Title: Mad Mad House
Stars: Art Aguirre, Iya Ta’shia
Asanti, Don Henrie, Fiona Horne, and David “Avocado” Wolfe
Executive Producers: Arthur Smith
and Kent Weed
Running Time: 39 minutes without
commercials
Media: Sci-Fi Channel Original
Series Premiere (NTSC VHS Screener)
World Premiere Thursday, March 4,
2004, at 9pm (ET/PT)
Network: Sci-Fi Channel (Check
your local cable/satellite listings for channel)
TV Rating: Not Available At Time
Of Review
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
This is the true story of ten
everyday people picked to live in a house run by five genuine practitioners of
alternative lifestyles. There’s Art, the modern primitive, who views body
modification as a means to entering a sublime meditative state. Then there’s
Fiona, a Witch who practices the pagan religion called Wicca, which honors the
divinity of the God and Goddess. Ta’Shia is a Voodoo Priestess able to call
forth spiritual manifestations within herself. Avocado is a naturalist that
follows a belief that accepts the human body as a part of nature and follows a
strict raw vegetarian diet that not only promotes good health, but also offers a
path towards spiritual enlightenment. Last
but not least is Don, a self-professed vampire, which is not necessarily about
drinking blood as it is about gaining energy from those around him.
The ten people picked to
participate in this experience must undergo various challenges in an attempt to
win the $100,000 prize, but I think what is more important for these people is
not so much trying to beat each other in some “Survivor” like contest as it
is to learn something about themselves as well as openness to other sociological
belief systems. I might be wrong, but I do not think one has to embrace any of
these faiths as a competitor as much as show a willingness to try and understand
and respect each other’s differences whether you agree with them or not and
God knows we need more of that in the world.
Do not let the appearances of
these people put you off. I found the five “ALTS” as they have been referred
to at times to be more human and even more normal than some of the contestants.
I will not say that I would not be freaked out a bit if I were to meet any of
these people. I’d probably be scared, but heck even acknowledging one’s own
fear is a beginning toward understanding one’s self and the others around
them. In fact I would go so far as to guess is that is what is the true goal of
the series. I really do not think any one of these people would try and enforce
their beliefs on others in a belligerent manner. Interestingly I can see pieces
of universal truth in all five alternative lifestyles though I am not a
practitioner. People often mistake
a sublime feeling as being something that has to be happy. There is no reason
why it cannot be happy, but as the late Joseph Campbell stated, a moment of the
sublime is when you are totally living in the present moment. You are alive and
feel it like never before. Many people (myself included) often spend much of
their life either thinking about the past or wondering and worrying about the
future. If I am correct, what Art seeks is a timeless moment of being. People do
all sorts of things to achieve this and while I am not particularly interested
in bodily modifications for myself, I think Art seems more at peace with himself
than many people I know.
Avocado’s diet and
understanding of humanity’s place in nature is not easy to follow. I know a
few people who try to live strict vegetarian diets that can’t resist a burger
now and again, but it is truly a healthier diet than the standard meat and
potatoes dishes, which I am fond of. Fiona’s understanding of astrology should
not be looked down upon. Many religions look upon the importance of the Goddess
as being equal to that of the male image of God. Personally I think women are in
many ways stronger than men like in the manner in which they can express and
control emotions as well as give genuine support and strength to another.
There’s a whole a lot of truth to the saying “Behind every successful man is
his woman.” I also think women can tolerate pain better than men can. Lets
face it guys, if men had to give birth to babies instead of women, the human
race would have become extinct a long time ago. Respect for the divine in all
people transcends gender, but to transcend we must appreciate and Fiona is
certainly a woman to appreciate.
Ta’Shia is interesting because
there is a lot of cross correlation between the religion of Voodoo and western
religions. When she channels a spirit I can’t say that I don’t take her
seriously. I’d say she is a force to be taken very seriously. Finally Don the
Vampire… I don’t know what to say. Some people believe in luminous entities
that are attracted by our actions both in the physical and spiritual dimension
that feed off of us in both positive and negative ways depending on what we put
out. In certain cultures the Guru awakens what is called the Kundalini and takes
on a part of a disciple’s own karma while passing on divine energy in a
ceremony called Shaktipat. I’d like to think that somewhere within the
darkness there is a light and that even in following something like Vampirism;
there might be a lot more to it than the images that it brings to mind. I sense
there is, but like you all I’ll have to see for myself as the episodes
continue onward in the coming weeks when “Mad Mad House” debuts as a part of
“Sci-Fi Thursday” on March 4, 2004 at 9pm (ET/PT) only on the Sci-Fi
Channel.
© Copyright 2004 By Mark A.
Rivera
All Rights Reserved.