Waking Life - The Film

[brendannz]

Hey,

I just did a search on stevepavlina.com and noticed that nobody's discussed the film Waking Life, this cool cartoon animated film where a guy's in a lucid dream discussing what 'waking life' is.

Here's the IMDB link; Waking Life (2001)

The reason I brought it up, is

1/ I'm watching it right now, (for the 3985th time)
and
2/ The themes in the film are a lot like a lot of themes in stevepavlina.com. Subjective reality, lucid dreaming, and 'the Power of Now', a little bit about soulful relationships and much more..

It's done by Richard Linklater, the director who did "Fast Food Nation"

Has anybody seen this film? what do you guys think? I love (most of) Richard Linklaters films..

[ShivasIrons]

Originally Posted by brendannz

Hey,

I just did a search on stevepavlina.com and noticed that nobody's discussed the film Waking Life, this cool cartoon animated film where a guy's in a lucid dream discussing what 'waking life' is.

Here's the IMDB link; Waking Life (2001)

The reason I brought it up, is

1/ I'm watching it right now, (for the 3985th time)
and
2/ The themes in the film are a lot like a lot of themes in stevepavlina.com. Subjective reality, lucid dreaming, and 'the Power of Now', a little bit about soulful relationships and much more..

It's done by Richard Linklater, the director who did "Fast Food Nation"

Has anybody seen this film? what do you guys think? I love (most of) Richard Linklaters films..

Nice post ... how do you keep track of all the times you have watched this movie?

One of my favourites as well, excellent, thought provoking movie. The cartoon style was pretty cool I thought. I think I am due to watch it again very soon!

It didn't get much or as much publicity as What The Bleep or The Secret? I wonder why?

[Rachelle]

I've also seen that film! I enjoyed it a fair bit.
Although I've only seen in once, and that was probably a couple years ago by now.

[Roxon]

This movie is an absolute masterpiece! I rented the dvd a year ago, was blown away and ended up buying it from the rental store. It may get its due credit in years to come. The concept, art work, script etc are excellent. There is so much to absorb and contemplate that its actually overwhelming and needs multiple viewings. A succinct take on perceptions of reality.

Its my all time favorite movie

[brendannz]

ShivasIrons;

Good point, with the secret and 'what the bleep do we know'. Maybe it's because Waking Life is quite complex and boring to some people.. But I think it's just that What the Bleep and the Secret were marketed more as self help type films, and Waking Life was marketed as the story of a guy in a lucid dream and not at all a self-help film.

I think the criticism I've heard from Waking Life (most people I've found like it, but not everyone) is that it's pseudo-intellectualism, and pretentious... But Waking Life got me into existentialism, and made me think more about subjective reality (I'd already thought about it)

I don't like What the Bleep do We Know as much.. It was interesting to begin with, but got a bit boring as it went on, plus you've got to go into it, not necessarily believing all the science in it.. Maybe just the general ideas in it..

The Secret I thought was quite good.. A bit one dimensional though.. But that makes it effective I think.

Roxon;

Awesome! Have you seen Slacker? that's a similar type of movie by Linklater and also very good. It's black and white, wander around town, rather than cartoon wander around town..

[Excellent Lodestar]

This Movie is in my top 5 All time, for sure...

I stumbled on it during a time when I was asking myself "what is the truth?"

straight up Advaita, man. love it.

[Cochonette]

Oh, wow. I've seen a few YouTube clips of it... I didn't realize it was set in a lucid dream!

[brendannz]

Originally Posted by Cochonette

Oh, wow. I've seen a few YouTube clips of it... I didn't realize it was set in a lucid dream!

It's the 6-12 minutes of brain activity after death.. But 6-12 minutes in dream time is much longer

[WakingLife]

wow i thought i should comment here by default, since it's proudly my username

that movie changed my life, my way of thinking etc. i was listenign to the soundtrack lately too. Amaaazing stuff.

you guys have any other movie recommendations like Waking Life then?

[FazK]

I love love love this film it's so trippy and dreamy and mind expanding. If you haven;t watched it please do so a.s.a.p.

