“To support the continuing image of the Illuminati as an enigmatic organization, a visual lexicon has developed to go along with this mystique. Most of the symbols that we’ve come to associate with the Illuminati go back much further than the 18th century, and often have little or nothing to do with the original Order at all. In a way, the Illuminati’s so-called symbolism reflects more about what we think we know (or don’t know) about a mysterious group of people who may or may not gather regularly at the Bilderberg Conference. It’s up for debate what imagery actually belongs or is attributed to the organization itself—if it still exists. The fact that our questions, theories, and beliefs may never be answered or verified is actually what fuels and propels the myth of the Illuminati.
The aesthetics of the modern idea of the Illuminati appear to be a collection of various sigils from different clandestine groups such as the Gnostics, Hermetics, Knights Templar, Rosicrucians, and Freemasons (which the real-life Illuminati founders wanted to join, but evidently found too costly). America may have somehow been influenced by Enlightenment-era Bavarian Illuminati ideals. In fact, both the real Illuminati and the United States of America were officially founded the same year in 1776, just over a month apart. Coincidence… Or conspiracy? Interestingly, the only image directly related to the true historic Illuminati is the Owl of Athena, which references Greek Mythology and represents simple knowledge and wisdom.” — Tanja M. Laden
What Happens At the Illuminati Ball
20 bewildering Illuminati-Inspired Tattoos
Flat Earth Illuminati Secrets Revealed ASMR:
The Illuminati: The Solar Flare Conspiracy:
The Annual Illuminati Conference:
Kingdom Hearts 3 is Illuminati:
6ix9ine is Illuminati:
Illumi-Corp training video:
Trevor Moore – The illuminati:
Illuminati Art: Inside the Aesthetics of a Modern Conspiracy
Illuminati Minimal Paper Print
Inside the Illuminati with Rosie Kay and Adam Curtis
Silent Woods Film Trailer 2:
Taco Bell Commercial 2017 Belluminati:
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p.s. Hey. Today your host is the eminent writer, critic, and filmmaker Steve Erickson, and he suggests you spend your day in the more artful realms of the Illuminati. Scared, overtly or secretly tempted, admittedly curious, … ? Well, please enter the post using your chosen approach and enjoy yourselves and give some kind of related shout out to Steve in your comments, thank you. And thank you, Steve! ** David Ehrenstein, Hi. Well, yes, speak with Ben. Yes, the Sheridan Square theater, exactly. I don’t know ‘Camille: A Tearjerker’. It’s kind of an obvious pick, but the piece I saw that sticks the most with me is his ‘Irma Vep’. FaBlog is up and running! Everyone, Go find out what Mr. Ehrenstein has newly put on his legendary FaBlog. It’s mysteriously called ‘It’s Not Easy Being “Green Acres”’, and it’s here. ** Sypha, Hi, James. Thanks for the words to Ben. Oh, I hope you like PGL, of course. Tenterhooks. And I really enjoyed your part in the post, and I’ll looking forward to getting at the full thing. ** Misanthrope, Oh, okay, I’m glad I only maybe vaguely sideswiped your fears. Piece of work are the words. I hope against hope. 10 hours of sleep is a sweetie. ** Bill, You’re right, I’m not hugely surprised you liked those Beasley pieces, ha ha. Your kitty is making me overcome my ennui about real cats, so that’s something. When you’re seeing the Dorothea Tanning show, pop into the Tate bookshop and see if you can root out our very own politekid who’s there working either the tills or other of its things. I hadn’t heard of ‘Suburban Birds’. Hm. ‘Safe and disappointing’ … I think I’ll trust your judgement then. Good luck with all your many thises and thats. ** Damien Ark, Hi, Damien! Oh, man, thank you! I’m so happy you liked PGL. The dark and comedic stuff is very on purpose. If you read the script, you’d think it was a full on comedy film. Anyway, that’s awesome, thank you a lot, pal. And I hope that novel you’re dreaming up works its way into a doc. Sounds very intriguing, of course. And, yep, we’re on our way to making another film. Just need to raise the rest of the money. ** Steve Erickson, Thank you so much for today, Steve! Wish I could see you vids program. Maybe you’ll share a playlist at some point, and I can poke it into a simulacrum here. Well, I guess that explains why I didn’t hear anything at all about ‘Our Son’ when it was alive over here. ** _Black_Acrylic, Hey, Ben! Thank you so, so much for the amazing weekend! it got killer traffic! Have a lovely Monday. ** James, Hey, bud. Thanks