The Mindscape of Alan Moore

DeZ Vylenz

BY James KeastPublished Oct 14, 2008

Though famous for his deep, intellectually rich, game-changing comics work, Alan Moore might be equally famous for being a reclusive, potentially grumpy weirdo who’s holed himself up in Northhampton, England. But in this low-budget doc about the famed eccentric, he’s revealed to be thoughtful, funny and surprisingly open about his life, from abject poverty to toiling in comics obscurity to the cult of personality that’s built around him, against his will. The 78-minute feature concentrates almost exclusive on Moore and — as the title indicates — his worldview; his comics work, while referenced, isn’t the focus of deconstruction here, his view of the universe is. And what a view. His analysis of the creative mind is fascinating; his perspective on celebrity culture is cutting; and when he reveals that he decided, upon turning 40, to go mad and declare himself a magician, it actually leads to some fascinating insights on the nature of magic and the creative arts. Fleshing out this potentially nerds-only domain is an extensive second disc that turns the camera eye to Moore’s collaborators, a fascinating rogues gallery of artists who’ve helped define his visions in unique ways: Melinda Gebbie (Lost Girls), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), David Lloyd (V For Vendetta), Kevin O’Neill (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and Jose Villarubia (Promethia). What each adds is not further hagiography to the cult of Moore but discussions of their work and creative process; to understand that is to comprehend what attracted Moore to them as artists in the first place. Critic and publisher Paul Gravett provides the comics context. The other extras remain true to the film’s unconventional approach but a "making of” and director interviews should actually be more straightforward than they are here; that they flop only puts the successes of the doc and other extras in higher relief. Other scholars have spent plenty of time analyzing the work and what it means. What we have here is a fascinating peek behind the creative curtain. Plus: select scene commentary, more.
(Disinformation)

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