I went to college right before the Internet. As I was going out, it was coming in. Some freaks communicated by email, others talked to one another on Usenet, but as far as resources like a “website” for counter-culture ideas, nothing existed. We traded in zines, pamphlets, books published by a small press.
I bring this up because the low-budget interview-based documentary The Mindscape of Alan Moore, despite making its appearance on the festival circuit in 2003 and release to DVD now, reminds me of that earlier age.
The film consists of Alan Moore, the bearded man from North England with more than a passing resemblance to Ian Anderson, rambling about his perception of the world. It starts out fairly mundane – he’s not very keen on corporations – and ends with concepts of Space/Time collapsing in on itself, reducing all of human existence (which is just one soul) into vapor. Or something. Trust me, it all makes sense along the way.
Listening to Alan Moore philosophize is like a welcome trip back to the dorm – opening up doors to rooms of thought that have been cooped up too long in my straight-laced, reactionary and uptight existence. He may sound like a lunatic at times, but he’s far out.
It’s too bad that many people give up their interest in philosophy in the years after college. I’ve met a handful on Stickam via YouTube who are still at it; yeah, some are still in college, but many are older.
I think Alan Moore is a genius. I’ve seen bits of this doc on YT, and will buy the DVD as soon as it’s released. There was a looooong interview with him in a local free weekly paper, Arthur, in ’03, in which he clearly elucidated his thoughts on reality, magic//magick, etc. His recent comic book/graphic novel PROMETHEA was beautifully written and illustrated. …Now the film version of that I really look forward to!
Besides WATCHMEN, I recommend his hard-to-find MIRACLEMAN. A Superman/Captain Marvel type hero eventually remakes the world into a utopia.