Directed by Neil Rawles
I believe this was a made for TV documentary from the UK, but I could be mistaken. This documentary on the "Wickedest Man in the World" was very interesting, a compelling look at one of the very interesting and formative culture figures of the 20th century.
Crowley grew up intelligent and well educated, quickly as he tore through school conventions bored him, and using his knowledge as the son of an irregular preacher, Crowley became obsessed at a fairly early age with black magic, evil, and the proverbial dark side. When he was left with a minor fortune through inheritance, Crowley decided to go off on his own and begin experimenting.
As he got deeper into the dark arts, he became even more obsessed, changing his life and baser beliefs drastically, becoming addicted to morphine, sex, and living in a world that revolved around dark magic and extremely complex spells and incantations. He spent a lot of time at his house, trying to conjure demons.
Most interestingly, he created what would eventually be adopted as hippie doctrine, free love, drugs, and a serious aversion to typical authority and theological figures. His writings and life inspired such artists as John Lennon, who thought that the way Crowley approached thinking was revolutionary and unprecedented. At the time he died, Crowley had a heroin habit that a single dose of would kill 5 people.
Leaving in his wake many questions about his private life and what inspired him to live the way he did, Crowley has remained one of the great instigators of change in American culture, the first proud dope and sex fiend that called himself "The Beast". A very interesting man, pretty well executed documentary for the most part, it was just too short if anything.
7.5/10
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