If I have piqued your curiosity, and you decide to | | | | DIVINE: VICO'S NEW SCIENCE AND FINNEGANS |
| take a look at Brown, the best procedure might be | | | | WAKE (2003). |
| to look at some other sources as a preliminary. It's all | | | | FILM LIST BY DATE (PRIMARILY SCIENCE FICTION) |
| there in Brown in plain English, you understand, but | | | | A partial list of relevant and valuable film titles. No |
| you may have more success by circling in from the | | | | studios are given. Especially significant films are |
| periphery. One good out of print source from the | | | | preceeded by an * |
| same time period is Eric Gutkind's THE BODY OF | | | | *EVAN ALMIGHTY (2007) (sequel to BRUCE |
| GOD: FIRST STEPS TOWARD AN ANTI-THEOLOGY. | | | | ALMIGHTY. God commands Evan to build an Ark) |
| This book is also written in an aphoristic style. | | | | THE INVISIBLE (2007) AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH |
| Comparing the title of this book with LOVE'S BODY | | | | (1996) CLICK (2006) |
| will give you a clue to start you on the road to | | | | STRANGER THAN FICTION (2006) |
| solving Brown. Looking from the philosophical side, | | | | BEWITCHED (2005) |
| Michael Harrington's THE POLITICS AT GOD'S | | | | CHICKEN LITTLE (2005) ('The sky is falling!) |
| FUNERAL astutely asks all the right questions. The | | | | *CONSTANTINE (2005) |
| best book ever written on Jesus is Constantin | | | | V FOR VENDETTA (2005) THE DAY AFTER |
| Brunner's OUR CHRIST: THE REVOLT OF THE | | | | TOMORROW (2004) |
| MYSTICAL GENIUS (1921). Here's an interesting | | | | ELLA ENCHANTED (2004) |
| sentence from the book: "There he hung, the | | | | FAHRENHEIT 9/11 (2004) |
| blasphemer of God and slander of the most noble | | | | THE FINAL CUT (2004) (madman must die to save |
| men, the poor malicious fool, the incorrigble wretch, | | | | others) |
| the whoreson and whore monger, the swindler, the | | | | THE FORGOTTEN (2004) |
| liar, the secucer." The so-called radical Freudians, in | | | | THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA (2004) |
| general, such as Marcuse, Reich and Roheim in | | | | THE MACHINIST (2004) |
| addition to Brown, are pertinent. | | | | THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (2004) |
| There isn't space for an exegesis of Brown. Instead | | | | *SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMMOROW |
| I'll outline a central idea - the importance of the Primal | | | | (2004) |
| Scene. For the uninitiated, the Primal Scene is what | | | | WHAT THE #$*! DO WE KNOW!? (2004) |
| Dad and Mom did in the bedroom. Now even Freud's | | | | *BRUCE ALMIGHTY (2003) ('Armageddon outta |
| disciples had difficulty seeing the significance of the | | | | here!') |
| Oedipal Primal Scene and repeatedly attempted to | | | | *NORTHFORK (2003) (has an Ark,a Flood and |
| revise their master. Perhaps the best way to get an | | | | recording angels) |
| inking of its significance is to set up a confrontation | | | | SPIDER (2003) (madman) |
| between the Joker (the little 'castrated' clown | | | | CLOCKSTOPPERS (2002) (mass psychosis) |
| portrayed by Brown) and you. Put yourself in the | | | | DON'T SAY A WORD (2002) |
| following scene as a male: | | | | FINAL (2002) |
| You are standing on the outskirts of the big, modern | | | | FRAILTY (2002) |
| city where you live as the Joker approaches. | | | | HEARTS IN ATLANTIS (2002) |
| The Joker begins, "You know, stranger, I've been | | | | THE IMPOSTER (2002) |
| doing a lot of traveling lately and have seen several | | | | K-PAX (2002) |
| cities, including this one. I must say I don't like what | | | | LILO AND STITCH (2002) |
| I've been seeing at all. In every town the residents | | | | NO SUCH THING (2002) |
| use elaborate locks on their doors and seen to be | | | | THE RING (2002) |
| afraid to get outside on their own sidewalks at night. | | | | SIGNS (2002) |
| One minute they use each other's bodies as pleasure | | | | ZOOLANDER (2002) |
| objects, and the next they sue each other at the | | | | A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001) |
| slightest provocation. I see noise, confusion, mayhem | | | | CHICKEN RUN (2000) |
| and worse at each turn. I can't think of a thing that | | | | END OF DAYS (1999) |
| happened in Sodom that hasn't happened here many | | | | GLADIATOR (1998) |
