I Am Fishead

I am Fishead: A documentary about how psychopaths and antidepressants influence our society - a provocative snapshot of the world we live in.

Directed and Produced by
Misha Votruba and Vaclav Dejcmar
Length: 80 min.
Released: Sep 11 2011

It is a well-known fact that our society is structured like a pyramid. The very few people at the top create conditions for the majority below. Who are these people? Can we blame them for the problems our society faces today? Guided by the saying "A fish rots from the head." we set out to follow that fishy odor. What we found out is that people at the top are more likely to be psychopaths than the rest of us.

Who, or what, is a psychopath? Unlike Hollywood's stereotypical image, they are not always blood-thirsty monsters from slasher movies. Actually, that nice lady who chatted you up on the subway this morning could be one. So could your elementary school teacher, your grinning boss, or even your loving boyfriend. The medical definition is simple: A psychopath is a person who lacks empathy and conscience, the quality which guides us when we choose between good and evil, moral or not. Most of us are conditioned to do good things. Psychopaths are not. Their impact on society is staggering, yet altogether psychopaths barely make up one percent of the population.

Broken into three parts, our search for the fishead starts in New York City, on Wall Street, where a big chunk of the world power is concentrated. This small plot of city land is where the economic crisis erupted and what we found there has far-reaching consequences, both for the psychopaths and us normal folk.

The second part of the film touches on how, for a small number of people, overuse of antidepressants can result in behaviors that appear to mimic some psychopathic features. Although overuse of these medications will not produce psychopathy, they may stifle emotion and decrease the user's ability to feel empathy. They also may have the opposite effects, "normalizing" emotional experience and empathy. More than one-third of the Western population uses and, in some cases, abuses these drugs. But why? So why do we want to take a pill that flattens or normalizes our normal feelings? We think something sure smells fishy again.

It is not too far fetched to say that for the first time in history we not only praise psychopaths in the highest positions of power, but in many cases, they became our role models. On top of that, we don't seem to think it's a problem. In the third part, we come back to the idea of us, the normal people in our day-to-day life. How much different are we from the average psychopath? By embracing a superficial culture, each of us maybe unwillingly supports the fishead. Albert Einstein said, "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."

Through interviews with renowned psychologist Professor Philip Zimbardo, leading expert on psychopathy Professor Robert Hare, former President of Czech Republic and playwright Vaclav Havel, authors Gary Greenberg and Christopher Lane, professor Nicholas Christakis, among numerous other thinkers, we have delved into the world of psychopaths and heroes and revealed shocking implications for us and our society.

Watch below, hosted on YouTube, or this alternate YouTube source, or on Disclose TV.

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Perfect Life

The story of how a little man's world breaks down when it is basically built for the simple illusion.

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Night of the Templar

Here lies a tale of passion, loyalty, deceit, betrayal...and revenge. They were Warriors. They were Crusaders. Under the leadership of the righteous GREGOIRE, this band of brothers in the Holy Order of the Knights Templar selflessly fought back-to-back, defending GOD and the "True Cross." Until one dark night of utter betrayal...

B-Movie Addiction says...

Night of the Templar (alternatively titled 'Knights Templar') is a unique movie to say the least. It's a medieval revenge story wrapped in a modern-day horror mystery wrapped in a suspense thriller. It's somewhat all over the place, and you do need to pay attention to sort out what's what since there are two parallel plot-lines. If you don't, you'll find yourself wondering what the hell is going on.

The story begins in the year 1095 CE, following a leader of a band of templar knights named Gregoire (Paul Sampson) during the crusades. We see him at the pointy end of a sword uttering a curse to the unseen man holding the sword that he will return from the grave to send him and his accomplices to hell. The film cuts between modern day and 1095 as we learn more about the characters and exactly what happened with the Templars.  As the story unfolds, we learn that the reason for the betrayal is as minimal as the acting from the female cast. Greed. Plain old greed. Templars want to get laid and have money while doing it. Gregoire says no. Murder and betrayal follow.

The modern-day plot focuses on a fantasy-weekend getaway to a European castle, almost in a reality TV show format except that there is a looming purpose over it. Everyone starts to recognize that they are the reincarnations of the templars, good and bad, after reading the story over the course of the night thanks to a conveniently placed coffee-table version of the story left out. It's done in a NeverEnding Story-esque style, the guests read the story out loud between scenes of what happened in the past to Gregoire. Surprisingly, the story begins to come alive! People start getting murdered, the first by... *gasp*... someone dressed as a templar knight. The murder mystery begins to kick in when bodies start turning up in slightly stranger ways: a body nail-gunned to the wall, a cook's tongue removed. The difference in methodology between the templar's holy justice and just plain cruel murder gives reason to believe there is slightly more to the tale. And I do mean slightly.

