INTERVIEW — TAPE #64, SIDE #2
JAMES’S BIRTHDAY PARTY (FEBRUARY 3, 1996)
Q: Mark Russell Bell
P: Patty Hamilton
L: Luo Yan
D: Dan Yost
N: Inna Gotman
B: Baba
U: James Ulmer
J: Jennifer Kutner
P: . . . Michael is an angel.
( . . . )
P: You know what character —
Q: I still have my doubts (“BOB”) — (“YES”) no. (“NO”) Well, see, Mighael — the Angel Mighael (“HELL” “I DREAM”) — His definition is like He’s the number one Archangel “Who is as God” so I’m sort of thinking in my mind that He might be —
P: The Devil.
Q: — the alter-ego for God. And God can be a devil, (“RIGHT”) let me tell you. I don’t believe in a Devil. (“MY CHAIR”) I don’t believe in a Hell. (“UH-HUH”) Except for people who believe in those things, they can create that for themselves because we —
P: Many people do.
Q: Exactly. (“SO”) And my book (“SORT OF”) helps bring these things into focus (“MOTHER”) without (“BIG LIE”) revealing all the mysteries because it’s beyond their comprehension (“OSCAR”) anyway.
P: And how could any one person reveal all those things?
Q: Exactly. (“E HA”) Nobody can really understand that except the mind of God (“TOMMY”) so (“GOD”) anyway —
P: Did you believe in God before all this started?
Q: Yes, I did.
P: Yeah. So you had a basic belief in God?
Q: More than a basic belief in God.
P: Were you religious?
Q: Profoundly but I never went to church.
P: Okay.
Q: Get it?
P: Yeah.
Q: Yeah. (“YEAH”) In fact, churches right now have become sort of a negative because people spend all their time studying the Bible instead of helping their fellow man.
P: Yeah, right.
Q: So that’s another one of the themes of my books. (“YEAH”) Plural. (“I HA[TE]” “YEAH” “SO U[M]”) Anyway, it’s quite interesting.
P: Oh yeah. And you look so different.
Q: Yes I do.
P: Physically you look so different. (“YEAH” “WELL”)
Q: You’ll notice — (“YEAH”) this look like me in the medallion? (“[Y]EAH”) It looks just like me.
P: Yeah.
Q: It’s the god (Amun-)Ra and another name for him was Bel-Marduk. So apparently the Jesus Christ story was based on an old mystery play about Bel-Marduk. (“SO”) Unfortunately, (“DRINK ALL”) one of the things my book reveals is that Jesus was a fairy tale.
P: Oh Jesus.
Q: So talk about controversy.
P: Yeah.
Q: (laughs)
P: There you go.
Q: Exactly. (“YEAH”) So — I don’t know. What do you — what religion are you?
P: I was born a Catholic and, again, I’m not formally religious but, you know, I certainly believe in God now and I believe in doing kind things, in practicing kind things.
Q: Exactly.
P: And leaving everyone with their dignity intact. You know?
Q: Yeah.
P: And not blowing up and having arguments and all of that (“PU[T]”) sort of thing.
Q: Exactly.
P: Just being a good person.
Q: Exactly. (“AND SIN”) So most of the people I’ve been meeting recently.
P: I just got something hot — I’ve got to get some more of this diet shit.
Q: Okay.
P: So you might want to stop that.
( . . . )
Q: So why don’t you say what — begin by saying your name and spelling it for me. Or if you give me your card you don’t need to.
L: Luo Yan. (“AND” “SO”)
Q: And you were telling me a little bit about your religion in — because you live in a communist country.
L: It’s (an) interesting experience if you, you know, really want to get into it. I grew up in a country (that) is complete(ly) communist. Unless if your family is strolling — used to be, in history, there’s a religion in a family or whatever — but after ’49 — China probably most of — there’s no church existing. Maybe there’s one — a few but few people (“BE”) will be daring enough, brave enough to go over there. My family wasn’t that much so — but speaking generally average people — they, like, believe they must go somewhere — temple or — so usually most popular is, like, a temple so they go to —
Q: And what religion is that?
L: Buddhism.
Q: Buddhism.
L: That’s most of — it’s like anything existing then they go. It’s not specific religion.
Q: Do you know Michael and James’s friend, Baba?
L: No.
Q: Okay. He’s — because I think he’s very close to the energy of Buddha in our time.
L: Then I remember when I was like very young — like even wasn’t tall enough to reach the table. I would say five or six or something around (that). I remember my grandma was playing mahjong—like a game—with others. One day, she was losing — like in the fall of them. I went up — I climbed up to the chair and kind of like prayed: “God, help. Let her win.” Everybody was shocked. I remember everybody looking at me: “Are you stup(id) — I mean what are you doing?” I’m like pray(ing).