| times over. Tell me, when you first came here was | | | | THE MATRIX (1998) |
| the city the same as it is now?" | | | | *THE SIXTH SENSE (1998) |
| You reply, "More or less it was, indeed." | | | | WHAT DREAMS MAY COME (1998) |
| The Joker says, "This town is a hard place to try to | | | | MEN IN BLACK (1997) |
| make a living in. Life is so hectic, there is such a | | | | INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996) |
| constant rush and din, that I sometimes believe I'm | | | | MARS ATTACKS! (1996) |
| really caught in a nightmare and will wake up at any | | | | *PLEASANTVILLE (1996) |
| moment. This is no place to try to start a family or | | | | FORREST GUMP (1994) |
| to raise a child. There's no place for the kids to play | | | | *STARGATE (1994) |
| here. You know, although I've had plenty of | | | | DROP DEAD FRED (1991) THE RAPTURE (1991) |
| opportunities to unzip my pants and pull out my gun | | | | THE FISHER KING (1990) |
| here, I just haven't felt right about it and so far | | | | THE HANDMAIDS TALE (1990) |
| decided to keep my pants zipped up. But I see by | | | | LOOSE CANNONS (1990) |
| the ring on your finger that the situation here | | | | SPACED INVADERS (1990) |
| apparently didn't deter you. You had the same | | | | EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY (1988) |
| opportunity, after all, to look around and see what | | | | BEETLEJUICE (1988) |
| was going on. But I see that no matter what you | | | | BIG (1988) |
| saw, you weren't about to stay away. You had to | | | | RAINMAN (1988) |
| have it. I admit that I am only a Fool. But I ask you - | | | | THEY LIVE (1988) |
| who's the better man?" | | | | *WINGS OF DESIRE (1988) (angels) |
| You: (Speechless). | | | | FIELD OF DREAMS (1987) |
| The Joker resumes, " Because I care about the evil I | | | | *MAKING MR. RIGHT (1987) |
| see and you don't particularly care, you end up with a | | | | PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987) |
| child to carry on your line, and I don't. I ask you, | | | | REAL MEN (1987) |
| which man has the greater love?" | | | | THE BOY WHO COULD FLY (1986) |
| You finally speak, "Before I punch you out, do you | | | | FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR (1986) |
| have anything more to say? - Any last words?" | | | | RIDERS OF THE STORM (1986) |
| The Joker ignores this and pauses a moment to scan | | | | BETTER OFF DEAD (1985) |
| the distant skyline. He then points a finger at the | | | | CREATOR (1985) |
| tallest skyscraper, rising in the mists - a source of | | | | LIFEFORCE (1985) |
| civic pride known to all residents (and an indisputable | | | | *LEGEND (1985) |
| phallic symbol). The Joker turns and asks, "How? - | | | | MORONS FROM OUTER SPACE (1985) |
| that building there - Tell me how that modern Tower | | | | MASS APPEAL (1985) |
| of Babel was constructed? No, let me answer the | | | | MY SCIENCE PROJECT (1985) |
| question. It was constructed by men who at some | | | | THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO (1985) |
| time or other unzipped their pants. Not that a single | | | | REANIMATOR (1985) |
| one of them was ever forced to you understand. It | | | | REAL GENIUS (1985) |
| is after all a voluntary act. Now I ask you to consider | | | | STARMAN (1985) |
| for a moment with me what would have happened if | | | | WEIRD SCIENCE (1985) |
| not one of these same men had ever unzipped their | | | | BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET (1984) |
| pants at all - not even one single time. How much of | | | | THE DEAD ZONE (1984) |
| what you see around here now would still be here? I'll | | | | DREAMSCAPE (1984) |
| answer - not a bit of it would here, including the | | | | GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) |
| building I just pointed to. I've been wondering these | | | | THE LAST STARFIGHTER (1984) |
| days why we put up with the perpetual nightmares | | | | THE LONELY GUY (1984) |
| here that we go through to get these massive | | | | THE NATURAL (1984) |
| monuments constructed. If we could just get all the | | | | NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984) |
| women under control, we could sit around all day and | | | | RED DAWN (1984) |
| drink beer and play cards." | | | | REVENGE OF THE NERDS (1984) |
| You reply, "Leave it to a shiftless ne'er-do-well to --" | | | | SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES (1984) |
