I am probably a sick individual

...because I loved this movie.

If you click the link and you don't immediately think "eeew...WTF?", then you deserve a lot of credit. Most people would probably be put off by the sight of a flabby middle aged man sans shirt even before they recognized the name Aleister Crowley, and on both counts they would probably wonder what on earth could be the appeal.

It's definitely not for everybody. I read a lot of terrible reviews, mostly from people who were totally unprepared for the subject matter or who watched the movie just because the guy from Iron Maiden wrote the screenplay and were disappointed. But I also read some reviews that I must agree with--that yes, it's a mess, but an entertaining and very worthwhile mess. And I'd rather watch that than some overhyped "important" movie that won countless festival awards and still manages to be duller than a blank screen.

One reassurance to the prudish, and a warning to those hoping for tons of perversion and gore, is that the movie turns out to be far more mild than one might expect. To be honest, I've seen more disturbing acts of violence in mainstream thrillers and more nudity and graphic sex in highbrow Masterpiece Theatre types of films. "Crowley" was actually rather tame. Which is kind of a letdown for a movie about someone who reveled in shocking people.

But all criticism aside, I still found myself thinking about how much I enjoyed the movie long after I watched it, and that's a rarity even with quality films. Simon Callow is simply brilliant. I'm not sure who else could have played the role with such relish (or who else would have the nerve). The rest of the cast could just stand there and stare at the floor, and the movie would still be enjoyable thanks to Callow. If you don't recognize the name, he was also in "Shakespeare in Love." Speaking of popular highbrow movies that are more risque than this one.

For anyone who's interested, "Crowley" (aka "Chemical Wedding") is on Netflix Instant View, at least for the time being. Give it a try.