The Transparent Hypnotist

 
Photograph from Fringe NZ - Canadian actors D’Arcy Smith and Andrea Tutt star in the comic tale, Kreskinned.

Recently in select theatres, the movie The Great Buck Howard opened. Has anyone had a chance to see it yet? It looks hopeless for me to view it on the large screen (unless I make it a hallmark of a trip).  Alas, I am destine to wait for the DVD release, sit here, drink my Earl Grey green tea, and find something else esoteric to discuss this gloomy Saturday morning.

Kreskin is a good topic as Buck Howard is that sort of character, seems like a fine substitute. Hmmm. I cannot quite get my mind wrapped around the idea of spending an hour or two finding links and such about that most fascinating man, so lets step back and look at the fringe. Literally. 

At the recent Wellington Fringe Festival, the Homeless Moose Theatre Company presented a play by Michael Healy called Kreskinned - The Natural Canadian Date Drug. On the Fringe site, the teaser reads:

A comedy asking the important question, what if you could hypnotize your partner into forgetting every time you’ve done something wrong?

In answer to their question: OMG, why did I not think of that? LOL. I suspect the main problem would be knowing exactly when you do something wrong.

Basically (and from just what I have read about the play without seeing it or reading the script), this play is about two people who are more or less set-up by a mutual friend. They are given tickets to a hypnosis show and both volunteer to be hypnotized. Both are given silly (probably cliche) activities that are triggered by specific words. The hypnotist does not remove the trigger words. Yes, you see it coming, do you not? After the show and on a real date, the female protagonist discovers her date’s word. A side effect of the triggered word is that he forgets everything that happens once the word triggers his response. Apparently she finds great relationship potential in this and uses it to her advantage…then he apparently discovers her trigger word.

Hmmmm….

Well anyway, it sounds entertaining. Possible? Maybe.

Photograph by Pwaully73

Quotes of the Week

“That’s really the magic, to quit analyzing what was already happening and put your mind in a place where you’re imagining the solution instead of debating what already happened” - from hypnotist Scott McFall in an interview on www.kxmc.com .

“With respect to change, it’s (hypnosis) sort of like replacing a broken record and getting a new one that works” – from Will Lam about his experience with hypnotist Luke Chao in the article Success through hypnosis on www.theeyeopener.com.

“If you can conceive it in your mind and believe it in your heart you will achieve it in your life. The mind and the body don’t know the difference between imagination and reality; therefore if you can imagine it, then the body will start to respond to achieve it” – from hypnotist Brad Clark in the article Brad Clark to Pave the Way for Positive Lifestyle Changes on www.lvc.edu.

“I want to avoid any of ‘Oh, God, why did you make me do that?’ I want it to be ‘Oh, that was a good time’ – from hypnotist Chris Cady in Volunteers sleep through this show in the Sacramento Bee.

He feels that “rather than laugh at people, the audience should be laughing along with them” from the article HPTA brings hypnotist to town Saturday about hypnotist Steve Wronker on www.wickedlocal.com/hopkinton.

The Good

Photojournalist Alison Wright is an amazing woman and not just because she survived an accident that would have ended in death for most of us. It is how she survived and got her life back together that is so amazing. She was in Laos and was involved in a terrible bus accident. As the location was far removed from even the most basic medical facilities, it became a matter of mind over body for Allison to survive. You see, she was experienced in the art of meditation. She used that to keep her calm through the process and to keep herself from going into shock. When she finally did make it back to western medicine areas, she rejected doctors who told her she would no longer be able to be a photojournalist. Instead she put together a team of people who believed in her full recovery including not just traditional doctors, but also alternative healers such as hypnotist, acupuncturist and so on. This is one smart lady and we all can take a note from her pages (I will let you come up with what that is). You can read her story at petergreenberg.com.

The Bad as in Real Cool!

This is kind of fun, especially if you are an arts and crafts sort. Several weeks ago, I did an affirmation process developed by David Mason and blogged about it on The Unwinding Path. Maybe you quietly did it with me (I can hope). Anyway, one of the results of that process is that you end up with several strips of paper floating around your house. The question is what to do with those paper affirmation. Janice Taylor on her blog at Lady of Weight Loss has provided a creative solution. It involves an Altoid tin to make an affirmation holder. Very clever!

Just a reminder that the movie The Great Buck Howard opens on Friday. We talked about this a few weeks ago as well. It is about a Kreskin-like entertainer, portrayed by John Malkovich, who begins a come back. I am still looking for anyone who lives in an area where it will be released to write about it (hypnotist or not). The New York Time’s Stephen Holden reviewed it. You can read his words here.

It brushes gently across my face like a soft breeze. It is both cool and refreshing. And perhaps, dare I admit it? A quick smile replaces whatever look has been plastered on my face since waking up this morning.

What is this momentary concept that has made me feel the simple jolts of amusement? It is a new movie that is scheduled to be released on March 20, 2009, unless you were among the fortunate few who saw it at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It is an independent movie by Magnolia Pictures, but it has a most awesome cast including John Malkovich in the title role. Tom Hanks is another big name associated with it.

The Great Buck Howard.

According to the synopsis, it is about a washed-up mentalist and hypnotist, ala Kreskin-style. His career is waning (well, what do you expect when a hypnotist uses the old, one-two and quack like a duck idea), but he hires new staff and things (hopefully) look up in the form of lets put 800 people to “sleep.” At least that is how it appears in the trailers.

However, I will probably have to await the DVD release of it because it only has a few select places it will be playing (unless it goes large - lets hope so) when it is publicly released. If any of you caught it at Sundance or see it when it is officially released, I would love to have a review of it here.

And that the smile, the butterfly-like fragility of the moment, passes.

Source: greatbuckhowardmovie.com

P.S.

Emily - We are SOOOO proud of you.