CONSCIOUS CINEMA
their efforts, showing them the weaknesses in
their offerings that, one would hope, they correct
(or at least won’t repeat) in future projects. The
understanding that emerges from these outcomes
is particularly crucial when they (and we) deliber-
ately employ the conscious creation process – the
means by which we manifest the reality we expe-
rience through the power of our thoughts, beliefs
and intents – to creative endeavors of any kind,
movie making included. Our shortcomings can
thus show us how to improve our manifestation
efforts in subsequent creations, be they everyday
do-overs or big screen sequels.
of them high profile in nature – that I believe come
up short on the aforementioned fronts. Some may
heartily disagree with my views about these pic-
tures, and I genuinely respect those differences in
opinion. I would hope that others extend the same
courtesy to me.
And so, in light of the foregoing, I hereby present
some examples of what I consider to be notewor-
thy cinematic missteps. I should add that most of
these pictures aren’t patently awful; they just don’t
live up to their hype – or potential.
So, if these debacles are such valuable learning
experiences, many have asked me over the years
why don’t I write about them more often? After all,
the curious contend, isn’t the point of my books,
articles, blogs and reviews to present insights into
significant conscious creation principles as they’re
illustrated through film? Well, the answer to that
latter question, of course, is yes. But, even though
these silver screen fiascos can represent important
learning opportunities, I’ve instead intentionally
chosen to focus my efforts on writing about films
that offer good examples of how these concepts
work and are illustrated cinematically. Why waste
time on movies I wouldn’t readily recommend?
Which is why I rarely, if ever, pen “negative” film
reviews. However, there is a significant exception:
When movies purposely target audiences interest-
ed in New Age, metaphysical and personal growth
topics (especially those with a strong conscious cre-
ation slant) and fail to effectively deliver the goods
in the finished product, I won’t hesitate to hold the
filmmakers accountable. In those instances, if the
pictures don’t live up to their billing in my opinion,
I believe it’s my responsibility to inform my readers
accordingly. I’ll point out what I believe to be their
deficiencies and why I think so. This may involve
“flaws” in the basic premises of the narratives or in
their particular cinematic attributes, such as writ-
ing, acting, editing, production values or other at-
tributes. Indeed, if these movies drop the ball, I’ll
call the filmmakers on it.
As a general rule, given the primary thrust of my
writing, these are the only times when readers will
see me take a predominantly negative stance. But,
with that said, there are a number of films – some
35 | HAPI Guide
Telling a story clearly and convincingly is a cardi-
nal rule of effective filmmaking. That’s particularly
important when it comes to movies that attempt
to convey sophisticated concepts requiring a cer-
tain degree of explanation, especially for audience
members who may be unfamiliar with the ideas
in question. That’s the major downfall of director
Christopher Nolan’s mystical space adventure “In-
terstellar” (2014), whose muddled presentation