This movie is not really that complex to figure out if you are paying attention. It's shockingly straight forward as it goes on. The host of the weekend, the reincarnated Gregoire, discovers the bodies and without emotional reaction says brilliant phrases such as "great... I have to cook... and clean..." Not to mention right from the beginning he experiences stigmata-type pains of getting stabbed in the back, literally, by his former comrades. The guests take turns in voicing their opinions on whether they would have supported or betrayed Gregoire, letting you figure out who they are or could possibly be rather quickly.

The murder scenes are laughably bad. The actual killing is done slightly off camera while they zoom in on the faces. Despite the lameness, there's something incredibly satisfying in seeing a Scream-style knifing committed by a templar knight. The big battle at the climax is equally is terrible. "I shall cut you ten times! One for each life of excess!" is screamed by Gregoire as he achieves his justice. The fighting is just as corny as the dialogue. The two big matches are between the young knight and a 60 year old priest and a young girl vs. David Carradine. Not really blockbuster action, it's pretty funny and I think it was meant to be. One of the battles is even won through the power of love.

A big part of the strange allure is the strange cast of characters and their actors as well. Udo Kier plays a mysterious priest, whose motives are unclear through most of the movie. Billy Drago plays the chef named Shauna in full drag. Super creepy. Norman Reedus, a.k.a Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead, makes an appearance as an asshole who enjoys choking himself while receiving fellatio. David Carradine plays the local shopkeeper who has a couple incredibly corny scenes. Awesome to see him in one of his last hurrahs. Paul Sampson has a really unique and awkward screen presence that's strangely addicting to watch. The combination results in a blend of strange awkward creepiness that somehow works.

And with all that said, this review is like the movie itself... All over the place. I actually did enjoy this movie a lot despite the sarcasm. It's allure lies in just how weird it is. From Paul Sampson's strange Boston/Little Nicky accent to his templar speech delivered like an Oprah "...and you get a car! and you get a car!" pointing with his sword at his knights. It's just loveable. A definite guilty pleasure. It looks good too. For an indie film the production quality and camera work is quite exceptional. Interesting semi-twist at the end too, that will give you something to talk about whoever you're watching it with.

Night of the Templar is definitely worth a watch. It will keep you entertained from start to finish. It's a loveable oddity in film, venturing far from the path of Hollywood predictability. Watch the trailer below and the film on PutLocker, WatchFreeInHD, HDPlay or SockShare.

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Thieves by Law

Thieves by Law, or Ganavim Ba Hok is a documentary film charting the rise of Russian organized crime in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union. In the film several noted crime figures are interviewed, a number of which are currently wanted by Interpol.

The term “thieves by law,” which refers to the uppermost echelon of the Russian criminal world, was born in the 30s. Some people say it might have something to do with “Chekists,” or the early Soviet secret service (what later became the KGB). At first, thieves by law followed a strict code: a thief by law had to serve time in jail, and had no right to have a family, a registered address, or belongings, surviving only by criminal means.

This is a look "inside" the Russian mafia at the men who call themselves "thieves by law". In theory those that call themselves "thieves by law" are to have no home, no property of their own, no wife, no family. They are to have nothing that will tie them down and divert their attention from the brotherhood or give them pause. The film focuses on three men who have survived the prisons, the wars and the other nastiness to become "respected" men of means, with money and families.

Watch the trailer below and the documentary on YouTube source one or two.

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The Elephant Man

Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick, a 19th-century Englishman afflicted with a disfiguring congenital disease. A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and sensitivity.

Stars John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft.

Watch the trailer below and view the film at PutLocker, WatchFreeInHD, HDPlay or SockShare.

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History of the World in 2 Hours

A rapid-fire history of our world, from the beginning of time as we know it to present day. This two-hour CGI-driven special delves into the key turning points: the formation of earth, emergence of life, spread of man and the growth of civilization--and reveals their surprising connections to our world ...

What if we could tell you everything? The entire history of the world. Now, what if we told you we could do it in just 2 hours? We're going to tell the whole story... from the big bang to the present day, how the planet prepared for the rise of man, how the stone age led to the steam engine, how the first seeds sprouted into cities and civilizations. Everything is connected, and the path leads to you. It took history 13.7 billion years to unfold. We'll show you everything you need to know in the next 2 hours.

Watch below or on YouTube, PutLocker, HDPlay, WatchFreeInHD or SockShare.

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Something Wicked This Way Comes

Ray Bradbury adapted his own novel for Something Wicked This Way Comes, Jack Clayton's beautiful rendering of the turn-of-the-century fantasy of a mysterious carnival that literally blows into a small town to taunt and tempt the inhabitants.