for the words to Ben, and I really liked your thing in the post. Understood big time about the editing’s pull elsewhere. Well, New Juche is correct re: the flexibility and the rolling with the punches thing. Yes, excited for the new New Juche! I’m good. The new film: waiting for the French translation of the script to be finished (end of this month) and then the grant and funding search will begin full steam. Have no idea when we’ll film it. Depends on how quickly we raise the budget. Certainly not this year, barring a miracle. Maybe by/before next summer if we’re really lucky. No actors in mind yet, no. We try not to repeat actors from film to film, except for Benedetta, our good luck charm, so probably it’ll be an all new cast, but that’s not a hard rule. Right now my life’s everything is about PGL, which premieres in Paris tomorrow night and opens in theaters in France on Wednesday. Lots to do, very stressful. A bunch of traveling starting this week to host special event screenings around the country and stuff. That’s the whole world pretty much right now. Much love back to ya. ** Right. The Illuminati are patiently awaiting you upstairs there. See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
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“The Mystery of Irma Vep” is the Ludlam that’s most frequently performed these days because it’s a two-hander with quick-cange costume effects — and hilariously funny. His other plays require a truly skillful troupe of actors and a hihly skilled director to pull off
He Sve Here’s a link about “Eyes Wide Shut” and the Illuminati.
@ James, thank you so much for your contribution to The Call and I’m really looking forward to the unveiling of Haunted Girlfriend. Re the zine, I don’t really have much of a plan or theme to speak of. At least for now I’m not doing this as an open call but rather as a few selected or curated artists and writers, probably to be contacted via social media I think. But I actually did receive an email from a hopeful contributor within just a few minutes’ launch of Saturday’s DC’s post, so that was encouraging to say the least. I’d like to have issue #2 online fairly quickly so that there’s some momentum built up behind the project.
@ Steve, some good YouTube comments below that Taco Bell ad – Mr. CoolBeans “Illuminati starting to literally come out into the open, so they can condition you to think its normal.” Seems that the US has a big crowd willing to believe these theories, whereas in the UK our local nutjobs simply shift all their blame onto the EU instead. Still, whatever works for them I guess.
Hey!!
I’m back from Prague, with quite a heavy heart, I’m longing to go back – to have never left. We had such an amazing time with Anita, I think I really needed this, to get away a little and just… be. We checked out a few places (my favorite was this smallish gay pub full of dogs for some reason) but mostly, we were just lazing around, talking, talking, having endless free-style sessions.
How are you? What’s been happening on your end, Dennis?
I hope everything’s fine or even more than fine! Lots of love!!
Steve – I actually don’t know too much about the Illuminati, though I guess I should. Had some good laughs with the Trevor Moore video.
Dennis and Davdi (sic) – I’ll never forget the Halloween when I saw Irma Vep at Sheridan Square. Great to see on Halloween, amazingly brilliant. And I saw Camille several times…I was a big fan of Charles and told him that he was the person I most ran into in NYC – loved him onstage and off. Last time I saw him (I think) was in the back room of the Christopher St bookstore, which was supposed to be a landmark, but is now a clothing store, if I remember correctly. Loved him a lot. One of the exchanges I most remember from his “Hot Ice”:
“Do you wash your hands after you piss?”
Charles: “I wash my hands before I piss.”
Hey, man;
No, of course I totally understand you’re an extremely busy person and can’t reply to emails quickly. I really do.
Well, I just thought of ‘LDP’ in relation to ‘PGL’ because I know it’s your favorite film and thought maybe it has certain influence/”power” over the things you do. I didn’t mean it in an “EVERY film *HAS TO* have very clear influences and I must think what they might be and compare them” way at all. I also wasn’t thinking in any “suicide” theme/link. Clearly Charles and the main protagonist of ‘PGL’ are extremely different characters with very few or no things in common. I know of course you and Zac were always trying to do your own thing without particularly thinking in following anyone’s “influence”. It was just a thought.
