What the Bleep Do We Know!?
What the Bleep Do We Know!? | |
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![]() Promotional poster | |
Directed by | William Arntz Betsy Chasse Mark Vicente |
Written by | William Arntz Matthew Hoffman Betsy Chasse Mark Vicente |
Produced by | William Arntz Betsy Chasse Mark Vicente |
Cinematography | David Bridges Mark Vicente |
Edited by | Jonathan Shaw |
Music by | Christopher Franke |
Production companies | Captured Light Lord of the Wind |
Distributed by | Roadside Attractions, Samuel Goldwyn Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 109 minutes |
Country | United States |
Languages | English Spanish German |
Box office | $16 million |
What the Bleep Do We Know!? (stylized as What tнē #$*! D̄ө ωΣ (k)πow!? and What the #$*! Do We Know!?) is a 2004 American
Bleep was conceived and its production funded by
The film has been described as an example of
Synopsis
Filmed in
- That the universe is best seen as constructed from thoughts and ideas rather than from matter.
- That "empty space" is not empty.
- That matter is not solid, and electrons are able to pop in and out of existence without it being known where they disappear to.
- That beliefs about who one is and what is real are a direct cause of oneself and of one's own realities.
- That peptides produced by the brain can cause a bodily reaction to emotion.
In the narrative segments of the film, Marlee Matlin portrays Amanda, a photographer who plays the role of everywoman as she experiences her life from startlingly new and different perspectives.
In the documentary segments of the film, interviewees discuss the roots and meaning of Amanda's experiences. The comments focus primarily on a single theme: "We create our own reality." The director, William Arntz, has described What the Bleep as a film for the "
Cast
- Marlee Matlin as Amanda
- Elaine Hendrix as Jennifer
- Barry Newman as Frank
- Robert Bailey Jr. as Reggie
- John Ross Bowie as Elliot
- Armin Shimerman as Man
- Robert Blanche as Bob
- Larry Brandenburg as Bruno
- Patti B. Collins as Mother of the Bride
Production
Work was split between Toronto-based Mr. X Inc., Lost Boys Studios in Vancouver, and Atomic Visual Effects in Cape Town, South Africa.[3] The visual-effects team, led by Evan Jacobs, worked closely with the other film-makers to create visual metaphors that would capture the essence of the film's technical subjects with attention to aesthetic detail.[3]
Promotion
Lacking the funding and resources of the typical Hollywood film, the filmmakers relied on "
Reception
According to Publishers Weekly, the film was one of the sleeper hits of 2004, as "word-of-mouth and strategic marketing kept it in theaters for an entire year." The article states that the domestic gross exceeded $10 million, described as not bad for a low-budget documentary, and that the DVD release attained even more significant success with over a million units shipped in the first six months following its release in March 2005.[4] Foreign gross added another $5 million for a worldwide gross of nearly $16 million.[5]
In the Publishers Weekly article, publicist Linda Rienecker of New Page Books says that she sees the success as part of a wider phenomenon, stating "A large part of the population is seeking spiritual connections, and they have the whole world to choose from now".
