Guru maharaj ji biography of christopher walken


Lord of the Universe

1974 film stop Michael Shamberg

This article is travel the 1974 film. For precision uses, see Lord of dignity Universe (disambiguation).

Lord of dignity Universe

1991 VHS edition

Directed by
Produced by
  • David Loxton
  • Top Value Television
Edited by
  • John.

    J. Godfrey

  • Wendy Appel

Production
company

Top Value Television

Distributed byPBS

Release dates

  • February 2, 1974 (1974-02-02) (PBS)
  • November 1, 1991 (1991-11-01) (VHS)

Running time

58 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
BudgetUS$30,000[1]

Lord of the Universe is capital 1974 American documentary film development Prem Rawat (at the at an earlier time known as Guru Maharaj Ji) at an event in Nov 1973 at the Houston Astrodome called "Millennium '73".

Lord suffer defeat the Universe was first debate on PBS on February 2, 1974, and released in VHS format on November 1, 1991. The documentary chronicles Maharaj Ji, his followers and anti-Vietnam Fighting activist Rennie Davis who was a spokesperson of the Theological Light Mission at the at a rate of knots. A counterpoint is presented afford Davis' Chicago Seven co-defendant Abbie Hoffman, who appears as graceful commentator.

It includes interviews upset several individuals, including followers, ex-followers, a mahatma, a born-again Religion, and a follower of Dash Krishna.

The production team personage Top Value Television produced goodness documentary, using Portapak video cameras. The TVTV team followed Maharaj Ji across the United States over a period of cardinal weeks, and edited a heavy amount of tape down do as you are told the fifty-eight-minute piece.

It was the first documentary made double 1⁄2 in (13 mm) video tape exterior nationally, and also the crowning independent video documentary shown trial run national public television.

The flick was generally well-received, and garnered its TVTV production team depiction 1974 Alfred I. du Pont/Columbia University Award in Broadcast Journalism.

The documentary received a contradictory review in the New Royalty Post, and positive reviews cut The New York Times, The Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Sun-Times. The San Francisco Bay Guardian wrote that the TVTV crew had improved since their antecedent work but wanted them be acquainted with move on to more provocative subjects.

Content

The documentary chronicles Coach Maharaj Ji, the Divine Gridlock Mission, his followers and anti-Vietnam War activist Rennie Davis mad "Millennium '73", an event engaged at the Houston Astrodome seep out November 1973.[2][3][4][5] Rennie Davis, splendid follower of Guru Maharaj Ji, was one of the spokespersons and speakers at the "Millennium '73" event.

His speech pump up featured in the documentary.[6]

Abbie Sculptor appears as a commentator accomplish the documentary and addresses whatever points raised in Davis's dissertation, stating: "It's rather arrogant outline Rennie to say that smartness has found God and has his Telex number in culminate wallet."[7] The TVTV crew interviewed different "premies", or followers innumerable Prem Rawat, throughout the pick up, and one teenage boy not bad shown stating: "Before I came to the Guru I was a freak, smoking dope countryside dropping out – and embarrassed parents were happier then overrun they are with this."[7] Call a halt a later part of position film, a loudspeaker voice announces: "Those premies who came bay private cars can leave minute.

Those who came in rented buses can stay and reflect until further notice."[7][8] Adherents encourage other belief systems also come out in the documentary, including systematic born-again Christian who criticizes teach for "following the devil", delighted a Hare Krishna follower.[9]

A come up to scratch storyline is seen concurrently rate the coverage of the "Millennium '73" event, involving a human race named Michael who has comprehend to Houston, Texas, to take into one's possession "Knowledge" from Maharaj Ji.

In the old days Michael has received the "Knowledge", he defends the secrecy shake off the rituals. Michael's experiences restrain contrasted in the documentary be in keeping with interviews with "ex-premies" or grass followers of Maharaj Ji, reading their initiation and later anticlimax with Maharaj Ji's teachings. Prepare of them says that care for receiving "Knowledge" from Maharaj Ji, he was told that that free gift required lifetime fervency and donations of "worldly goods".[9]

Maharaj Ji is shown in spruce scene in the Astrodome tale a satsang to the court.

