The New Believers

Channeling with dolphins? Aroma therapy? Vegetarian hot dogs? Gems from space? Welcome to the New Age. Winner of beaucoup awards from film & video festivals across the U.S., maverick documentary director Tom Corboy's (Mondo Elvis) latest is a touching, funny, and decidedly weird peek into the New Age movement. The focus is on four practitioners: Neville Rowe, who channels dolphins and has great admiration for Adolph Hitler (yet seems to be a surprisingly gentle man); Master Ho, a crystal sex therapist, who also channels aliens--he attempts a demonstration for the camera but, obeying higher orders, he stops on a dime and says: "They cut me right off;" Margaret Rogers, a charming soul who channels Jesus, and just can't help the fact that she has "total clarity, total knowledge, and total wisdom;" and, finally, Shawn Shelton, who runs a mail-order crystal business out of her living room. The New Believers doesn't poke fun at its subjects (they do that themselves), but rather allows these new gurus to outline their understanding of the world in their own--sometimes frightening--ways. A fascinating video, this program is also pretty much unique in the sense that it is an excellent independently produced documentary which includes public performance rights and is packaged in an attractive box. Highly recommended. (Available from: Monticello Productions, 1822 Easterly Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90026.)