Thanks for the movie tip, I have it on my que on Netflix. Wish it was an instant play.
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, turquoiseb <no_reply@...> wrote: > > Great review, Curtis. The benevolence extended to me > as well, but I'm on the road right now and hotels take > a dim view of you downloading megabytes of film on their > WiFi so I guess watching it myself (and any review com- > ments I might care to make) will have to wait until I > get home. > > Just as an aside, if you studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, > you should really see David Mamet's "Redbelt." Mamet > has studied it himself for many years, and so in many > ways this film is as much his tribute to his idealized > view of that discipline as a TMO documentary would be > of its own. Even though Chiwetel Ejiofor studied 8-12 > hours a day for several months to play the lead, Mamet > wisely doesn't ask that much of him, martial arts-wise, > and just lets him emote. But this story from the Trivia > page for the film on the IMDB gives you a glimpse of > who Mamet is: > > In an interview on National Public Radio's "Fresh Air," > Chiwetel Ejiofor said that he thought he'd challenge > David Mamet to a friendly sparring match (keeping in > mind Mamet had been a practitioner of jiu-jitsu for > some years compared to Ejiofor's training for a few > months). They squared off, and Mamet stepped on Ejiofor's > foot with all his weight. Ejiofor couldn't free his foot > and was vulnerable to attack. Mamet said words to the > effect that "This match is over." > > And now off to check out the nightlife in Barcelona... > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" <curtisdeltablues@> > wrote: > > > > Due to Vaj's benevolence I saw the movie and have a few thoughts. > > (surprise, surprise!) > > > > There are as many ways to view the film as there are perspectives on > > Maharishi in and out of the movement, but even people who are all in should > > see it for the filming of Maharishi's funeral alone. Also not to be missed > > is the scene which caused the biggest fuss, but also showed how the inner > > movement experienced the changing of the guard on Maharishi's death. (I'll > > get back to that.) Maybe insiders have all sorts of tapes of how the other > > half lives in the movement, but I found the footage fascinating. He even > > has shots of the beautiful place I had my TTC phase III in Seelisberg, > > looking as oddly abandoned as it was when I as there. Past its World > > Government prime like one of those old ladies who stands on the ice rink at > > Rockefeller Center in a pink skating dress with her hands held in the air > > as if she has just completed the long program (nailed it) and now is ready > > for her 10's across the board. (Russia gave her an 8 but that was totally > > political.) The place is decked out in Liberace approved style. But its > > mountaintop placement is really striking. That was the most visually > > impressive place I ever lived. (Four months of eye candy.) > > > > Back to the movie. It seems honest to me. He goes through stages of > > mounting concern. He genuinely liked TM. Seeing the initiation day scene > > really brought me back. What magical fun that all was. I wonder if Guru > > Dev would step out of the picture and slay me if I initiated someone again? > > He might use that backwards Nazi symbol as a Chinese throwing star and lop > > off my head. (Sorry easily distracted today for some reason.) Or maybe he > > might try to use that staff on me. I think I could take him if he pulled > > that. Unless he was David feak'n Carridine with that thing, he couldn't > > swing it fast enough to neutralize my mad Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. (Perhaps I > > shouldn't try the puja again until my spontaneous fantasy is not grappling > > with Guru Dev? In my defense it was the Ultimate Fighting Championship > > mixed martial arts weekend, so I watched a lot of man on man action.) I > > guess he would zap me with a laser out of his third eye anyway so the > > world is still safe from me gett'n my Karpora gorum on anytime soon. But > > my point is that movie made me think of it, the scenes are sweet and > > nostalgic for me. (Like that is gunna de-blaspehemize the preceding > > paragraph!) > > > > His meeting with Lynch is doomed from the start. David comes off as the > > opposite of what I thought he would be like from his cool movies. He seems > > like he has lost all sense of irony and moves his fingers non stop in the > > itsy bitsy spider motion that really doesn't work for anyone over 4. I am > > no stranger to how that routine kills for the munchkin set but it doesn't > > fly for adults. He seems as if he is part stepping into Maharishi TM > > teacher mentally-disadvantaged simplicity, combined by having his ass > > kissed in richy rich world for a very long time. It has been a long time > > since he was not a VIP and his movement adulation has had an unpleasant > > effect. Or maybe he was always just a dweeb. He comes off as very uncool, > > very unaware of how fey he comes across. If I had the power I would strip > > him of his brilliant movie Blue Velvet and give the credit to someone who > > seems as if they could have created such a sly masterpiece. > > > > The scenes of Maharishi's funeral are a must see for anyone. They are just > > stunning and the best record of the event I have seen. The Purusha guys > > giddily jumping in the Ganges with his ashes is riveting. That could have > > been me, I would totally have done that when I was all in. > > > > If someone wanted to cut from this section to where he goes to the source > > of the ganges section they would love the movie, even if they were a > > hard-liner. > > > > He