| The Joker interrupts, "What we really need here is a | | | | TERMINATOR (1984) |
| King - the absolute biggest Fool we can find with the | | | | TESTAMENT (1984) |
| largest member. I think you may agree that I am the | | | | *ZELIG (1984) |
| perfect candidate for this job, as I'm absolutely no | | | | KRULL (1983) |
| good for anything else." | | | | THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS (1983) |
| The pair glare at each other, ready to fight. | | | | VIDEODROME (1983) |
| Let me make the important point about this tale that | | | | *ROCK AND RULE (1982) |
| the 'you" of the dialogue could just as well be the | | | | THE SENDER (1982) |
| Joker's father as anyone else - not a single line of the | | | | ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981) |
| preceding would need to be changed. (In the original | | | | SCANNERS (1981) |
| tale of Oedipus meeting his father at the crossroads, | | | | *THE LATHE OF HEAVEN (1980-PBS) |
| the pair had been separated and there was a disguise | | | | ALIEN (1979) |
| and neither seemed to recognize the other, at least | | | | *BEING THERE (1979) |
| consciously.) If the 'you' of the narrative were indeed | | | | CAPRICORN ONE (1979) |
| the Joker's father, the Joker would then literally be a | | | | THE LAST WAVE (1979) |
| son of a gun. This would also make the Joker on his | | | | *SIMON (1979) |
| mother's side literally an S.O.B. | | | | HOLOCAUST 2000 (1978) |
| In the dialogue that took place at the Temptation of | | | | STAR WARS (1977) |
| Christ (Matt. 4:1-11, Mk. 2:13, Luke 4:1-13), Jesus | | | | CARRIE (1976) |
| rejected Satan's offer of the kingdoms of this world. | | | | THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1976) |
| Brown says we are indeed in Satan's kingdom, i.e., | | | | THE OMEN (1976) |
| Hell, especially in the big cities. Jesus will one day | | | | A BOY AND HIS DOG (1975) |
| accept dominion over the earthly kingdoms, but only | | | | *THE DEVIL'S RAIN (1975) |
| on Judgment Day when His enemies have been | | | | THE STEPFORD WIVES (1975) |
| made into footstools. When He does return, He will | | | | WIZARDS (1975) |
| bring the keys to Hell and to Death. This implies that | | | | FLESH GORDON (1974-X) |
| a massive restructuring of present urban life - our | | | | YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) |
| man-made Hell - will begin at this point. | | | | THE EXORCIST (1973) |
| To change the subject, if you have an interest in | | | | THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (1973) |
| James Joyce, you should examine the excerpts | | | | HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (1973) |
| Brown has collected in CLOSING TIME. Joyce either | | | | JESUS CHRIST, SUPERSTAR (1973) |
| imitates (or himself actually is) the insane. The WAKE | | | | SOYLENT GREEN (1973) |
| is from start to finish nothing but the gibberings of a | | | | THE SPOOK WHO SAT BESIDE THE DOOR (1973) |
| madman. FINNEGANS WAKE is a textual Rorschach | | | | THE WICKER MAN (1973) |
| test, by which I mean that in its voluminous pages, | | | | WESTWORLD (1973) |
| any phrase you are looking for before you open the | | | | ZARDOZ (1973) |
| book can likely be found. But all the excerpts Brown | | | | A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971) |
| has assembled taken together conclusively | | | | FOOLS' PARADE (1971) |
| demonstrate that Joyce 'cracked' religion, i.e., that all | | | | THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971) |
| the answers were set down in the WAKE. In other | | | | THE OMEGA MAN (1971) |
| words, Brown demonstrates that Joyce earlier | | | | *THE RULING CLASS (1971) |
| pioneered the same trail in that Brown found. I don't | | | | THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS (1971) |
| want to go beyond fair use and start quoting text, | | | | WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY |
| so I'll stop. | | | | (1971) |
| CHAPTER THREE | | | | CAPTAIN NEMO AND THE UNDERWATER CITY |
| THE MEDIA MESSIAH: LOOKING FOR JESUS ON TV | | | | (1970) |
| Let me start with a lengthy list: | | | | *THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN (1970) |
| PURPLE RAIN COLORED RAIN GREEN RAIN FAIRY | | | | THIS STUFF'LL KILL YA! (1970) |
| RAIN INVISIBLE RAIN BLOWING THE WIND | | | | THE RAIN PEOPLE (1969) |
