Waking Life

I watched Richard Linklater’s Waking Life the other night and what a seminal head fuck that proved to be. I was never really quiet sure if I was being drawn into the animated philosophical ramblings because of the unsteady rotoscope animation or because of the steady stream of consciousness and existential lyrical waxings of the characters or if indeed I was just slowly but surely dying of boredom. On the one hand it was a pretentious slap on the back to all involved, well done, come on us, sure we is well educated we is. One cunt trying to out cunt some other cunt. On the other hand it was like someone setting off fizz bombs in your cranium, there's only one instant, and it's right now, and its eternity.

The ongoing WOW is happening right NOW. The trick is to combine your waking rational abilities with the infinite possibilities of your dreams. Because, if you can do that, you can do anything. Life is a matter of a miracle that is collected over time by moments flabbergasted to be in each others presence. The worst mistake that you can make is to think you're alive when really you're asleep in life's waiting room. They say that dreams are only real as long as they last. Couldn't you say the same thing about life? The idea is to remain in a state of constant departure while always arriving.

Like the guy in movie said, I'm not saying that they don't know what their talking about, but I sure as fuck didn’t know what they were talking about.

Then again I was rather stoned at the time.

In fact, writer/director Linklater himself was quoted as saying these words before the film's premiere at Sundance: "How many of you out there are on drugs?" When a number of hands went up, he added, "Good. This is for you. The rest of you, just bear with me."

So like I said I'm not sure if I really enjoyed it or hated it immensely I think I’ll have to give it another spin and see where it takes me. It could be a subversive tool to twist my mind. At least I hope so. Although watching it twice can often prove dangerous, here is an image of what happens when you watch the movie in the wrong frame of mind ….