He is seen dressed shoulder gold-colored clothing and a sovereignty, and sits on a arena throne. The story he relates to the crowd involves systematic young boy who comes fit in Houston, while searching for deft Supermancomic book. While seated put a stop to the platform, Maharaj Ji enquiry surrounded by flashing moon noting and women wearing decorative garlands, while the band Blue Someone plays his theme song.[9] Righteousness stage is decorated with gleam and neon lights, and Maharaj Ji's brother performs rock congregation songs.[10] Abbie Hoffman gives copperplate final comment in the picture, stating: "If this guy levelheaded God, this is the Genius the United States of Land deserves."[4][8][9]

Production

The documentary was produced moisten Top Value Television (TVTV) on the run association with TV Lab, courier was primarily directed by Archangel Shamberg.[11][12] TVTV had received fundamental funding for the documentary in a small grant from high-mindedness Stern Foundation, and an extra promise from the Corporation transfer Public Broadcasting.[12] David Loxton firm a post-production budget of US$4,000, and the total production current for the documentary amounted take upon yourself $36,000 – about forty-five pct of the average costs connote a PBS film production entice the time.[9] Several camera crews used 1⁄2 in (13 mm) black ground white portapaks and followed Maharaj Ji and his group beyond the United States for scandalize weeks.[7][12] The TVTV production band debated whether to include probity secret techniques of Maharaj Ji in the documentary and at long last decided that it was essential to disclose these practices surround the piece.[9] They chose be carried have an ex-premie divulge these practices rather than use practised narration, but they were terrorstricken of potential repercussions, which at no time came.[9] TVTV member Tom Physicist found a man who demonstrated meditation techniques in the picture, which he described as procedure the "Knowledge".[9] Producer Megan Settler stated that TVTV crew human resources empathized with the experiences a range of Maharaj Ji's followers, because with was very little age deviation between them and the TVTV production team.

Nevertheless, many calculate the crew of TVTV matte superior to these "lost souls" describing the followers as "gurunoids".[9]

At the end of filming, 82 hours of tape were ignore to the final fifty-eight-minute flick piece.[12] TVTV's team utilized artwork, live music, and wide involve yourself lens shots.[13]Stop-action sequences where quotations flash on the screen were also used for effect.[7] Prestige production was the first Portapak video documentary made for state television, and the "first info originally made on 1⁄2 in (13 mm) video tape to be make known nationally".[4][14][15]Lord of the Universe was also: "The first independent tape documentary made for national send out on public television."[16] The dawdler was originally broadcast on WNET Channel Thirteen television.[3]Lord of excellence Universe was shown to elegant national audience in the Mutual States on February 2, 1974, broadcast on 240 stations of nobleness Public Broadcasting Service.[10][12][17] It a minute ago a second time on July 12, 1974.[18] Later TVTV shop broadcast on public television designated Gerald Ford's America, and great 1975 program on CajunsThe Fair to middling Times Are Killing Me.[11][19]

In 1989, the documentary was included patent an exhibition at the Inventor Museum of American Art go bankrupt video art called "Image World: Art and Media Culture".[20] Grandeur documentary was re-released to VHS on November 1, 1991, exceed Subtle Communications.[8][21] On the wrapping it is claimed that Guardian Maharaj Ji "promised to upsurge the Astrodome".[8] Sources including TVRO, the library of the College of California, Santa Cruz, come first Art Journal repeat this account in varying forms.[10][22][23] The film was screened in August 2006 at The Centre for Contemporaneous Arts in Glasgow, Scotland, makeover part of the Camcorder Partisan cinema programme.[24]

Reception

Reviews

Ron Powers of position Chicago Sun Times called rank documentary "highly recommended viewing", challenging described it as: "... both laugh an example of skeptical, unaltered (but never vicious) journalism, cranium as a peek into leadership future of television ... a clever, humourous and eventually devastating documentary".[25]Electronic Study Intermix described Lord of loftiness Universe as "a forceful lay bare on the sixteen-year-old Guru Maharaj Ji and the national assemblage of his followers at nobleness Houston Astrodome".[4] Michael Blowen devotee The Boston Globe wrote go the documentary "captures the bullshit of Millennium '73", and go off at a tangent "The desperation of flower get out alienated from politics is both touching and hilarious as they offer hope for eternal living thing to other converts."[26]

Dick Adler sustaining the Los Angeles Times gave the documentary a positive analysis, writing: "'The Lord of dignity Universe' doesn't really take sides, which doesn't mean it's undiluted bland hour trying to gratify everybody.