Critics offered mixed reviews as seen on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes, where it scored a "Rotten" 34% score with an average score of 4.6/10, based on 77 reviews.[6] In his review, Dave Kehr of The New York Times described the "transition from quantum mechanics to cognitive therapy" as "plausible", but stated also that "the subsequent leap—from cognitive therapy into large, hazy spiritual beliefs—isn't as effectively executed. Suddenly people who were talking about subatomic particles are alluding to alternate universes and cosmic forces, all of which can be harnessed in the interest of making Ms. Matlin's character feel better about her thighs."[7]
What the Bleep Do We Know!? has been described as "a kind of New Age answer to The Passion of the Christ and other films that adhere to traditional religious teachings."[2] It offers alternative spirituality views characteristic of New Age philosophy, including critiques of the competing claims of stewardship among traditional religions [viz., institutional Judaism, Christianity, and Islam] of universally recognized and accepted moral values.[8]
Academic reaction
Scientists who have reviewed What the Bleep Do We Know!? have described distinct assertions made as
Richard Dawkins stated that "the authors seem undecided whether their theme is quantum theory or consciousness. Both are indeed mysterious, and their genuine mystery needs none of the hype with which this film relentlessly and noisily belabours us", concluding that the film is "tosh". Professor Clive Greated wrote that "thinking on neurology and addiction are covered in some detail but, unfortunately, early references in the film to quantum physics are not followed through, leading to a confused message". Despite his caveats, he recommends that people see the film, stating: "I hope it develops into a cult movie in the UK as it has in the US. Science and engineering are important for our future, and anything that engages the public can only be a good thing." Simon Singh called it pseudoscience and said the suggestion "that if observing water changes its molecular structure, and if we are 90% water, then by observing ourselves we can change at a fundamental level via the laws of quantum physics" was "ridiculous balderdash". According to João Magueijo, professor in theoretical physics at Imperial College, the film deliberately misquotes science.[10] The American Chemical Society's review criticizes the film as a "pseudoscientific docudrama", saying "Among the more outlandish assertions are that people can travel backward in time, and that matter is actually thought."[12]
Bernie Hobbs, a science writer with ABC Science Online, explains why the film is incorrect about quantum physics and reality: "The
David Albert, a philosopher of physics who appears in the film, has accused the filmmakers of selectively editing his interview to make it appear that he endorses the film's thesis that quantum mechanics is linked with consciousness. He says he is "profoundly unsympathetic to attempts at linking quantum mechanics with consciousness".[1]
In the film, during a discussion of the influence of experience on perception, Candace Pert gives an apocryphal version of the invisible ships myth whereby Native Americans were unable to see Columbus's ships because they were outside the natives' experience.[14] According to an article in Fortean Times by David Hambling, the origins of this story likely involved the voyages of Captain James Cook, not Columbus, and an account related by Robert Hughes which said Cook's ships were "...complex and unfamiliar as to defy the natives' understanding". Hambling says it is likely that both the Hughes account and the story told by Pert were exaggerations of the records left by Captain Cook and the botanist Joseph Banks.
Skeptic James Randi described the film as "a fantasy docudrama" and "[a] rampant example of abuse by charlatans and cults".[15] Eric Scerri in a review for Committee for Skeptical Inquiry dismisses it as "a hodgepodge of all kinds of crackpot nonsense," where "science [is] distorted and sensationalized".[16] A BBC reviewer described it as "a documentary aimed at the totally gullible".[17]
According to Margaret Wertheim, "History abounds with religious enthusiasts who have read spiritual portent into the arrangement of the planets, the vacuum of space, electromagnetic waves and the big bang. But no scientific discovery has proved so ripe for spiritual projection as the theories of quantum physics, replete with their quixotic qualities of uncertainty, simultaneity and parallelism." Wertheim continues that the film "abandons itself entirely to the ecstasies of quantum mysticism, finding in this aleatory description of nature the key to spiritual transformation. As one of the film's characters gushes early in the proceedings, 'The moment we acknowledge the quantum self, we say that somebody has become enlightened'. A moment in which 'the mathematical formalisms of quantum mechanics [...] are stripped of all empirical content and reduced to a set of syrupy nostrums'."[18]
Journalist John Gorenfeld, writing in Salon, notes that the film's three directors, William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, and Mark Vicente, were at the time students of
Book adaptation and sequel film
In mid-2005, the filmmakers worked with HCI Books to expand on the film's themes in a book titled What the Bleep Do We Know!?—Discovering the Endless Possibilities of Your Everyday Reality. HCI president Peter Vegso stated that in regard to this book, "What the Bleep is the quantum leap in the New Age world," and "by marrying science and spirituality, it is the foundation of future thought."[4]
On August 1, 2006 What the Bleep! Down the Rabbit Hole - Quantum Edition multi-disc DVD set was released, containing two extended versions of What the Bleep Do We Know!?, with over 15 hours of material on three double-sided DVDs.
Featured individuals
The film features interview segments of:
- Dean Radin, Senior Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) in Petaluma, California and proponent of paranormal phenomena.