Q: And now you work in the film industry? (“AND LIKE”) Because I think every movie is like a miracle so —
L: Oh you pray. You do. Of course, I’ve never had a chance to go to church or anyone approach me or — of course I read Bible as a book. You just read it but I would say in my heart I do believe. Every time I pray, things happen.
Q: Can’t you wait until the new Bible comes out?
L: I hope I can read it —
Q: You will.
L: I know. Yeah.
Q: Trust me. You will.
L: Okay.
Q: It’s in the works. (small laugh)
L: Okay. I just, like, feel that way. I don’t know why. I feel like every time you pray, it happen(s).
Q: True — that’s true.
L: I don’t know why but (it) happen(s). (“IT’S”)
Q: It’s because —
L: Gradually. It’s not like it happen(s) tomorrow. But gradually.
Q: See, that’s what people don’t understand is that —
L: Why?
Q: — because it’s like God is not someone that you need after you die, He’s constantly collaborating with you in every single moment of your life. (“I DON’T KNOW”) I’m not quite sure how — if it’s through angels or through spirits or whatever — intermediaries of some sort. Or maybe it’s through astrology and the actual motion of the stars but let’s just say He knows everything that’s going to happen — (“BUT”) He hasn’t emotionally experienced it yet. So and that’s what I find in writing my own book which is about the New Age. I find that — I find myself doing some — like right now I’m doing interviews even though I’m very fatigued with working on my book. I’m almost like going through the motions and talking about God because, of course, I believe in Him — I mean He’s almost like (“FIRE”) — I’m almost like married to Him. (“YOU”) Because when you work on a religious book, you feel very close to Him. (“SO”) Emotionally, sometimes I’m not here even though I’m still doing my job because I just feel like, “Goodness sake, what’s going to happen next?” It’s like I mean I’ve witnessed a lot of miracles in my life. Little ones and big ones. So sometimes it gets sort of overwhelming, thinking, “What will the next one be?” (“TOMORROW”) What is His ulterior motive?
L: I know.
Q: But I don’t think He — (“[H]E”) I think it’s a — life is a wonderful pageant of love. Unless the joke — unless He’s really turned nasty, which I hope not.
L: I think if somebody really (is a) believer, they won’t turn out nasty.
Q: Exactly. (“MY HEAR[T]”)
L: You’ll see they’re not nasty.
Q: And I have a very loving relationship with Him. It’s just that I don’t know why He chose me in some respects to do my book. So I wish I’d stop judging myself. You know? And let Him do it. He’s much better at it than me. So — (“ANYW”) but that’s interesting. I’m hoping — because my book I hope (“WILL BE”) will be translated in China as well.
L: Okay.
Q: Yeah so, anyway, thank you for letting me interview you. Do you — what do you pray at night — (“DO YOU”) make, say a prayer before you go to bed at night? (“NO I”)
L: Not like every night. Like I said, I have never gone to church. I’ve never had those chance(s) so you don’t know those ritual thing(s).
Q: Well go ahead and start and see what —
L: You know you don’t know those ritual(s) but whenever you’re really desperate, you want something or you — it doesn’t — say like we want “Red Cherry” to be nominated?
Q: Right.
L: And that kind of thing. You want it badly and you don’t know what to do. You tried your best already in the daytime so in the evening: “Oh God — ”
Q: Well it can’t hurt.
L: ” — help me.” That kind of —
Q: It can’t hurt.
L: I know. But sometimes you forgot — you didn’t remember. Sometimes you — badly — so you want it, you pray. That kind of thing. So whenever you pray is real — has really shown me a strong energy behind. (“AND HAVE YOU A” )
Q: Right. Have your prayers been answered in the past?
L: I would say whenever I pray — see, even I came to the United States? I prayed. I did try but wasn’t, you know, kind of didn’t get success and so on, so forth. But I just have prayed — I really desperate —
Q: What you’ve done is you’ve surrendered your life and will to God without even knowing it.
L: I know. It just — “Oh God help me.” (“BUT”)
Q: At night —
L: But it happen. (“WHA”)
Q: This is what you should say. Trust me. “Adam and Eve suck. I surrender my life and will to God. I have much to do.” That’s all. And your life will be noticeably different.
L: Oh.
Q: As a result. We’ll see if your — what do you think your — you think your film has a chance of getting a nomination (“FOR”) Best Foreign Film?
L: We tried our best.