| REAPING THE WHIRLWIND IDIOT WIND WEATHER | | | | CHARLY (1968) |
| WAR REICHIAN ORGONE RADAR LOVE THE CALL | | | | MARS NEEDS WOMEN (1968) |
| LONDON CALLING THE BIG BROADCAST WEIRD | | | | NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) |
| RADIO PLANET WAVES BLOWING THE HORN | | | | PLANET OF THE APES (1968) |
| SOUNDING THE TRUMPET MIND WAR FAIRY GOLD | | | | THE POWER (1968) |
| FAIRY BLIGHT FAIRY BASEBALL FAIRY BOWLING | | | | FAHRENHEIT 451 (1967) |
| WALLS TUMBLING DOWN BALLOON GOES UP THE | | | | THE FLIM FLAM MAN (1967) |
| LONG GOODBYE THE BIG SHOOTOUT THE LAST | | | | DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMBS (1966) |
| ROUNDUP DROPPING THE VIALS THE POWER AND | | | | KING OF HEARTS (1966) |
| THE GLORY FIRE AND BRIMSTONE THE FLOOD | | | | DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE (1965) |
| TWINKLING OF AN EYE THE RAPTURE THE | | | | A THOUSAND CLOWNS (1965) |
| SECRET RAPTURE MARCHING MORONS DROPPING | | | | *CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED (1964) |
| THE BIG ONE THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL | | | | DR. STRANGELOVE: OR, HOW I LEARNED TO STOP |
| THE MACHINE STOPS THE FINAL SOLUTION THE | | | | WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964) |
| ELEPHANT BURIAL GROUNDS THE ROAD TO | | | | THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) |
| HOLOCAUST TIMEBOMB TICKING OVER SODOM | | | | SEVEN DAYS IN MAY (1964) |
| LAYING THE DEVIL DOWN RADIO SILENCE LIGHTS | | | | THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963) |
| OUT SHUTTING IT DOWN TURNING IT OFF | | | | LORD OF THE FLIES (1963) |
| PULLING THE PLUG PUNCHING THE DELETE | | | | THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963) |
| BUTTON THE SCREEN GOES DARK CLOSING TIME | | | | THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) |
| JUDGMENT DAY SIGNING OFF NIGHTFALL THE BIG | | | | THE MUSIC MAN (1962) |
| SLEEP | | | | REPTILICUS (1962) |
| "Whom the gods would destroy, they first drive | | | | WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND (1962) |
| mad" I'll ask some questions about this list to clarify it. | | | | ATLANTIS, THE LOST CONTINENT (1961) |
| At first sight, looking over this by no means | | | | MASTER OF THE WORLD (1961) |
| exhaustive list, it appears we need to get out our | | | | ON THE BEACH (1960) |
| umbrellas (or perhaps a degree in meteorology). The | | | | PSYCHO (1960) |
| first question to ask is: How many of these phrases | | | | *VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED (1960) |
| have you ever come across before? Try to think | | | | THE WORLD, THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1959) |
| where, if anywhere, any of these phrases can be | | | | ATTACK OF THE 50-FOOT WOMAN (1958) |
| found. After thinking it over, you might decide that | | | | *THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1958) |
| some show up in literature, some may be from the | | | | HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1958) |
| Bible, but many of them come from the media. | | | | I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE |
| The next question about the list would be: by | | | | (1958) |
| grouping all these phrases together as I did, did I thus | | | | THE MAGICIAN (1958) |
| intend to imply that each phrase is identical or | | | | NOT OF THIS EARTH (1957) |
| synonymous with each other phrase in the list? No, | | | | THE COURT JESTER (1956) |
| they are interchangeable in only a few cases, but | | | | FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956) |
| they are interrelated. What then do the phrases have | | | | GIANT (1956) |
| in common? My answer is that all bear a direct | | | | GODZILLA (1956) |
| relationship to a single phrase: | | | | INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956) |
| MASS PSYCHOSIS | | | | THIS ISLAND EARTH (1955) |
| This particular phrase, Mass Psychosis, you are | | | | GOG (1954) |
| probably less likely to have come across. Mass | | | | INVADERS FROM MARS (1954) |
| Psychosis is the actual meaning of the Fundamentalist | | | | IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) |
| doctrine of the Secret Rapture. | | | | THE LOST PLANET (1953) |
| Now I'm sure if one had the opportunity to interview | | | | *MEET MR. LUCIFER (1953) |
