Crowley (Chemical Romance)

Crowley

Anchor Bay

Directed By: Julian Doyle

Release Date: March 10, 2009

“Because all theories of the universe are absurd it is better to talk in the language of one which is patently absurd, so as to mortify the metaphysical man.”

Renamed from the screenplay ‘Chemical Wedding’ co-written by Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, ‘Crowley’ was written and directed by Julian Doyle in effort to depict the man dubbed, “The Wickedest Man in the World”. Aliester Crowley was a 20th century occultist who didn’t worship the devil, but embodied him. The authors own radical views, sexual excess and moral detesting conjured up his own rites and passages of Magick. Born under a strict Christian family in Warwickshire, England in1875, his skepticism began at an early age after his father, an engineer, business owner and preacher of Bible Studies, died of tongue cancer. This would be the only funeral, Crowley would ever attend. He later enrolled in Trinity College, Cambridge University where he studied eastern mysticism and western philosophy along with occultism that furthermore compromised his Christian upbringing.

His desire for redheads and practice in sexual rituals encouraged further exploration of bisexuality during a time that homosexuality was forbade by British Law authorities.

His affiliation with the organization, known as, Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn later proved to be more of a bore and headache after his teacher sued Crowley for infringement upon a copyrighted ritual he performed publicly. It was this ritual that resurrected armies of demons and angels to fight forth behalf on their summoner that ultimately lead Aliester to continue his practice of his own religious philosophy, ‘Thelema’ in isolation at the Boleskin House, off the shore of Loch Ness until death met the fateful forecaster’s destined prophecies before completing his last ritual .

Although, the movie begins the day of his 1947 death due to the lack of funds in projecting the 19^th century era (along with what I would assume, the denial of permission to film in the Boleskin House, no thanks to it’s current owner Robert Plant) Julian Doyle and Bruce Dickinson apprehended Crowley’s concepts through a more modern day, science fiction approach. Instead it was filmed in an abandoned Cathlolic Boys school masked as Trinity College, and using a time machine suit, Aliester Crowley was finally resurrected by a crazed college kid who programmed the machine to Crowley’s death, thus possessing the mind of Professor Maddo played by Simon Callow. The last place you would want Crowley’s obscene, restless demeanor and spirit arisen is on holy grounds, let alone a Boy’s School, but the cast and crew insisted on producing this British–made film that skipped the theaters and went straight to DVD on this very haunting location. A young aspiring, redhead journalist almost falls victim to the Chemical Romance that Professor Maddo is dead-set on following through for the forth bringing of Crowley’s inner demons. Apparently, during one of his late night rants and rendezvous, Crowley was thought to be reincarnated using the blood of a natural redhead. I’ll allow you to use your own imagination on how this movie ends, while I reiterate my own. Crowley’s soul resides within the demons and angels in which he honed, and it seriously wouldn’t be too incredibly, ridiculously hard to bring forth in their many shapes and forms, but do know this, they are not of man, nor Aliester Crowley’s soul. Critics have argued the lack of horror and obscenities in this film, but the true obscure horror lies within his thoughts, not his body, bowels, decomposed bones or reincarnated soul.

SoulStrutter