Basically it's all about metaphysics but mostly about lucid dreaming. Another film you must check out is Scanner Darkly also by Richard Linklater. It also uses the rotoscope animation technique and is just as good if not better than waking life

[brendannz]

WakingLife,

nice name, I'd actually wondered if it was from the film myself
It was quite funny I was playing a tune on my guitar once, and couldn't quite remember what I was playing, and it clicked, it was the Waking Life music. I think I was just picking each string up and down to 2 chords, can't remember which chords they were, might've been C and Em.

Other movies? What sort of films would you be after? art-house? trippy? life-changing? motivational?

For life changing, one I can highly recommend would be American Beauty, although lots have already seen this.

For dreamy / trippy; I'd recommend the Science of Sleep, I quite like that one, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is good too.. Both by the same director.

One thing about movies, is I generally always like a happy ending in them, even though this didn't happen in Waking Life, it was quite mind-expanding, and plus it was too plotless to worry about the storyline.. "It's just people, fleeting emotions, bits of rapture"

A scanner darkly was very good in trippiness, but a bit too paranoid and depressing, for me.

But if you like Waking Life, Richard Linklaters film Slacker, it's in black and white and it is also very good.. Very similar to Waking Life..It's the same plotness-ness ensemble format.. but doesn't have a central character, Person A talks to person B, then person B talks to Person C then Person C talks to person D, etc.etc.

It's very similar to Waking Life, in that the whole film is an argument. In Waking Life, it's about a lucid dream as a metaphor for life, and in Slacker, it's a positive spin about 20 something bohemians, resisting work.. Kind of like Steve Pavlina's article about why you should never get a job, but Steve's point is that we should start our own business, and Slacker is about being the anti-artist.

It partially inspired Clerks..

I used to be big on film, I need to get into some new films myself, I think..

[brendannz]

Originally Posted by FazK

Basically it's all about metaphysics but mostly about lucid dreaming.

"seems like everybody's wake-walking through their dreams or sleep walking through their waking state"

I think it's more about a lucid dream as a metaphor for constructing your own real life waking reality..

So do any of you guys who like Waking Life, also read existentialism as well?

[WakingLife]

lol thanks brenndanz! although i've seen american beauty, science of sleep, eternal (my favorite, beating waking life slightly. michel gondry/charlie kaufman=amazinggg. plus gael garcia bernal just kills me!) and my friend JUST suggested a scanner darkly to me yesterday! so you just reinforced that i'll also watch linklater's other films u suggested

since halloween is coming up too, i thought it'd be cool to get a red wig and pain my face to look like rotoscope art then i could be the girl who doesn't want to be an ant. but i think i might be penny lane, or annie hall instead. clementine's been done. or a shaun of the dead zombie but that would be confused with the new movie coming out.

i printed teh script and kept it with me forawhile, reading it and etc.

fleet moments, one of my favorite quotes!

i REALLY want to learn the songs on the piano.. ill get onto that sometime.

i'll suggest the movie 'the edukators' a german film, kind of alike a dreamless anticapitalist version of waking life ha

[brendannz]

Originally Posted by WakingLife

lol thanks brenndanz! although i've seen american beauty, science of sleep, eternal (my favorite, beating waking life slightly. michel gondry/charlie kaufman=amazinggg. plus gael garcia bernal just kills me!) and my friend JUST suggested a scanner darkly to me yesterday! so you just reinforced that i'll also watch linklater's other films u suggested

I'll suggest the movie 'the edukators' a german film, kind of alike a dreamless anticapitalist version of waking life ha

Thanks, I'll look out for the Edukators,

I also like Tim Burton movies, quite fun and surreal..

Have you seen other Linklater films? Before sunset, before sunrise?

I remember an interview Richard Linklater was saying how there's so many significant moments in our lives which don't really eventuate to anything. "fleeting moments, bits of rapture" etc.
Which gets left out in most movies..

I think some people see Waking Life as psuedo intellectualism, but I see it as edutainment, and also the closest cinematic representation to the Power of Now book.

I don't remember Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind too well, but I'll take another look at it sometime I guess. I'll take a look at Slacker, I'd also like to watch Corpse Bride again (I own these so don't have to worry about renting)

[WakingLife]

haha edutainment, loove it

of linklaters, i've seen dazed & confused, but i'll definitely start going through his list because i really like what u mentioned about his interview. it's a good point!

i just realized that if you scroll down under this thread, there are similar threads about waking life as well