Q: Is there a lot of competition this year?
L: Um-huh.
Q: But what do you think? You think yes or no?
L: I would say very much possible.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: WHAT SOUNDS LIKE SPIRIT WEEPING CAN BE HEARD ON THE TAPE HERE.)
Q: Pray.
L: Okay.
Q: Pray.
L: Okay.
Q: Okay.
L: Okay. (laughs) Thank you.
( . . . )
(“WE WANT”)
Q: This is what my book is about. I’m speaking to Dan Yost.
D: Yost (pronunciation as in host and not lost). (“OKAY”)
Q: And he is the screenwriter of “Drugstore Cowboy” and he has a new film entitled?
D: “Love and Sex, Etc.” (“JUAN”)
Q: What do you feel about the studio system?
D: It sucks. (small laugh) The problem is that it’s — in the ’70s it was probably driven by writers and directors and people who worked their way up in terms of apprenticeship. They learned something. They were educated people. And after a number they got into a position where they could make movies. Today, it seems to come from a different direction. It seems to come from agents, attorneys, business people, accountants — driven more than it is by artists. And then the people who rely — and it’s also heavily weighted towards people coming out of film school: the hottest young talent on the block. (“WELL THE”) The hottest young talent may do a nice movie once but where’s the life experience that’s going to result in a real career?
Q: A lot of young actors have been getting directing and writing deals.
D: Yeah. (“I”) You know — but that isn’t — the real problem with the studio system is the whole development process. I, myself, worked on one project for Geena Davis. There were seven different people: manager, two producers, studio executives, studio story editors, studio — (“TWENTY”) seven different people telling me how to write this story.
Q And you know what you’re doing.
D: I had an idea that everybody was wrong in terms of (“ZAHI”) how they started (“NO”) the project. They had a real life story of a woman bounty hunter. Instead of focusing on what happened to this woman in real life, which is incredibly dramatic, they wanted to go to a light action comedy. So essentially they hired the rights to this woman’s story and then threw it out and did something completely different. I thought it was very wrong-headed and the result was a script that several people, including myself, worked on and no — (“NO”) probably it never will get made.
Q: So the soul has gone out of the industry.
D: Well the development process — it goes through one writer to another writer to another writer. And the executives are deciding (“HOW TO DO THAT”) what is good and what isn’t good. And some of these executives don’t really have an education.
Q: And so much for internal logic because everyone — every writer knows that it’s one writer’s vision really (“BOB”) and if you change one thing of that internal logic, the whole thing begins falling apart.
D: The whole — yeah, the scripts could get very messed up but I think the main problem is that they’re all concept-driven as opposed to having a sense of reality. And I find that a lot of the studio films these days — they play as a formula plot to a certain extent. They do have this problem of some of the details not being logical because of the problems of different writers all working on it; and different executives with different ideas. But you also — (noise of bottles)
N: Oh my God, that was loud.
D: That — there’s something in the background.
Q: Paranormal phenomena. (“YEAH”)
D: They have the problem of not having any reality even within the story. (“THE”) The scenes aren’t real anymore. I mean I remember seeing movies in the ’70s and even sometimes in the ’80s where you might have a fantastic idea or plot but (“PLEASE” “US”) within any given scene, there would be a sense of reality — (“HAVING”) that this is the way real things and real people and things that really happen. Maybe there’s an alligator coming out of the sewers. Like John Sayles wrote a script called “Alligator” but in any given scene, (“ONE”) there’s a strong sense of reality. And that’s not even true anymore. The scenes don’t make any sense. The characters don’t connect to reality. The dialogue, the situations — it’s just really — it seems to me the last two or three years have been the worse. (“IT”)
Q: Well I worked in marketing so would you agree that for most films, more creativity goes into the marketing than the film itself?
D: Yeah. No question.
Q: Isn’t it sad?
D: Yeah. It’s amazing, you know.
Q: I have written so many screenplays and none of them have ever been made. And they’re good. (“W[E]”) What else is new? (“I”)
D: I’m not a person who says that the writer’s vision necessarily is always the one that’s (“FAB”) fabulous because I don’t think, myself, I’ve ever written a screenplay that’s any more than 70% of what the movie should be. But when I made my own movie, I discovered that there’s a good reason for that because when you shoot a movie, you do some more writing. (“YOU YOU”) Depending on what’s going on, you — you have an ability to understand what the actors are contributing — what other people are contributing.
Q: You wrote “Drugstore Cowboy” — you’ve proven yourself. These young jerks at the studios haven’t. Doesn’t that make you angry?
D: No, it just — it amazes me.