| rock star Prince and ask him what he meant by | | | | THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) |
| Purple Rain that he would not immediately reply, "a | | | | MY SON JOHN (1952) |
| codeword for mass psychosis." Similarly, Bob Dylan | | | | RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON (1952) |
| wouldn't be inclined to say, "When I sang about Idiot | | | | RED PLANET MARS (1952) |
| Wind, I meant mass psychosis." I would instead | | | | ZOMBIES OF THE STRATOSPHERE (1952) |
| expect convoluted explanations involving literary | | | | CAPTAIN VIDEO, MASTER OF THE |
| metaphors, etc., if I received any reply at all. | | | | STRATOSPHERE (1951) |
| Incidentally, I mentioned Prince deliberately since | | | | *THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) |
| there was controversy about his 'explicit ' lyrics when | | | | THE MAN FROM PLANET X (1951) |
| his songs came out. I note that his critics had nothing | | | | WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (1951) |
| at all to say about the other dimension of his songs I | | | | D.O.A. (1950) |
| am pointing to here - Judgment Day by 1999, etc. | | | | *THE NEXT VOICE YOU HEAR (1950) |
| Here I want to stop discussion of the list and return | | | | ROCKETSHIP X-M (1950) |
| at the end of this chapter with more comments. Let | | | | THE INSPECTOR GENERAL (1949) |
| me briefly return to the general topic of the media. | | | | KING OF THE ROCKETMEN (1949) |
| By media I mean all the conduits by which paid | | | | THE THIRD MAN (1949) |
| entertainment reaches us - film, radio, television, etc. | | | | NIGHTMARE ALLEY (1947) |
| Because television has such a voracious appetite, I | | | | THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1947) |
| will be using the term media and TV more or less | | | | THE PURPLE MONSTER STRIKES (1945) |
| interchangeably. Think of how TV, in order to fill each | | | | COBRA WOMAN (1944) |
| and every hour, gobbles up the output of the other | | | | THE LODGER (1944) |
| media, from films to stage plays to even rock music | | | | NONE BUT THE LONELY HEART (1944) |
| in the form of music videos. Some of us are logging | | | | I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) |
| in nearly a third of our lives glued to out sets these | | | | DON WINSLOW OF THE NAVY (1942) |
| days. As a baby boomer, I teethed on TV and took | | | | I MARRIED A WITCH (1942) THE DEVIL |
| its pervasive influence for granted. But, after decades | | | | COMMANDS (1941) |
| of exposure we have now had, I feel it is time we | | | | THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) |
| should begin a serious examination of the media. Its | | | | *FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE (1940) |
| influence is probably considerably greater than literary | | | | BUCK ROGERS (1939) |
| sources today. | | | | DAREDEVILS OF THE RED CIRCLE (1939) |
| Already by the sixties we had the McLuhanesque | | | | THE PHANTOM CREEPS (1939) |
| dictum that the medium is the message. This idea is | | | | *THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) |
| that the content is not particularly important, but | | | | FIGHTING DEVIL DOGS (1938) |
| rather the existence and ubiquitousness of the | | | | FLASH GORDON'S TRIP TO MARS (1937) |
| medium itself is the most significant fact. | | | | THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES (1937) |
| Let me look at media criticism in terms of increasing | | | | TIM TYLER'S LUCK (1937) |
| level of profundity. At the lowest, most abysmal | | | | TOPPER (1937) |
| level, the media are seen as providing harmless | | | | THE DEVIL DOLL (1936) |
| entertainment. But the billions of dollars we dump into | | | | FLASH GORDON (1936) |
| the media demonstrate that much more is going on. | | | | THE INVISIBLE RAY (1936) |
| Slightly better is the extreme right wing evangelical | | | | THINGS TO COME (1936) |
| view that TV and films are the devil's picture book | | | | UNDERSEA KINGDOM (1936) |
| and rock music is the devil's music. This approach has | | | | THE LOST CITY (1935) |
| the virtue of being factually correct, but has fallen on | | | | MURDER BY TELEVISION (1935) |
| increasingly hard times as all but the diehards have | | | | *THE PHANTOM EMPIRE (1935) |
| capitulated and joined in the media cacophony | | | | GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE (1933) |
