Illuminated

Another great movie by Johnny Royal, the amount of time and effort put into this movie is amazing. Great job by everyone that contributed to this movie! Definitely worth to watch!

This film is by far the most well researched and produced piece on this subject thus far. Johnny Royal's vision and style combined with Joseph Wages deep knowledge and research of the subject make for an informative and engaging expose of the often misunderstood Bavarian Illuminati. This film was visually striking and has something to teach everyone from the novice to the expert. Very well done!

Prepare yourself for Gawd offal background piano music (sometimes slow string instruments) by supervisor Harry Maslin. Too bad they could not afford Peter Coyote for their narrator; Johnny Royal had to do the narration himself.

Look like a series of sound bites from various experts (look them up), Josef Wages (Freemason, Illuminati Historian), Reinhard Marker (Illuminati Historian), Adam Kendall Masonic historian), Teresita Arechiga (Deputy Grand Master Women's Grand Lodge of Freemasons California), Dr. Olaf Simons (Illuminati Historian), Brian Butler (Occultist), Clyde Lewis (National Radio Show Host, Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis), Eric Bertolli (Freemason), and Ron Patton (Executive Producer, Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis).

As the Order of the Arrow is imbedded in the Boy Scouts the Illuminati is imbedded in the Freemasons; this covers the bulk of the story.

Did the Illuminati go out with a whimper?

Or are they still lurking somewhere?

Who is that behind you?

It is still fun, and I hope Johnny Royal will take on the Thule Society next.

Illuminated: The True Story of the Illuminati is a decent film that I respect and tolerated, but didn't necessarily enjoy. If you are an insane history or freemasonry buff, this may be a film that you enjoy. In that case, I recommend it heavily.

Illuminated: The True Story of the Illuminati is a factual and historical documentary about the origins and history of the Illuminati. The story of the Illuminati has the potential to be engaging and interesting. Unfortunately, I was slightly let down by this film. It isn't poorly made, but at times was very dry and felt as if I was watching one of those uninspiring videos shown in history classes. The narration is dull and uninteresting. I had a hard time paying attention at times, because it is characterless and tiresome at various moments. Among the positive aspects are the reenactments. The film captures the mysterious spirit of the Illuminati as well as the zeitgeist of late eighteenth century Germany. The costumes are on point and the music fits the film well. The actors, although they have no speaking lines, portray their characters in a believable fashion. The production values are pretty high and I was thoroughly impressed with that part. I have no discernable complaints on any of those aspects.

Another part of the film that I appreciate is its ability to capture the irony of Adam Wisehaupt's life. Wisehaupt spent his entire life dedicated to enlightening people and bringing them to their highest place of being. That is the entire point of the Order of the Illuminati. However, Wisehaupt ended up impregnating his late wife's sister, which prompted him to turn to gambling and drinking to drown his sorrows and distract him from the aftermath of the scandal. I find this hilarious, yet sadly ironic. The film highlights this quite well.

I recommend this film for kids ages 9 to 18, because some of the themes are creepy and may intimidate younger children. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Reviewed by Ella L., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, go to kidsfirst dot org.

At first I was skeptical about what this documentary would dive into. Wondering if it was going to follow the long list of YouTube conspiracies. Boy was I wrong.

Every person interviewed in this documentary is well regarded in their circles. Be they masons, historians, scholars.

I am happy I watched and recommend it to anyone interested in this sort of thing.