My review of The Opus

The three tasty wedding cakes from Jessica and Jonathan Standifird’s wedding. A mix of vegan, edible flowers, super chocolaty goodness and a groomsman cake in the shape of a piano.

Last night Gary, Kate and I went to the Scottsdale Premier of The Opus (a movie) at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. There was quite the excitement buzzing around the lobby. We arrived just after 6pm only to find we had assigned seating. I was bummed because I wanted to sit with Kate, but the universe must of been on my side because it turns out we had seats right next to each other! How rad is that!

It started off with speakers Tim Ralston, the creator of visionboardsite.com , I liked him. He was a lovely opening speaker. I remember about a year ago… maybe two years ago he found me on myspace and I checked out his site but it seemed like a lot of work to create a video vision board, so I never did one. I also remember it being free, and now it’s $30 a year. I wonder how effective it really is? Obviously I get it and I’ve made numerous vision boards from cut out magazine clippings and the concept of a video vision board is pretty neat!

Then Doug Vermeeren, an International speaker, author and creator of The Opus took the stage. He was your typical fast talking, motivational, engaging speaker. I also liked what he had to say, but he could have left his wife in her seat. I don’t think she wanted to be on stage while he tried to make out with her… okay, it was a few pecks on the cheek, but still… I wanted to watch the movie. I did enjoy his story about jumping off a cliff into the freezing cold waters of a Canada River. I also liked how he kept saying to Live in the Now! Make decisions and do them now! And he had a slide of a wonderful zen proverb: “Leap and the net will appear.” That is a wonderful quote. I do always feel great when I just leap!

So the movie finally started. Here’s what I liked about it. I liked the life story and theme of the Violin player, who’s name escapes me at the moment. I like the message of the film. I believe we should hear the message daily. I also believe that following your heart is a valuable lesson learned. I liked how a few times throughout the movie I had the urge to clap, almost like I wasn’t watching a movie but at an actual presentation. I also like how simple the movie was and the simple language used.

That being said, if you’ve seen The Secret… it’s a better film. I didn’t think this film was very original. He even used many of the same ‘teachers’ that were in The Secret. When he was speaking to us before the move started he talked about how he interviewed 400 of the top achievers, the most successful people in the world. He came up with a list of 50 questions to ask them. I wanted to see more of that. I wanted to hear why these people were successful. I wanted to see them and hear them speak. If I wanted to see the same people that were in The Secret I would have stayed home and popped that DVD in.

Also, the color scheme was just like The Secret, only not as good. The Secret is brown and antique like which goes with the story of unveiling the ancient secret. In The Secret, the guests or teachers were sitting in front of the camera just talking… and they were doing the same thing in The Opus. I’ve read that this is The Secret after The Secret… but I don’t buy that. Did Rhonda Burns have anything to do this with film? She wasn’t mentioned by any of the speakers and she wasn’t in this film at all.

Basically, I love anything to do with the laws of attraction… Esther and Jerry Hicks… Intenders Circle’s… positive thinking… etc. I think this film could have been brilliant if it were done with more originality. I just feel like it was a not so successful remake of one of my favorite films. I did enjoy it, but as an artist myself, copying someone else’s work is a big no-no.

I did like my goodie bag which came in a reusable Sunflower Market Bag and included:

The Jackrabbit Factor by Leslie Householder, Fighter Pilot Performance for Business by Ed Rush, Pocket Mirror from Southwest Institute of Healing Arts that reads “Toe Reading is a Mirror to your soul”, A copy of Spark Magazine, A red button curtesy of visionboardsite.com, copy of AZ Net News, copy of AZ Weekly

Gary and I talk about this often… how people perceive The Secret. He disagrees with the greediness of some people. Yes, it does appear that most people who watch The Secret or who bank off of it are trying to get rich quick and they all have their own way of approaching the situation with their tried and true course/method. They all talk about how to get rich, live in a mansion, buy that 35 million yacht, enjoy yourself, not go to a 9-5 job…. And we argue over this… I think that is what some people want. I know lots of people motivated by money. Some people believe the key to happiness is hundred dollar bill riches…

I THINK… that the message these films and websites and courses teach us should be applied to our individual lives. I don’t need a 35 million dollar yacht, but I do want to travel around the world… I do want to spend all my time taking pinhole photographs… I do want a large, gorgeous apartment with a huge balcony so I can entertain and throw parties for my friends and family… I do want to be bill free! I do want to be a famous pinhole photographer… I do want to exhibit work in The Whitney, the Tate, SMoCA… I want to experience different cultures and sleep in every hotel in the world! I do want to spend a year documenting myself wearing a different costume each day! I do want to send love through the mail and have a successful pinhole postcard company! I do want to sleep in every morning… work out after my eyes have adjusted to the light… drink juice on my balcony while reading a book with Gary. There are lots of things that I DO WANT…

Perhaps a film will come out that will feature people who want good things and are manifesting them. People who want to just be happy without bathing in hundred dollar bills. Our society is so bling-bling oriented that to appeal to the majority of film goers, they probably have to address the issues that they are interested in. Also… I think it has to do with the WOW factor. Someone who doesn’t have a lot of money but wants it will be wow’d by films and courses like these. With the state of our economy and increasing gas prices… money is on everyone’s mind. AND to travel around the world it does take some of the green stuff.

What do you think?