| themselves. Massive blocks of radio broadcast time | | | | THE INVISIVIBLE MAN (1933) |
| and entire cable networks are devoted to selling | | | | KING KONG (1933) |
| Jesus sandwiched in between the ads for soap and | | | | FRANKENSTEIN (1932) |
| used cars. | | | | ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) |
| Slightly more discriminating is the idea that TV is a | | | | M (1931) |
| boob tube and rock music is subversive trash, and | | | | BLUE ANGEL (1930) |
| exposure to one or both may permanently warp | | | | METROPOLIS (1926) |
| your brain. Is the ultimate objective to produce a | | | | THE LAST LAUGH (1924) |
| race of mindless, godless, zombie giants (the return | | | | *THE CRAZY RAY (aka PARIS QUI DORT) (1923-Fr.) |
| of the "men of renown" of Genesis as described by | | | | THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1919) |
| Brown in CLOSING TIME)? | | | | FILM LIST |
| What indeed keeps us mesmerized by the flickering | | | | ALIEN (1979) |
| images hour after hour? Why are so many of us | | | | ATLANTIS, THE LOST CONTINENT (1961) |
| couch potatoes - practically frozen into stone | | | | ATTACK OF THE 50-FOOT WOMAN (1958) |
| statues? What are we really watching? The answer | | | | A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001) |
| from Norman O. Brown is that we are seeing the | | | | BEETLEJUICE (1988) |
| Oedipal Primal Scene reenacted night after night in | | | | BEING THERE (1979) |
| endless repetition with slight variations. You object, "I | | | | BETTER OFF DEAD (1985) |
| beg your pardon. I watched a game show followed | | | | BEWITCHED (2005) |
| by a situation comedy last night." What we are really | | | | BIG (1988) |
| doing here is paying performers to put on the only | | | | BLUE ANGEL (1930) |
| show we want to see. | | | | A BOY AND HIS DOG (1975) |
| Finally, at the highest level of criticism, we also | | | | THE BOY WHO COULD FLY (1986) |
| simultaneously get the final verdict on the media. We | | | | THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1958) |
| are watching Jesus get crucified night after night in | | | | BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET (1984) |
| excruciating detail, although we may not be | | | | BRUCE ALMIGHTY (2003) |
| consciously aware of it. After decades of this, I think | | | | THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1919) |
| it is likely to catch up with us some day. In other | | | | CAPRICORN ONE (1979) |
| words, the lurid violence and evil we see depicted in | | | | CAPTAIN NEMO AND THE UNDERWATER CITY |
| the media may eventually come to us in real life. | | | | (1970) |
| In spite of the blanket condemnation of the last | | | | CARRIE (1976) |
| paragraph, I'm going to turn around and list some | | | | CHARLY (1968) |
| movies. Ideally you should stay away. But the payoff | | | | CHICKEN LITTLE (2005) |
| is going to come to us all, whether or not we | | | | CHICKEN RUN (2000) |
| individually may or may not have watched. In the | | | | CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED (1964) |
| meantime, perhaps we can use the opportunity to | | | | CLICK (2006) |
| study both the overt and the subtle techniques being | | | | CLOCKSTOPPERS (2002) |
| employed. | | | | A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971) |
| The primary genre to keep an eye on is science | | | | COBRA WOMAN (1944) |
| fiction. As Susan Sontag said in the sixties, this is the | | | | CONSTANTINE (2005) |
| genre of apocalypse and mass destruction. Typically, | | | | THE COURT JESTER (1956) |
| as in the prototype FRANKENSTEIN (1932), a man | | | | THE CRAZY RAY (aka PARIS QUI DORT) (1923-Fr.) |
| attempts to appropriate the prerogatives of God | | | | CREATOR (1985) |
| (technically blasphemy) and reaps madness and | | | | THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW (2004) |
| disaster. These are rigidly moral parables where | | | | THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) |
| retribution is swift and sure. | | | | THE DEAD ZONE (1984) |
| Look, for example, at Rene Clair's THE CRAZY RAY | | | | THE DEVIL COMMANDS (1941) |
| (1923) from the infancy of the industry. The | | | | THE DEVIL DOLL (1936) |
| elements that were to become cliches with decades | | | | THE DEVIL'S RAIN (1975) |
| of continuous repetition were already present. A mad | | | | D.O.A. (1950) |