- Maharishi University of Management, director of MUM's Institute for Science, Technology, and Public Policy, and three-time presidential candidate of the Transcendental Meditation-linked Natural Law Party.
- Stuart Hameroff, anesthesiologist, author, and associate director of the Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona, who developed with Roger Penrose a quantum hypothesis of consciousness in the books The Emperor's New Mind, and Shadows of the Mind.
- channel.
- ISBN 0-345-44034-X)
- ISBN 0684831872)
- Fred Alan Wolf, independent physicist, author of Taking the Quantum Leap, winner of the 1982 National Book Award in science, and featured in the documentary film Spirit Space. Wolf has taught at San Diego State University, the University of Paris, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the University of London, and Birkbeck College, London.
- David Albert, philosopher of physics and professor at Columbia University, author of Quantum Mechanics and Experience, who according to a Popular Science article was "outraged at the final product" of his interview which he felt misrepresented his views about quantum mechanics and consciousness.[20]
- St. Patrick's College, Maynooth;
- Daniel Monti, physician and director of the Mind-Body Medicine Program at Thomas Jefferson University;
- Jeffrey Satinover, psychiatrist, author and professor;
- William Tiller, Professor Emeritus of Material Science and Engineering at Stanford University;
- Joe Dispenza, former Ramtha School of Enlightenment teacher,[21] chiropractor.
Awards
- Ashland Independent Film Festival – Best Documentary[22]
- DCIFF – DC Independent Film Festival – Grand Jury Documentary Award[23]
- Maui Film Festival – Audience Choice Award – Best Hybrid Documentary[24]
- Sedona International Film Festival – Audience Choice Award, Most Thought-Provoking Film
- Pigasus Award – an annual tongue-in-cheek award, this particular award's category was #3: "to the media outlet that reported as factual the most outrageous supernatural, paranormal or occult claims".[15]
See also
- Mind-body problem
- Hard problem of consciousness
- Law of attraction
- List of films featuring the deaf and hard of hearing
References
- ^ a b c Gorenfeld, John (2004-09-16). ""Bleep" of faith". Salon. Retrieved 2017-12-12.
- ^ a b Cipolla, Benedicta. "'Bleep' Film Challenges Traditional Religion, Attracts Following". beliefnet.com. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
- ^ a b "Cinefex article detailing the visual effects for the film". cinefex.com. Archived from the original on 2007-08-04.
- ^ a b c d e Hogan, Ron (2005-09-05). "New Age: What the Bleep? Categories conflate, confound, connect". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 11 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ^ "Box office results". BoxOfficeMojo.com. Retrieved August 3, 2010.
- ^ "What the Bleep Do We Know?". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Kehr, Dave (2004-09-10). "A Lesson in Harnessing Good Vibes". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
- Fort Worth Star Telegram. 2005-01-22.
- ^ .
- ^ The Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-06-172372-8.
- ^ a b Wilson, Elizabeth (2005-01-13). "What the Bleep Do We Know?!". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
- ^ Hobbs, Bernie (June 30, 2005). "What the Bleep are they On About?!". ABC.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ISBN 9781934708354.
- ^ a b "Annual Pigasus Awards Announced". randi.org. James Randi Educational Foundation. April 1, 2005. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Scerri, Eric (September–October 2004). "What the #$'! Do They Know?". 28 (5). Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Retrieved January 11, 2022 – via csicop.org.
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: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ Russell, Jamie (May 17, 2005). "Review: What The Bleep Do We Know!? (2005)". bbc.co.uk. BBC Movies. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Wertheim, Margaret (June 10, 2004). "Quantum Mysticism". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
- Vulture.
- ^ Mone, Gregory (October 2004). "Cult Science Dressing Up Mysticism as Quantum Physics". Popular Science. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
- Washington Post.
- ^ "Third Annual Awards - 2004 Films". ashlandfilm.org. Ashland Independent Film Festival. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
- ^ "About". dciff.org. DC Independent Film Festival. Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Baccil, Pat (2004-08-11). "What the... Bleep.... Do We Know the Docu Drama". press.xtvworld.com. Press XTVWorld. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
Further reading
- OCLC 427510693.