meets with the slightly Jabba the Hut-like Sarooopananda (SP?) who gives > > the elitist bastard perspective on Maharishi's lack of legitimacy. When he > > curls his lip describing Maharishi as a bookkeeper in the ashram I kind of > > want to slug him. Not out of allegiance to Maharishi, but because I am an > > American dammit and Maharishi's tale in the Hollywood treatment (Not by > > David) would be all about the scrappy little (Mickey Rooney would be a > > convincing casting)Baramachari who decided that tradition was not going to > > hold down his dreams of Golden Domes in his hands as well as those > > buildings they fly(NOT) in. (We will get to his paws on Golden Domes later > > with Judith.) So not being a spiritual guy I was struck at how unusual > > Maharishi was to buck the whole freak'n system. It either speaks to his > > immense grandiosity or his being a real self assured dude like Clint > > Eastwood in any of his movies. But one thing for sure, he knew he was > > flipping the bird to Guru Dev's whole traditional system. I am gunna > > connect this to Nandkashore later when he makes a scene with the rajas. > > Maharishi somehow walked out of Joitir Math with a self-confidence that he > > could do whatever the hell he wanted, with no traditional restrictions. It > > is kind of amazing really. I am temped to give him more innovator credit > > than charlatan shame at this point in my life. (Or maybe I should restrict > > that to this post. I reserve the right to go off on him in the future. He > > did sell it as a traditional practice connected to the elitist world of > > Guru Dev, and that seems suspect at best.) But I can't help bu ponder what > > allowed him to go rogue? Did he see through the Guru Dev deal in the end? > > He must have thought of him in a very original way to be willing to do what > > he did. Fascinating! > > > > So now we get to the big scene where he is filming the Raja's greeting King > > Tony as the successor for the first time and that is fantastic. The > > movement should have been glad he recorded this moment so well. He caught > > the drama of the changing of the guard. And it is all glowy TM celebration > > bullshittery till Nandkashore speaks up and it goes over like a fart in > > church. I met him when he ran the course in Yugoslavia, acting at the time > > like Maharishi's successor, and then he made us teachers so I got to talk > > with him some. The story is that he slept outside Maharishi's door for > > years. He came to the movement very young. He is a bit oddly feminine. > > His love for Maharishi knows no bounds, and I suspect there were many an > > adoring foot rub in their relationship. When he came to give into lectures > > with Purusha guys in DC he talked about the master disciple relationship > > till they put a lid on him. He couldn't help himself. He was the most > > adoring guy I ever met. He adored Maharishi like Maharishi claimed he > > adored Guru Dev, and then he seemed to get passed over in the end > > tragically. Passed over for Tony! This is the most poignant story within > > a story. After all those years of doing everything right (other than being > > socially bizarre) the succession passed him by. No wonder he was a little > > pissed and wasn't ready to bow to the king. And what he said was so > > innocuous really. He said he only wanted to do what Maharishi wanted, even > > now and would only go along with what he believed that was. Give the guy a > > break Bevan. (insert tasteless fat joke here please I don't have the energy > > as I feel Nandkashore's pain.) The overreaction to turn off the cameras > > was really unnecessary IMO. They were so afraid of the movement looking > > normally human? (As normally human as you can get with a room full of > > Rajas.) It was no big deal. But once again, in their lust for the > > presentation of perfection, they reveal that the movement always prefers > > pretense to reality. So they made a big deal about something which really > > was something honest. It was a family squabble as Bobby Roth effectively > > spun it. And who cares if the other people see it? That tendency makes > > the movement as uncool as David "wiggly fingers" Lynch. They just cannot > > allow themselves to be seen as humans. They are control freaks. It was a > > stupid blunder which they compound by asking to have film edit rights on > > the documentary. Yeah, that could happen, why even ask? So David Lynch > > launches a lawsuit and makes a fuss for no reason except to look like a > > dick. > > > > It was interesting to see our friend Mark Landau and the famous sandals. > > Kinda surreal. If anything he makes Maharishi seem more magical than I can > > relate to, so I don't know why movement types would really care. Taping > > Judith doing her Indian (American) healing stuff didn't really do her any > > favors. But she was pretty chipper about her love affair and it reinforces > > the sense you get from her book about her credibility. > > > > Everyone who has ever had a yoga fantasy of going to the source of the > > Ganges needs to see that part. Complete with my favorite scene with the > > sadhus he meets on the way who know how to party. ( I wont spoil it, the > > scene is worth the whole flick.) The scenes of that part of the world are > > amazing and it is impressive that he made the trek. > > > > I've gone on way too long, if you made it this far, thanks for your > > indulgence. I was just spilling out my thoughts so now I'll try to tighten > > up a bit for the landing. > > > > You gotta see it if you are, or were into TM. David Sieveking delivered the > > goods on a fascinating moment in movement history. He also plays decent > > harmonica a bunch in the film. What's not to like? > > >