| scientist invents a ray machine he constructs inside | | | | DON'T SAY A WORD (2002) |
| the Eiffel Tower that turns the inhabitants of Paris | | | | DROP DEAD FRED (1991) DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE |
| into stone statues. An aircraft initially out of range of | | | | BIKINI MACHINE (1965) |
| the ray lands, and the passengers are astonished | | | | DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMBS (1966) |
| when they disembark. One worthwhile principle of | | | | DR. STRANGELOVE: OR, HOW I LEARNED TO STOP |
| criticism is to pay particular attention to the message | | | | WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964) |
| of film titles. In this example, the title might bring to | | | | DREAMSCAPE (1984) |
| mind such questions as: "did the title mean the | | | | EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY (1988) |
| inventor was crazy? Or did the ray have crazy | | | | ELLA ENCHANTED (2004) |
| effects? Or did the ray drive people crazy, implying | | | | END OF DAYS (1999) |
| that to turn people to stone is to drive them mad?" | | | | ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981) |
| A quite similar theme is presented in THE VILLAGE | | | | EVAN ALMIGHTY (2007) |
| OF THE DAMNED (1960) and its sequel THE | | | | THE EXORCIST (1973) |
| CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED (1964) (what questions | | | | FAHRENHEIT 451 (1967) |
| do these titles bring to mind?). This time a mysterious | | | | FAHRENHEIT 9/11 (2004) |
| influence seals off an entire village, the perpetrators | | | | FIELD OF DREAMS (1987) |
| in this case being invading aliens. Here, as in THE | | | | FINAL (2002) |
| CRAZY RAY, a geographic area is temporarily | | | | THE FINAL CUT (2004) |
| circumscribed. The females are impregnated by the | | | | THE FISHER KING (1990) |
| aliens and subsequently bear children with glowing | | | | FLESH GORDON (1974-X) |
| eyes and mysterious powers. This aspect of the film | | | | FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR (1986) |
| echoes the tale in the Book of Enoch of the fallen | | | | THE FLIM FLAM MAN (1967) |
| angels who descended to earth to mate with the | | | | FOOLS' PARADE (1971) |
| women and to teach forbidden arts. | | | | FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956) |
| Let me quickly note a few relevant characteristics of | | | | THE FORGOTTEN (2004) |
| paranoid schizophrenia as described by, for example, | | | | FORREST GUMP (1994) |
| Norman O. Brown, Geza Roheim or Victor Tausk. The | | | | FRAILTY (2002) |
| patient believes evil entities such as aliens from | | | | FRANKENSTEIN (1932) |
| another world are secretly conspiring to do him harm. | | | | GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE (1933) |
| The patient may believe his enemies are employing | | | | GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) |
| physical equipment such as beam projectors against | | | | GIANT (1956) |
| him. He is subject to seeing hallucinations or hearing | | | | GLADIATOR (1998) |
| voices attempting to guide his actions against his will. | | | | GODZILLA (1956) |
| In THE NEXT VOICE YOU HEAR (1950) normal radio | | | | GOG (1954) |
| broadcasts are interrupted for short periods each | | | | THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963) |
| night, and the cast seems to hear a message. This | | | | THE HANDMAID'S TALE (1990) |
| message seems to be more or less the Sermon on | | | | HEARTS IN ATLANTIS (2002) |
| the Mount. Was this the voice of God? If not, what | | | | HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (1973) |
| was it? | | | | HOLOCAUST 2000 (1978) |
| Another frequent theme in science fiction is the | | | | THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (1973) |
| nomination of candidate (false) messiahs. I say false, | | | | HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1958) |
| since we are merely watching actors playing a | | | | I MARRIED A WITCH (1942) I MARRIED A |
| fictional role. A real life prototype of these characters | | | | MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE (1958) |
| if found would not automatically thereby be a | | | | I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (1943) |
| messiah. An example is THE MAN FROM PLANET X | | | | THE IMPOSTER (2002) |