Q: It makes me fuckin’ mad.
D: (small laugh) It amazes me. I’ve gotten some writing jobs, obviously, as a result of that movie but I don’t — but no one’s giving me —
Q: They should shut up and let you write the goddamn script and then film it and — (“THAT’S IT”)
D: No, nobody’s giving me $5,000,000 right now to make my own movie, which is why I had to do it myself.
Q: Well that’s called artistic vision.
D: Even though they loved a couple — some of my scripts — and they said — (“BUT”) they’re always thinking, “Well let’s give it to Wes Craven” or something.
Q: Mike Figgis had a tough time getting “Leaving Las Vegas” set up.
D: That’s unbelievable because it’s a fabulous project and he made an incredible movie. (“SO”) Anyway, the screenplay gets maybe 70% there. You write it (during filming) — that’s another 15%. You edit it — that’s another 15%. I still felt that I was making a writing contribution to my movie when I was working on the music because that creates an emotional mood that gives the audience a sense of how to feel about what’s going on. So it was just a real (“FRIDAY”) discovery for me to do the whole movie.
Q: You know what I think it is? Directors and producers — especially producers don’t know what they want so they feel the more writers on it, the more chance they have of making a good movie.
D: But the opposite is true.
Q: Exactly. (“YEAH”) And that’s what my book is here to tell them. (“REALLY”)
D: It’s absolutely the opposite because the more writers work on it, the more confusing it gets. I recently rewrote a play—that was a pretty good play—for Showtime. It was a job. And when I read this play — it was one of the best things I’ve read —
Q: The title? (“NUTTY”)
D: It’s called, “Doing Time at the Alamo.” It’s a story about women visiting men in prison. And The Alamo is a motel across the street from the prison. I thought the play was awfully good and I told the people who are going to pay me money to work on this — I said, “Why are you hiring me? Why don’t you just make this play?” (“BERNIE” “WELL”) When I started looking more carefully at it, I saw that there were a few thing that you had to change, obviously, for film and (“NO”) you show some things that are said in the play and so forth but essentially what I did in my first draft is that I stuck to what that play was. And I tried not to change what the writer had accomplished in that. Whatever I tried to do in the screenplay — I tried to make it consistent with what was already there. And I think that whole idea that you buy a property, as they call it—a book or a play—and then you change it completely, (“GIVE MARK”) is totally ridiculous. If you buy the life (“MORE TIME”) of this woman bounty hunter, another project I did, (“NO” “DON’T CARE”) let’s make a movie about that — her life. Let’s not suddenly decide we’re going to make a silly action-comedy because Geena Davis needs to have an action comedy to become the star that she wants to be. In reality, Geena goes off and she makes “Cutthroat Island,” which is a total disaster but she’s an action-comedy person. And she’s ruined her career or could ruin her career — because she’s a terrific actor in an ensemble situation or where she has a co-star.
Q: I think this interview is going to be very illuminating for people so they can see where the artistic process has become for writers. And by that I mean (“THE PEOPLE WHO”) initiate the project, not the ones who rewrite the project.
D: Do you know — (“THAT”) has Hollywood ever been kind to writers? I don’t know.
Q: Let’ just say kinder in the ’70s.
D: In the ’70s no question because there was a great deal of respect for what (“THEY DID”) was happening. (“OF ALL”) And for directors as well. I don’t think there’s any respect for directors today either.
Q: By the way, what are your religious feelings? (“VIDEO TAPE”)
D: I think that (“THAT”) the people on this planet should respect the Earth and the universe that we live in.
Q: I have a feeling your luck is soon going to change because you’re very spiritual.
D: Oh really? (“SO”)
Q: If there’s any justice, (“NO”) things should start going your way and my way. (“MOMEN[T]”)
D: My luck is actually pretty good. I always feel like I’m living (“NO”) a good life.
Q: Exactly.
D: As long as you enjoy what you’re doing.
Q: Exactly.
D: And I’ve had one or two people look at my movie and love it so what — I mean what difference does it make if five million people see it or two people?
Q: I’ll tell you what — pray a lot and hire Rogers and Cowan to do the publicity and you’re all set.
D: Okay. Who’s Rogers and Cowan? Your brother?
Q: Right. (“[Y]EAH”) He’s good. (“K”)
D: Sounds great.
Q: He works too hard now but . . .
D: Sounds good to me. I liked him. I met him and I liked him.
Q: Thank you for the interview.
D: Okay. Thank you. (“LUCK”) Okay, bye-bye.