Thank you. Yeah, it’s Great. I *FUCKING LOVE* this Paradise called Palm Springs SO, SO, SO FUCKING MUCH. Wanna stay here for the rest of my life. Wanna die here.
Have a very good day,
Take care,
Good luck,
a.
I adore Palm Springs too. Tey call the palce the “Cocella Valley” because when originally discovered the sands were covered with sea shells. That’s because eons ago there was an ocean there and Palm Springs was at its bottom. Then the waters receded revealing golf curses and gay hotels. I love it in the summer. The heat is so pronounced one can only be outside for short periods of time. The buildings ar equipped with Mist Sprayers to provide a soupcon of moisture to the atmosphere. Viva, who I cat with every day on Facebook, lives in Palm Springs. So does Udo Kier. He resides in a building that used to be a bank.
Doris Day R.I.P, She was 97. A long and accomplished life but a sad one. She was married four time. All her husbands were rotten. No wonder she became an animal enthusiasts. Dogs and cats are eternally loyal.
Looed at PGL again today. It seems to me that “Tim” is more than ALittle Bit in Love with “Roman.” Had they connected would “Roman” not have exploded.
And speaking of that (Starring, of course, Barbara Harris and Wally Shawn.)
Steve, Good work, my man. I kind of love the idea of the Black Illuminati these days, with LeBron, Dez, Jay-Z, et al. I don’t think there really is one, but I like that they think there is. I don’t know, warms my heart a bit.
Dennis, And then followed that shit up with maybe 6 hours last night. I’m getting on track this week, damn it!
LPS didn’t go to school again today. I don’t know what he’s doing.
You ever do an Airbnb? I’m looking into maybe doing that in London in September. I know a couple people who’ve done them and really liked it.
Now to finish my latest chapter of my novel. 😀
@David–Hasan Piker’s remarks about attending Illuminati sex orgies in the Hamptons in that video were pretty funny. I doubt the Young Turks pay him enough for the membership fee, but maybe they qualify for the secret Bohemian Grove connection. I’m seeing EYES WIDE SHUT on June 1st, followed by a discussion between MR. ROBOT creator Sam Esmail and critic Matt Zoller Seitz about paranoia in the film.
@Black_Acrylic–Well, if that ad inspired anyone to stay away from eating at Taco Bell, it did the world some good. Most YouTube comments about the Illuminati, especially on music videos, are good for cringe-laughter.
Thanks for the responses, everyone.
After the post-punk program has taken place at Anthology, I’ll make a YouTube playlist with the videos contained in it.
Thanks Steve. I got a kick out of the Oreo cookie numerology. I once played an Illuminati card game but couldn’t really understand the rules so I guess I’m not cut out for the organization:
http://www.sjgames.com/illuminati/
I just made the connection between the Eameses who made the Powers of 10 video and the Eames chair. The Powers of 10 short film has long been a favorite of mine. I had high hopes for their other shorts. The toy trains and tops lived up to my hopes, but the more serious stuff just feel like heavily watered down Marshal McLuhan, almost as if it were Illuminati propaganda to prime people decades ahead of time to surrender their lives to binary communication processes. Note the pyramid at the beginning of Powers of 10:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0
Tops:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ-VFMymEiE
Toy Trains:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oorg2q0D8hs
Heavily watered down Marshal McLuhan (Illuminati propaganda?):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omEy97DLJZQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eoE-qrrgLE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xYi2rd1QCg
My head is plagued by Jeanines, a Brooklyn indie pop band that has released a few tracks and is coming out with their first album in a month. For what they are they’re perfect, especially because of the trills:
https://jeanines.bandcamp.com/
Good luck with your film release! I’ll email you when the Eurovision post is ready. At this point it’s looking like it’ll be more of a followup than an introduction to this year’s contest. I’ve been busy with the film school sample reel and various errands. Happy to have found an old Raleigh 10-speed road bike. Not the most practical choice but I guess that’s the way love is. Are you or were you once a biker of any kind?