| (1951), which has an alien who is trapped and needs | | | | AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (2006) INDEPENDENCE |
| earthly assistance. | | | | DAY (1996) |
| THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951) (note | | | | THE INSPECTOR GENERAL (1949) |
| the title) offers another false messiah. An alien | | | | INVADERS FROM MARS (1953) |
| descends in a saucer, takes on the interesting name | | | | INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956) |
| of Mr. Carpenter, is killed and resurrected three days | | | | THE INVISIBLE (2007) THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) |
| later, etc. In the case of this film, the extensive | | | | THE INVISIBLE RAY (1936) |
| analogies were conscious on the part of some of the | | | | ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) |
| production people and were taken from the novel on | | | | IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (1953) |
| which the film is based. | | | | JESUS CHRIST, SUPERSTAR (1973) |
| In the BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS (1958) an | | | | KING KONG (1933) |
| alienpossesses a scientist, who then embarks on a | | | | KING OF HEARTS (1966) |
| mad quest to rule the world. It's my all time favorite | | | | K-PAX (2002) |
| movie. He has the power to shoot airliners out of the | | | | KRULL (1983) |
| sky with his eyes while lauging maniacally. He causes | | | | THE LAST LAUGH (1924) |
| megaton exposions with no visible weapons in his | | | | THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) |
| scheme for world domination. He's also a sex fiend. | | | | THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971) |
| Ingmar Bergman's THE MAGICIAN (1958) presents a | | | | THE LAST STARFIGHTER (1984) |
| rather dyspeptic false messiah from a traveling | | | | THE LAST WAVE (1979) |
| carnival show. The messiah of WHISTLE DOWN THE | | | | THE LATHE OF HEAVEN (1980-PBS) |
| WIND (1962) (note the title) is a fugitive mistaken | | | | LEGEND (1985) |
| for Jesus when discovered in their barn. When | | | | LIFEFORCE (1985) |
| apprehended and frisked, he stretches his arms to | | | | LILO AND STITCH (2002) |
| form a cross. THE FLIM FLAM MAN (1967) is a petty | | | | THE LODGER (1944) |
| con artist living by his wits. CHARLY (1968) is | | | | THE LONELY GUY (1984) |
| mentally retarded until chemically transformed into a | | | | LOOSE CANNONS (1990) |
| supermind. In THE RULING CLASS (1971), the | | | | LORD OF THE FLIES (1963) |
| candidate is an apparent psychopath. THE OMEGA | | | | THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA (2004) |
| MAN (1971), a remake of THE LAST MAN ON | | | | M (1931) |
| EARTH (1964), (note the titles) offers another ersatz | | | | THE MACHINIST (2004) |
| messiah. In ZARDOZ (1973), the messiah figure is a | | | | THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN (1970) |
| barbarian. | | | | THE MAGICIAN (1958) |
| SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW | | | | MAKING MR. RIGHT (1987) |
| (2004) has as the villan a man in his grave named | | | | THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) |
| German Toden Kopf (Death's Head). He has arranged | | | | THE MAN FROM PLANET X (1951) |
| to have a new Noah's ark built. As so often, the villan | | | | THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS (1983) |
| is the secret hero, because here Sky Captain actually | | | | THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES (1937) |
| destroys the Ark! HOLOCAUST 2000 (1978) (note | | | | THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1976) |
| the prediction in the title) presents the spectacle of | | | | THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) |
| Kirk Douglas wildly running up and down the Middle | | | | MARS ATTACKS (1996) |
| Eastern oilfields proclaiming the Ten Horns, etc. from | | | | MARS NEEDS WOMEN (1968) |
| the Book of Revelation. The messiah of THE LAST | | | | MASS APPEAL (1985) |
| WAVE (1979) is an aboriginal witch doctor. In BEING | | | | MASTER OF THE WORLD (1961) |
| THERE (1979), a simple-minded gardener who can | | | | THE MATRIX (1998) |
| barely tie his bootlaces and happens to be named Mr. | | | | MEN IN BLACK (1997) |
| Gardiner impresses the President as a sage. At the | | | | MEET MR. |
| end of the film he walks on water since no one has | | | | |