Jonathan Pryce (Brazil), the handsome but demonic proprietor of Dark's Pandemonium Carnival, preys upon the vanities, the delusions, and the regrets of the townspeople by granting their wishes at the expense of their souls. Jason Robards, as the meek librarian Charles Halloway, becomes his unlikely nemesis when his son Will, with his best friend Jim Nightshade (a deliciously dark name in its own right), discovers the secret of Dark's nightmarish carnival.

When they become hunted by Dark's minions (including Pam Grier as the beautiful and mysterious Dust Witch), Halloway must confront his own fears and regrets to save the boys. Clayton captures the idyll of childhood in the fall with rich autumnal colors, his camera gliding along with the energetic boys as they tear through field and forests.

The climax, however, gets lost in a cacophony of competing special effects, imaginatively visualized but never very terrifying, as if producer Disney resisted the uneasy undercurrent of the story. It's more dark fantasy than horror, a nightmarish adventure filtered through the memory of a man remembering his childhood in mythic terms.

View the trailer below and watch the movie on PutLocker, SockShare, HDPlay or WatchFreeInHD

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The American Abortion War

It has become one of the most vicious, important and divisive battlegrounds in the 2012 US presidential election. Since it was legalised in 1973, the issue of abortion has polarized the US, but now the battle has been taken to a new level.

Last year, an unprecedented number of laws have been passed across the US, all aimed at restricting abortion or reproductive rights. But the fight goes far beyond the medical procedure, with Republican politicians even attacking the Obama administration for making contraception more readily available.

The US has seen more anti-abortion violence than any other country in the world. Since 1993, at least eight abortion providers, including four doctors have been killed. And there have been over 200 arsons and bombings against reproductive healthcare clinics since 1977.

Fault Lines investigates the forces behind the so-called war on women in the US. Why is a medical procedure being reframed as a deeply divisive moral issue in the US?

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The Answer

A man recalls his life in short while contemplating suicide. As he discusses his thoughts and state of mind, he chooses to control the only thing that he can. The last thing that he will ever see.

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The Pyramid Code

The Pyramid Code is a made-for-television documentary series of 5 episodes that explores the pyramid fields and ancient temples in Egypt as well as ancient megalithic sites around the world looking for clues to matriarchal consciousness, ancient knowledge and sophisticated technology in a Golden Age. The series is based on the extensive research done in 25 trips to Egypt and 51 other countries around the world by Dr. Carmen Boulter formerly from the Graduate Division of Educational Research at the University of Calgary in Canada.

The Pyramid Code features interviews with prominent scholars and authors in multidisciplinary fields (see Cast): geology, physics, astrophysics, archaeology, bilogical engineering, magnetic field theory, hieroglyphics, and Egyptology. The series explores penetrating questions: * Who were the ancients and what did they know? * Could the pyramids be much older than traditional Egyptology would have us believe? * Could it be that the ancients were more technologically advanced than we are today? * Why do we have so little understanding of the ancient Egyptians? * Are there still secrets hidden in plain sight? * Do new discoveries force the issue of establishing a new chronology? * Are there little known sites that provide clues to a new understanding of our distant past? * Are we really the most advanced civilization to ever live on Earth?

Watch on Hulu or form the YouTube playlist below.

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Secrets of the Sun

It contains 99.9 percent of all the matter in our solar system and sheds hot plasma at nearly a million miles an hour. The temperature at its core is a staggering 27 million degrees Fahrenheit. It convulses, it blazes, it sings. You know it as the sun.

Scientists know it as one of the most amazing physics laboratories in the universe. Now, with the help of new spacecraft and Earth-based telescopes, scientists are seeing the sun as they never have before and even recreating what happens at its very center in labs here on Earth. Their work will help us understand aspects of the sun that have puzzled scientists for decades.

But more critically, it may help us predict and track solar storms that have the power to zap our power grid, shut down telecommunications, and ground global air travel for days, weeks, or even longer. Such storms have happened before—but never in the modern era of satellite communication. "Secrets of the Sun" reveals a bright new dawn in our understanding of our nearest star—one that might help keep our planet from going dark. Watch below on PBS or on YouTube.

Watch Secrets of the Sun on PBS. See more from NOVA.

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The Handmaid's Tale

Set in a Fascistic future America, The Handmaid's Tale tells the story of Kate, a handmaid. In this America, the religious right has taken over and gone hog-wild. Kate is a criminal, guilty of the crime of trying to escape from the US, and is sentenced to become a Handmaid.

The job of a Handmaid is to bear the children of the man to whom she is assigned. After ruthless group training by Aunt Lydia in the proper way to behave, Kate is assigned as Handmaid to the Commander. Kate is attracted to Nick, the Commander's chauffeur. At the same time, a resistance movement begins to challenge the regime.

Download the book in mobi or epub, and watch the film here or here.

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