Complete Map of the Universe

It was originally called "Map of the Universe".

The book came out in 1994.

Then there was the TV show: 'Est' and parts of it are in the film.

"EST" is just a series of people living in the dark for a period of one month.

Like in the film they are all filmed with infra red cameras.

They sleep, eat, shower, go to the bathroom all in the dark.

The winner is the one who won't crack up and remains in the house for one month.

All the contestants live in separate rooms.

They can't see. They like 'blind'. It's crazy.

The music is frightening.

Was "Est" a medical treatment from the sixties?

I first heard of the word "Est" in a David Bowie song about his brother, "All the Mad men" from "The Man who sold the World" album.

This has been taken from the novel "Map of the Universe". Some of the chapters are "Est" (the game show), "In and Out of Planet Earth" and "Writing on the Wall". Some footage of "The Complete Map of the Universe" has been taken from the first two seasons of the TV show: "Est" and some footage from the other two feature films.

Although I have to admit that it makes for great entertainment, the treatment of the contestants surely contravene the Geneva convention. Forget about the prisoners in the War on Terror, 'Est' is completely insane. The contestants become patients and they have to be cured. It's a sort of a psycho warfare on the contestant's brain. It's totally insane.

The Doctor responsible for this in the film is Dr Kelvin but he is invisible and is only heard once. This means that the film director Nick Peterson is responsible for their treatment. Most of the actors and members of the team who worked with him on other films have complained about how strict and demanding he is. He wants full commitment and he always get it.

If the result is great then it doesn't matter what the method is.

The film is just a documentary of the TV show. I have seen the TV show and it was awesome. I worried about myself because I can admit having seen this show. It's like watching some animals in a cage.

But the animals are being tortured or they are forced to do their own torture.

It's scary. I'm not sure what the guy or who ever got the idea for this show wanted to do. It's hard to see what the difference is between the "Est" TV Show and the film. It's the most insane show that I have ever seen. Nothing seems to make sense. Some of the clips I have seen online are much more crazy and extreme than on the film. The contestants are agonizing. One of them is lying down on the floor in its excrement. I don't know for how long the clip went on for only 3 minutes.

At the end someone came in (in the dark with special glasses) and helped but the contestant must have been left for a long time in that state. Was it all real? Was it part of the TV show?

It says it is a thriller. I'm not sure I agree with it.

It's like Big brother but every day the contestants are psychoanalyzed.

It's insane. It has a lot of nudity but it's all in a good taste.

The whole film has been shot with infra-red cameras except the game show host.

The film was originally conceived in 1992. There was a book before that. I saw an interview with the director Nick Peterson/Virtual Alien where he said that the only reason he didn't sue the makers of Big Brother was that George Orwell should first have the copyright on the TV show.

Full mark for the music score!

What is not too clear is if the TV show inside the film has been made with real actors or not.

It says that it is different than the TV show "Est" but some of the sequences are the same.

I have seen some of the clips of "Est" reality show on the web. They even had one with a dog! The dog was locked in the dark and kept for a month. The dog became gradually completely dominated. I have seen clips of "Est" with contestants asleep for a few minutes. If that was a preview, how long do they sleep inside the TV show for? It might be therapeutic to watch people sleeping for hours in the dark, especially if some are in the nude.

Real or not real, "Complete Map of the Universe" is great. A CULT film! Does anyone know where to buy the full TV series of "EST" on DVD? It's not currently on Amazon.