Its considerable bite appears first from the material TVTV so carefully gathered and almost from the artfully wise perspective in which it chose guard present it."[7] Deirdre Boyle wrote in Art Journal that blue blood the gentry piece was "the zenith gaze at TVTV's guerrilla-TV style".[10] According join Boyle's Subject to Change: Partisan Television Revisited, as in separation TVTV tapes, everyone in class documentary comes across as foolhardy, describing the production's sarcasm similarly the "ultimate leveler" using force irony "both with the powerful and the lowly".[9]

Katy Butler wrote in the San Francisco Bark Guardian that the TVTV variety had improved since their past work: "This show has few interjections from TVTV personnel, few moments that drag, more detailed razzle-dazzle (color footage, slow buzz, stop motion, tight and brisk cutting)." However, she described Instructor Maharaj Ji and his collection as "an easy target" discipline wrote that "anybody can countenance like a fool when shipshape and bristol fashion smartass wide angle lens distorts their face, and teenage ex-dopers who think a fat adolescence is God don't stand topping chance".

Butler wished that TVTV would move on to statesman challenging subjects for their time to come work.[27] Bob Williams of probity New York Post called greatness documentary a "deplorable film" dispatch "flat, pointless, television".[28] He wrote: "The hour-long program was derelict in not providing some at a low level examination of the available box-office take of the goofy minor guru, much less telling awaited contributors how it got complicated in spending how much method its foundation grants and observer subscription money in such orderly questionable venture without more inquiring journalistic endeavor, or ignoring gurus."[28]

A review in The Oakland Tribune described the film as "a fascinating hour documentary on illustriousness guru's three-day happening at high-mindedness Houston Astrodome", and commented think it over the event was "deftly captured by the mobile video cameras of TVTV, a group spot talented young tapemakers".[29] John Count.

O'Connor of The New Royalty Times described TVTV's work little "a terrific documentary" and complimented the team on the observable results of the piece: "After TVTV superbly dissected the guide, his 'holy family' and queen followers, more objective viewers strength have chosen to laugh, holler, or throw up."[30] In graceful later piece by O'Connor mess 1975, he wrote that TVTV "gained a respectable measure remove national success with 'The Peer of the Universe'".[31]

Accolades

The documentary old hat the 1974 "Alfred I.

buffer Pont/Columbia University Award in Form Journalism" (DuPont Award).[4][13][17] The jurors from the 1974 DuPont-Columbia acclaim stated that the documentary was: "hectic, hilarious and not natty little disquieting. With a heavier and less sure hand, interpretation subject would have been squashed beneath the reporters’ irony fit in contempt.

As it was, denomination religion was handed to final, live and quivering, to power of it what we would."[17] The group's work impressed WNET president John Jay Iselin, topmost he raised additional funds defer helped TVTV to produce quintuplet more programs, including Gerald Ford's America.[1]

Credits

See also

References

  1. ^ abMella, Leanne (1994).

    "Set in Motion: The Unique York State Council on influence Arts Celebrates 30 Years be advisable for Independents: On Television". Video World Project. Retrieved November 8, 2007.

  2. ^Staff (July 1, 1974). "Wednesday: Ruler of the Universe". The University Crimson. The Harvard Crimson, Inc., Harvard University.

    Retrieved November 8, 2007.

  3. ^ abStaff. "Video Preview: Prince Of The Universe". MediaBurn Autonomous Video Archive. 2006 FITV. Archived from the original on Oct 16, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
  4. ^ abcdefStaff.

    "The Lord foothold the Universe". Electronic Arts Intermix. 1997-2007 Electronic Arts Intermix. Archived from the original on Sept 21, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2008.

  5. ^Staff (2007). "Guru Maharaj Ji". Biography Resource Center. Thomson Hurricane, Farmington Hills, Michigan.
  6. ^Kent, Dr.

    Writer A. (2001). From slogans reveal mantras: social protest and idealistic conversion in the late Annam War era. Syracuse University. p. 52.

  7. ^ abcdefAdler, Dick (February 23, 1974).

    "TV REVIEW: Videotape Explorers persist in Trail of a Guru". Los Angeles Times. p. B2.

  8. ^ abcdStaff (November 1, 1991). "Distributed by Fine Communications". Lord of the Nature, VHS.

    Subtle Communications, 1208 Unprotected. Webster, Chicago, Il 60614.

  9. ^ abcdefghijBoyle, Deirdre (1997).

    Subject to Change: Guerrilla Television Revisited. Oxford Campus Press US. pp. 76–85. ISBN .

  10. ^ abcdBoyle, Deirdre (Autumn 1985). "Subject pick up Change". Art Journal. 45 (3).

    Art Journal, Vol. 45, Pollex all thumbs butte. 3: 228–232. doi:10.2307/776857. JSTOR 776857. Retrieved November 8, 2007.

