Gambling, Gods and LSD

What an unbelievable waste of talent to create this movie. And a waste of my time to watch it. As well, if someone in the Canadian government made the decision to assist in the funding of this epic time waster, they should either voluntarily resign, or be forced to watch it.

While this movie did have a lot of amazing camera shots and scenery; it had little else. I couldn't determine anything but a vague a plot or plan that I could follow or much less enjoy. I watched approximately 60% of this movie at normal speed (and fast forward through the rest) all the time hoping it would somehow miraculously improve. I couldn't believe there was nothing to this movie but some nice camera shots and images of scenery.

Please don't waste your time watching it. Perhaps the producer of this movie was on LSD when he made it. Who knows for sure!

This was one of the very best documentary's I have ever seen, though I do not know were to buy it. I saw it on television from 1 - 4 am one night and it really inspired me, it opens your eyes to the truth and realness of life. They filmed extraordinarily in beautiful countries and interviewed and discussed with a certain charm that i had never seen or had not seen in a while. This documentary / movie is partially what got me interested in movie making, expressing feelings and thoughts in a way that only the people who take time to watch and listen will understand and describe to others which in turn will enjoy your ideas. Anyways, I loved it and i am sure you will thank you Nix.

I definitely encourage any and every one to see it.

p.s If someone knows were to buy it (ottawa) tell me haha!

Most of the criticisms I hear levied at this film just run along the lines of "it's too long!" (insert frustrated whine here) While I agree with some of the comments about certain weaknesses of the film I think that on the whole it is worthwhile because it inspires you to think (whether you actually do or not is up to you). Anyone annoyed with this movie because it a)is 3 hours long, and b) doesn't SAY anything must have walked into the wrong theatre. Check out the romantic comedy down the hall. At least criticize the film based on the objectives it is setting. This film is not trying to be easy to digest or to provide a succinct message. It is more along the lines of 'Baraka' or 'Koyaanisqatsi' in attempting to create a meditative experience for the audience. Those movies were also long and consisted of many disparate scenes with no narration. And they are made so ON PURPOSE. They leave it up to the audience to decide if there is any meaning to be gleaned from the experience. I thought this movie had many profound moments (along with things I didn't like)and I'll need to see it a few times to even begin to get it all. But, if you want something that will tell you exactly what to think then you probably should leave the theatre and I'm baffled as to why you entered in the first place. Just because a film demands something of you doesn't make it amazing art, but it doesn't just make it nonsense either.

This bilious garbage is like a high schooler's attempt to recreate "Koyaanisqatsi". Many of the same visual motifs are copied (poorly), right down to the cave drawings in the American southwest. From filming the drug addict buddy smoking a cigar in the dark by a Toronto river, to the endless cliché of filming in Las Vegas, this movie is an empty, ham-handed attempt at philosophical discourse on our culture, times, and humanity. Narrated in a monotone voice that is groping to sound worldly yet detached, enlightened yet skeptical, not cool yet cool, this film is the worst kind of self-indulgence. It strives to be profound at every turn, but it ultimately comes off as profound and sophisticated as a whoopie cushion.

This film apparently won an award as Best Documentary in 2003 in Canada. I cringe to think of the competition it beat out. Leave this windy mess on the video store shelf, and rent CUBE, TREED MURRAY, WAYDOWNTOWN, LAST NIGHT, or BARNONE. Gambling, Gods, and LSD is a vapid waste of time, film, and no doubt Canadian grant money. There are many other films that do a much better job of representing the wonderful cinema being made in Canada. This crap is not.

Without a doubt, saying that this movie is dull is a sad misunderstanding. It is not a dynamic fiction nor a pre-digested documentary. Rather this is a reflection and invitation to join in and think. Thus, the slow pace is a delight as it enables one to explore the meanings of each sequences. More movies should have action less breaks. On this particular journey, Metller explores our fascination for an escape of this earthly condition and furthermore underlines our instinctive desire to gather in Unity. All people, all ethnics, whichever their means have their rites of communion. Mankind is seeking for happiness and fulfilment should it be through gatherings, drugs, vain hopes and even maybe intrinsic biological qualities. This movie exposes the dream of man to become fully united, to become god, eventual point of the evolution of biogenesis. This is one of the most intelligent movie I have yet seen. The images are beautiful and so is the score. A long slow dream in essence of Humanity.