Dan Foglar. I enjoyed your film, but it made me sad.Sometimes I am not sure if this movie is real or not. because if not. it might actually be what is real, and this is a figment of my imagination. But how would you know, my dreams are never remembered. But in my dreams I'm never remembered. Who is telling me the truth My eyes which swear with every bit of their worth that they tell trues. My Brain which sits on the fence because logic has gone. My heart which sides with whoever treats it kindest. My body which moans one moment but can feel the polar next. Or My mind who looks at the two paths and takes both simultaneously but only to realize when they both reach summation that it was only a thought, that the mind was sitting at the fork and had wasted 2 lives only to collapse from fear of the unknown.It is a real invisible bridge of the last crusade?
... View MoreI read all the other user reviews and was afraid this might be a weird rehashing of fear and loathing or something. Not at all.This film is about exactly what it portraits in the film, no metaphors about coming of age or anything. This film is about a man who begins to see through the illusion of society, and loses his grip of what is both real and important. Our protagonist does ayahuasca during a bout of hallucinations, and ends up in a mental hospital. after escaping he does it again with a homeless couple and relinquishes his grasp on society. This is the first review I wrote, I signed up just to review this movie. If you have never partaken of ayahuasca or dmt, it may be very hard to relate to the main character, and this is how these other reviews struggle to find meaning g or lessons in the movie. Take it at face value: this is a story about how those who see through the veil of society are often rejected and cast aside as mentally ill or unstable, all for not following the school, work, buy, die mentality of our times. Extremely well executed bravo.
... View MoreDon Peyote is not a stoner comedy with apocalyptic undertones. As a matter of fact, it's actually a rather sweet, vulnerable, and personal film about life, maturity, and ultimately manhood. Now, when you first watch the film none of this may be clear, and maybe it was only so obvious to me because I had my own Don Peyote moment when my wife was pregnant for the first time, but I'll get to that later. The secret to the truth of Don Peyote is to not let your mind drift, simply listen and watch everything as it is laid out. Take the character of Balance. Balance, a childhood friend who is never there when you want him to be, but always when you need him to be. Now think back to your childhood and for most of us balance was there. Stress and drama didn't exist. Our lives revolved around playing baseball, watching Star Wars, and hoping to one day touch a boob. Then came responsibility and bills and jobs and relationships and roles that we are told we have to play. Like a tidal wave crushing us over and over and over every minute we think we have our head above water. Back to the film, Warren has been engaged for 3 years to a woman who desperately wants to have a child right away and wants Warren to finally gain direction and get a job.Don Peyote isn't a film about conspiracies and mind altering drugs, it's a manifestation of all the anxiety and fears that the Warren's of the world feel at times in their lives. I always wanted to have a child with my wife. In fact, I was the one who pushed for it the moment we got married. When my wife got pregnant I was over the moon excited, couldn't wait. Then one day my mother in law, my wife, and myself were at a Babies R Us getting some last minute things for my upcoming daughter. We stepped into the store and I don't remember what preceded it, but my mother in law said to me "You are going to be a dad after all." And like that, I went numb. They walked off to shop and I staggered over to the recliners, sat down, and had a full blown panic attack. I wasn't a father, I was going to ruin this child's life, I could barely go the day without stubbing my toe and this thing was coming into the world who's life and future depended on me. Now, I didn't go on a vagabond drug fueled walkabout, but had you peeked into my mind at that moment it was full blown Don P. This is what independent filmmaking is all about, artistic and fantastical representations of universal experiences. What is more apocalyptic and world altering than getting married, or having a child, or disappointing someone you love? There's a moment in the film, before Warren makes his full turn, where he realizes that all the chaos and anxiety in his life is tempered by Karen. She was the only thing in his life that was true and good and made sense. His biggest fear then, is the total destruction of her in that image, so the next scene we see is just that. Again, it's the manifestation of his biggest fears. And in the end, after dance numbers, mental wards, and tripping with Josh Duhamel, the final scene of the film damn near brought me to tears. A wordless exchange between Don Peyote (formerly Warren) and someone he didn't even know his life was missing. There's no telling how much, if any, of the film is really happening to Warren/Don and no real way to know what his future holds, but the peace and serenity in that scene make all the chaos he goes through worth it. Watch Don Peyote. Whatever your expectations or preconceived notions are going in, just chuck them aside and take a glimpse into the mind of a man processing life's crossroads.
... View MoreI feel like I was not in the right state of mind to really enjoy this movie. Then again, the three kids in the back of the theater where in the right state of mind, I could smell if from the front row, but even they left before the movie was over.The movie was real psychedelic in that 1960's sort of way, but rather than an acid trip the filmmakers get high on the chronic. A different experience that I feel makes the movie suffer.High on weed, the movie is more strange than funny. Too strange to really justify me sitting in that theater for 90mins. The jokes I more just got than found funny.The movie's value is increased by what I'm guessing is the filmmakers many friends making cameos. Topher Grace,and especially, Josh Duhamel who plays a wondering hobo were fantastic. Other stars made cameos but not as impressive. I went in wanting to enjoy this and I wish I did but I can't.
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