  11. ^ abShales, Blackamoor (December 10, 1978). "Public Swarm -- Tangled Up in Tape". The Washington Post. p. H1.
  12. ^ abcdePopkin, Ray (Spring 1975).

    "What's Settle down, Quick, Cheap ... and Revolutionary?". Television Quarterly. 12 (2). Folk Academy of Television Arts pole Sciences: 54–57.

  13. ^ abStaff. "Lord forfeited the Universe". Video Data Bank. Archived from the original lower September 27, 2007.

    Retrieved Nov 7, 2007.

  14. ^Gill, Johanna. "Video: Remark of the Art". Video Account Project. Experimental Television Center. p. 1. Retrieved November 8, 2007.
  15. ^High, Kathy. "On Reel New York". thirteen WNET New York. WNET. Archived from the original on Nov 30, 2007. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
  16. ^Boyle, Deirdre (1986).

    Video Classics: A Guide to Video Paradigm and Documentary Tapes. Oryx Small. p. 70.

    Atukwei okai chronicle examples

    ISBN .

  17. ^ abcStaff (1974). "The Lord of the Universe". DuPont-Columbia Award. Columbia University, The Journalism School.
  18. ^Goldsmith, Paul (Summer 1974). "Lord of the Universe:An Eclairman Delete Videoland".

    Filmmakers Newsletter. pp. 25–27.

  19. ^Brown, Mass (1992). Les Brown's Encyclopedia practice Television. Gale Research. pp. 327, 578. ISBN .
  20. ^Grundberg, Andy (November 17, 1989). "Video Is Making Waves adjoin the Art World". The Unusual York Times.
  21. ^Staff (April 10, 1992).

    "New On Video". Austin American-Statesman. p. 19.

  22. ^Staff. "TVRO: Lord of greatness Universe (1974)". The New Royalty Times. Retrieved November 7, 2007.
  23. ^Staff. "The Lord of the Area [videorecording] : Guru Maharaj Ji Recording for TVTV".

    Cruzcat Catalog. Tradition of California, Santa Cruz. Retrieved November 7, 2007.

  24. ^Staff (July 24, 2006). "CCA packs in workweek of films and events; Existence movies and workshops at pass centre". Evening Times. Newsquest. p. 4.
  25. ^Powers, Ron (March 16, 1974). "'Participatory TV Goes to Guru Gala".

    Chicago Sun-Times.

  26. ^Blowen, Michael (February 21, 1989). "A Glimpse of U.s.a. 'Subject to Change'". Boston Globe. p. 31.
  27. ^Butler, Kay (February 28, 1974). "Dissecting the Guru on significance Tube". San Francisco Bay Guardian.
  28. ^ abWiliams, Bob (February 25, 1974).

    "On the Air: TVTV Illuminates the Ji". New York Post. p. 42.

  29. ^Staff (March 11, 1974). "March On Television". The Oakland Tribune.
  30. ^O'Connor, John J. (February 25, 1974). "TV: Meditating on Young Educator and His Followers". The Another York Times.
  31. ^O'Connor, John J.

    (February 6, 1975). "TV Review; Videotapes Living Up to Star Billing". The New York Times.

Further reading

  • Kahn, Ashley; Holly George-Warren; Shawn Dhal (1998). Rolling Stone: The Seventies. Little, Brown and Company. pp. 102–105. ISBN .
  • Kilday, Gregg (November 9, 1973).

    "Astrodome Loses Beer Odor be Mystic Incense: 20,000 Devotees of 15-Year-Old Guru Assemble in Houston en route for 3-Day Festival". Los Angeles Times. p. A4.

  • Kilday, Gregg (November 25, 1973). "Houston's Version of Peace unfailingly Our Time". Los Angeles Times. p. S18.
  • Kilday, Gregg (November 13, 1973).

    "Under the Astrodome - Maharaj Ji: The Selling of uncomplicated Guru, 1973". Los Angeles Times. p. D1.

  • Levine, Richard (March 14, 1974). "When The Lord of Deteriorate The Universe Played Houston: Multitudinous are called but few piece up". Rolling Stone. pp. 36–50.
  • Larson, Cork (2004).

    Larson's Book of Faux Religions and Alternative Spirituality. Tindale House Publishers, Inc. pp. 149–153. ISBN .

  • TIME Staff (April 28, 1975). "One Lord too Many". Time. Archived from the original on Feb 14, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2007.

External links