Movie. . .

(from wikipedia.com)
Zeitgeist: The Movie is a 2007 documentary-style film by Peter Joseph. It presents a number of conspiracy theory-based ideas, including a version of the Christ myth theory, alternative explanations for the September 11 attacks in 2001, and the claim that bankers manipulate both the media and the international monetary system.

The film was released online on June 18, 2007, on zeitgeistmovie.com. While the film has been praised by some for the professional-level quality of its pacing and editing, and for its compelling narrative, it has been criticized for factual inaccuracies and the quality of its arguments, with critics describing it as "agitprop" and "propaganda".

Zeitgeist incorporates elements of the LaRouche movement. The film opens with animated abstract visualizations, film and stock footage, a cartoon and audio quotes about spirituality by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, followed by clips of war, explosions, and the September 11 attacks. This is followed by the film's title screen. The film's introduction ends with a portion of the late comedian George Carlin's monologue on religion accompanied by an animated cartoon. The rest of the film, divided into three parts, is narrated by Peter Joseph.

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Movies. . .

. . . is magic. . .

(from wikipedia.com)
". . . A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still images on a strip of plastic which, when run through a projector and shown on a screen, creates the illusion of moving images. A film is created by photographing actual scenes with a motion picture camera; by photographing drawings or miniature models using traditional animation techniques; by means of CGI and computer animation; or by a combination of some or all of these techniques and other visual effects. The process of filmmaking is both an art and an industry.

Films usually include an optical soundtrack, which is a graphic recording of the spoken words, music and other sounds that are to accompany the images. It runs along a portion of the film exclusively reserved for it and is not projected.

Films are cultural artifacts created by specific cultures. They reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them. Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment, and a powerful medium for educating—or indoctrinating—citizens. The visual basis of film gives it a universal power of communication. Some films have become popular worldwide attractions by using dubbing or subtitles to translate the dialog into the language of the viewer. . ."

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Genius?. . .

 . . . well maybe. . . but even if NOT. . . certainly one of the most creative, uncompromising, free-thinking artists. . .

 . . . of this (and last) century . . .

(from wikipedia.com)
". . . Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, singer-songwriter, guitarist, recording engineer, music producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band The Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. While in his teens, he acquired a taste for 20th-century classical composers such as Edgard Varèse, Igor Stravinsky, and Anton Webern along with 1950s rhythm and blues music. He began writing classical music in high school, while at the same time playing drums in rhythm and blues bands; he later switched to electric guitar.

Zappa was a self-taught composer and performer, and his diverse musical influences led him to create music that was often difficult to categorize. His 1966 debut album with the Mothers of Invention, Freak Out!, combined songs in conventional rock and roll format with collective improvisations and studio-generated sound collages. His later albums shared this eclectic and experimental approach, irrespective of whether the fundamental format was rock, jazz or classical. His lyrics—often humorously—reflected his iconoclastic view of established social and political processes, structures and movements. He was a strident critic of mainstream education and organized religion, and a forthright and passionate advocate for freedom of speech, self-education, political participation and the abolition of censorship.

He was a highly productive and prolific artist and gained widespread critical acclaim. He had some commercial success, particularly in Europe, and for most of his career was able to work as an independent artist. He also remains a major influence on musicians and composers. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Zappa was married to Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman from 1960 to 1964. In 1967, he married Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death from prostate cancer in 1993. They had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. . . "

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Read. . .

. . . and think [Note to Mitt and friends, you may continue talking amongst yourselves]

 (from NBCNews.com by Jim Maceda, an NBC News foreign correspondent based in London and currently on assignment in Cairo. He has covered the Middle East since the 1970s.)

 ". . . This paroxysm of protest – and violence – had begun in Cairo. But what, really, began there?

Much of the mainstream media has played it as a spontaneous reaction to a disgusting film clip which denigrated Muslims and happened to be made and promoted in the USA.

But New York Times editorialist Ross Douthat argued it had nothing to do with a "genuine popular backlash," but everything to do with old-style power politics. For Jim Clifton, chairman of the pollster Gallup, it wasn't about religion or politics, but rather the desperate expression of young Arab males, deeply humiliated because they couldn't find jobs.

'Political manipulation'
Egyptian analysts seem to be more in agreement: Many protesters outside the U.S. Embassy were genuinely offended by the film. But the real driving force behind the protest – in Cairo and Benghazi – were radical Islamist groups who know how to exploit rage for political gain.

Actors and the assistant director of the film "Innocence of Muslims" told NBC News that the original spoken lines in the screenplay were dubbed over without their knowledge. NBC's Mike Taibbi reports.

"There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered," said Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian journalist. "For instance, why after two months of being on YouTube did this film suddenly explode on the anniversary of 9/11? That is political manipulation and manufactured outrage that the right wing is all too happy to use.''

Egypt issues arrest warrants for Terry Jones, Coptic Christians over anti-Islam video

By "right-wing" Eltahawy means ultra conservatives – often called Salafists – who practice a strict, puritanical form of Islam and make up the fastest-growing Islamic political and social movement in the world. On the night of the Cairo embassy attacks, the Salafists saw an opportunity to flex their muscles.

"A lot of people went to the U.S. Embassy not just because of the film, and after the film died down, it wasn't about the film anymore," Eltahawy explained. "They went because of anti-U.S. sentiment, because they know in this region how easy it is to fan the flames of anger.". . . "

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First. . .

. . . of all. . .

  It was the wrong and cowardly thing to do.  It was extreme.  When all is said and done, it will not contribute to the accomplishment any possible goal held by the perpetrators of the murders. But the situation is much more complicated than that (much, much more complicated) and requires more than a simple ‘John Wayne’ response from a reputedly ‘responsible’ and ‘respectable’ public figure for such a response accomplishes no more toward a resolution than the initial, violent action.

Let’s start at the beginning.  A film.  A piece of ‘entertainment’ or ‘diversion’, if you will.  Whether or not in the guise of educational or informational material, merely a film.  Offensive to someone?  Hell yes!.  An excuse that someone with an agenda may use to further their cause, however justified or unjustified it may be. (More on that later.)

So a film was made and exhibited via the Internet.  The origin of the film is extremely hazy and involves individuals from many and disparate origins including a former Marine and longtime religious-right activist (from a group called Courageous Christians United), a Coptic Christian, 15 key players from the Middle East) Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran), an alleged Israeli-born, 56-year-old, Jewish writer and director and who knows how much of this information is accurate.  In any case, all or many involved are now quite frightened of the backlash their venture has unleashed.

First and foremost, in reasonable, rational and educated 2012, a film is a film. A document conceived, written, performed, directed, filmed, manufactured and distributed by human beings.  Mere human beings.  Nothing more, nothing less. Irrespective you spiritual, religious or cultural beliefs, in reasonable, rational and educated 2012, a film is still a film. Nothing more. Any ‘holy’ book that instructs one to kill another over a matter such as this is surely misguided at best. In fact, most ‘holy’ books, to the best of my knowledge, instruct their readers to be merciful; to forgive.  In short, be virtuous; the better man and set the example as opposed to reactionary, vengeful, vindictive and violent.

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