MovieChat Forums > Red Lights (2012) Discussion > Does this movie take place in a world wh...

Does this movie take place in a world where people believe in this stuff


In real life, the general consensus is that there's no such thing as psychic powers or supernatural things. In this movie, however, it seems that everyone believes in that stuff and the doubters are the ones who are mocked and laughed at. So, is that how it is? Is that the world the movie takes place in? Because they don't make that really clear if that's what the movie's universe is supposed to be like.

josephgordonlevittovereverything

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Okay. I finished watching this. I'm confused. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention or something? Anyway...

1. Okay, so DeNiro's character was a fraud and was not blind? Then how did he do the levitation stuff and that makeshift surgery?

2. Murphy's character had paranormal abilities the whole time, and was working with Weaver's character in order to find someone else like him? He was the one f_cking sh!t up the whole time, no DeNiro? Okay. But why? Why would Murphy destroy his own equipment and make dead birds fly at himself?

3. So, about the heart attacks. It was proven that DeNiro was a phony. How did Weaver and the man decades before her get the heart attacks whilst trying to expose him? Was that just a freaky coincidence?

Those are just a few questions. Does anyone have any answers?

josephgordonlevittovereverything

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Levitation and that fake healing type of "surgery" have both been performed by other types of magicians,and have both been revealed to be merely tricks. They had shown the photograph of the sitting "levitating" man in the movie earlier, probably to show that levitation has been de-bunked in real life, since it was stated that the picture was due to a trampoline.
Murphy's character seemed to be not in control of his abilities, it came out when he was upset, excited, agitated, etc. For example, DeNiro's glancing up at the noise of the machine being turned on could look like DeNiro getting angry and "knowing" what Murphy's character was trying to do and then causing the theater to explode, lights explode, etc., BUT, looking back when we know the real deal, it can be explained that Murphy's character got angry when DeNiro looked up, and that caused all the explosions, from Murphy's character's agitation of still not knowing if DeNiro was like him, or being caught, etc, or Murphy's character being just EXTREMELY hot headed, to say the least.
It was stated in the interview that Silver was on, prior to his comeback performance, that the heart attack critic had a postmortem exam that proved he had died of natural causes. Definitely a manipulative move on the director's part, and a misleading cheap shot. Weaver's death could fall under the same "Murphy's character can't control it" explanation, and his anger and agitation sent a "wave" of hostile energy, which Weaver got caught in. His guilt would definitely explain his violent reaction.

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About the second point, I think it has something to do with "energy", these things happened when he get like crazy and worked up about things.

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I wonder about the polaroids - how did faces show up on those??

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Okay, I just want to point out that THIS GUY : http://www.pleasegodno.com/archives/150-Gary-Spivey-A-Huge-Fraud.html actually HAS A CAREER. :P It's clear to most of us that psychic powers and supernatural things are OF COURSE not real, but........... again, look at this Gary Spivey person, and realize......he actually has PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM !!!!! :P

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People do believe in this stuff. Look in any church.

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You'd be surprised. Do you know Theresa Caputo? Bunko artists like her charge premium bucks for a ticket to their show. From caveman days, mankind has always desperately wanted to believe that there is life beyond this one.

I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time.

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The way the professors, illusionists, audience, and university in general acted made it hard for me to take the movie seriously but apparently the Silver character and his run-ins with people in a position to prove him a fake are based (or at least have basis) on real instances. James Randi is a real life person who has proven frauds similar to situations in the movie. Also the Stanford University tested psychic powers in the 70's and concluded them to be valid...

Strangely without the twist ending this could have been a loose biography.

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In real life, the general consensus is that there's no such thing as psychic powers or supernatural things.


I think you're confusing public personas with personal lives. For example, the general consensus is the almost EVERYONE was a virgin when they married and nobody strays outside their marriage. However, statistics show neither is true.

What people say they believe (or don't) and ACTUALLY believe (or don't) aren't the same thing. I know quite a few atheists that aren't "out" and attend church for the socialization and I know quite a few Christians that don't really believe but don't want to rock the boat so keep up the pretense as well.

Until society stops trying to manage everyone's lives and "punishing" those who draw outside the lines, the world will continue to be doomed to implode onto itself.

------------------------
"Get busy living, or get busy dying." (Andy - The Shawshank Redemption)

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In real life, the general consensus is that there's no such thing as psychic powers or supernatural things.


Consensus?

http://www.gallup.com/poll/16915/three-four-americans-believe-paranormal.aspx

http://www.christianpost.com/news/how-many-americans-believe-in-ghosts-spells-and-superstition-29857/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2590349/God-Were-likely-believe-supernatural-Number-people-think-sixth-sense-higher-regularly-attend-church.html

All that before we get onto the prickly subject (especially for the writer of the second piece!) of whether belief in a God or Gods is really a belief in the supernatural.

__
you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you.

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