Odelecol
Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.
Humbersi
The first must-see film of the year.
Brenda
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Ian
It is, of course, one person's look at the era and although it is a fascinating glimpse into history and the state of the USA (and some of the world) at the time, it's easy to see how it might polarise opinion, although not so much among enlightened and free-thinking viewers.It's really interesting to see Nixon wage his 'war on drugs' as so many other 'leaders' of the US and other countries continue to do. A few enlightened administrations have realised their folly and relaxed their grip. The thing is - it's not about 'drugs' as such, it about what the state is unable to control And that, Dear Reader, is the crux of the matter and the crux of the movie.One of the best lines in the movie is: "If laws are wrong we have to break them!". There are so many laws today which are wrong from so many viewpoints and on so many levels with so-called 'law-makers' justifying their decisions to restrict freedom and limit control in the name of whatever-they-deem-politically-suitable-at-the-time. Make no mistake - it's about controlling you, very little else.Everyone needs to step up to the plate and not roll over when Big Brother makes a new decress.Well, that was a rant, wasn't it...?
artalchemy
Great movie... Laguna Beach was the epicenter of psychedelia for So Cal in the 1960's and I remember it well. It was like a non stop Kumbh Mela for the counter culture...Instead of sensationalizing a pivotal moment in time, the director lets the founders of BEL tell their story with his excellent Super 8 recreations filling in the gaps.When LSD was about to become illegal a government official contacted Dr. Timothy Leary and offered to provide him with a large quantity of governmental LSD. Leary asked why he was helping and the official replied, "Can you see any hope for this homicidal, neurologically crippled species other than a mass religious ecstatic convulsion?" Good question and the Brotherhood of Eternal Love tried to fill the bill.The founders of the Brotherhood are visionaries who walked the walk and paid the price for it as well. And it is wonderful that their story has been told so skillfully and without editorial comment.
sunshine-80496
This was probably one of the most disappointing doc/movies I'be seen in years. Shallow puff piece was the only description that came to me as I was watching this movie. Everything was wonderful, Everything was perfect. We were so special. Everyone wanted to be us. Its so sad that the everyone can't be as col as us, Except for the part where someone dies. I've know this story for years and knew quite a few of people who were involved and I was really excited to see the movie or at least something that was the least bit entertaining. Sadly the movie did one thing right, it showed the how completely self involved egotistical these people still are. FYI, the director was obviously in awe of this group/story because instead of making balance movie he let them dictate to him. SO DISAPPOINTED!!!!! If you insisted on seeing it don't spend a dime on it.
rmillerlaw
The film is a true story from here in Orange County and a documentary about how a little art gallery and spiritual commune in Laguna Beach ran by friends became the biggest drug distribution network in the world. The interviews with the Laguna Beach chief of police, and defense attorney Michael Kennedy, before his death, plus the clips from Paul McCartney, Nixon, Reagan, Lyndon Johnson and Dan Ackroyd, and the reenactments of OC in the sixties, the stories of passport fraud, smuggling, prison breaks and living on the run, and wanting to change the world made you feel like you were there.This is a story hinted at in books and other cultural artifacts of the time from the 60s, and was really waiting for this treatment as a film. The filmmaker did a great job, especially with the tone, look, and feel of the film, and the intensive interviews with those involved make you invested in their stories. If I had a criticism of the film, the flow of the storytelling seemed a little jarring at times. That might have been because parts of the story may have been trimmed for time, or it might have been due to planning to tell this story in an unusual way, or due to not considering unanswered questions. Most audience members had curiosity about the prosecution, and punishment, for those featured in the film. Only near the end are quick titles given showing the punishment for some of the members featured, but not the actual time served, the effects on them, or even what charges were filed. Likewise, the storytelling loop of Timothy Leary and his jail escape leaves him (presumably) in Canada, with no further follow up on what happened to him, or any liability to him or those featured here that helped him escape. A confession of love that leaves two members joining together and starting their life together, which the filmmaker said was an important point he wanted to include in the film, seemed uncomfortably inserted in the film, with no lead up, or resolution after as to why that happened, or what the effects were. I think motivation for all involved is an important part of bonding with those featured, and the inspiration to provide enlightenment to the world was brought up once and not resolved, when that could have been expounded on more. Overall, a very enjoyable film that makes you want to learn more and leaves you thinking for a while. An important part of the history of the 60s, the history of Orange County, and much of what that generation brought to modern society.