( . . . )
D: Well, it’s hard to get anybody to read these days because they don’t have time. Their lives are such that they have X number of phone calls (“TO PARTIC”) to participate in one way either as initiator of the call or taking the call. And they have lost the ability to pay attention. They can’t focus.
Q: Big stars get their calls returned and they have bad taste. (“YEAH”)
D: They cannot — these people do not have time to read. They do not have time to watch a film. I don’t know if they have time to enjoy life. I don’t know how you can make judgements about art if you live that way. (“YOU’RE ON” “MONDAY”)
Q: Thank you.
( . . . )
B: Alright. (“SO”)
Q: I want it to begin by saying your name.
B: My name is Baba.
Q: And you don’t go — no last name?
B: No last name.
Q: Ooohh. Okay. And I guess the last time I saw you was at dinner.
B: Gaucho Grill.
Q: Gaucho Grill.
B: Argentinian food.
Q: That was (“LIKE”) soon after my coming back from Oklahoma (“RIGHT”) after witnessing all this supernatural phenomena —
B: That’s right.
Q: — with the Angel Mighael and everything. So what did James and Michael tell you about what had happened?
B: Well they told me some, you know — couple of things, what happened to you there and what you experienced and —
Q: Did they tell you that God had revealed Himself to me? (“HE”)
B: They told me. James told me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Q: And so then, of course, you told me (“I”) that wonderful story about how you sort of became famous in Los Angeles for hugging a tree or something like that.
B: A tree because it’s part of nature.
Q: Exactly.
B: Yeah yeah.
Q: And you’re a Buddhist.
B: Buddhist. Buddhist monk. Yeah.
Q: And so there are many — of course, that’s very ironic since Buddha became a tree for you to be discovered hugging a tree.
B: Part of — tree. Yeah. Hugging a tree, you become famous in this town.
Q: So — exactly. (“EAH EAH EAH”) And so now you make appearances on “George and Alana.”
B: Show — yeah.
Q: You sold out. You said you sold out.
B: Yeah. All the time.
Q: And now you’re also working for the Indian Film Commission?
B: I’m going to be Indian Film Commissioner from (the) fifteenth of February. Yes.
Q: So all this success?
B: All this success because power of nature.
Q: Exactly. And God.
B: And God. (“SO”) Power of nature is God. (“WELL”)
Q: There’s only something a little distressing I have to tell you because living with an Angel you learn a lot of things about life. For example, you’ll see my little medallion. I sort of look a lot like this person.
B: Yeah, sure.
Q: The god (Amun-)Ra. So, (“BUT”) anyway, I think you’re very close to the energy of Buddha for our time as a symbol. What do you think about that? (“RIGHT”)
B: That’s right. I believe that.
Q: Isn’t this what Buddha would be doing today?
B: If Buddha was here, yeah. He’s already here maybe. (“CALL”)
Q: Well, (“NOT REALLY”) I don’t know exactly how it works in terms of reincarnation or “close to the energy.” But —
B: Here comes James. (small laugh) (“YOU KNOW”)
Q: You have — James, I’m doing my interview.
U: I know. Sorry.
Q: That’s okay.
U: I have to use a phone. (“BUT UM”)
Q: Real quick —
( . . . )
Q: So, anyway, of course, (“ONE OF”) one of my big problems when I came back was I thought that I might be the reincarnation of Jesus because I had burning bushes and all these (“YOU KNOW”) pseudo-Jesus phenomena. But now I realize no, I’m not. Thank goodness. In fact, he was more probably a fairy tale. (“MOST” “YEAH”) I mean there was some physical —
B: Yeah. (“BURY”)
Q: — but it’s mostly a metaphor. But it’s still possible you could be the reincarnation of Buddha.
B: You could be reincarnation — you could be part of the reincarnation.
Q: Exactly. (“YEAH”)
B: It would be like hundred (or “HUNDRED”) —
Q: Several.
B: — several Buddha reincarnated.
Q: Exactly.
B: You know — in different parts.
Q: But doesn’t that sort of intimidate you?
B: No, you know, you have to —
Q: You just go with it. Go with the flow.
B: You just go — (“DENMARK”) you have to believe in your instincts.
Q: Exactly. (“WHAT”)
B: What you really want to do with it. (“NO”)
Q: You could not care less about being politically correct.
B: No, you know, you are here. You are part of the nature and you have to respect the nature. And —
Q: See, when I speak to you, I really feel like this is what Buddha would be saying in 1996.
B: Buddha would be saying, “Respect the nature.”
Q: Respect nature. Save the planet.
B: Yeah. And be pure.
Q: Be pure. So there isn’t much of that going on — let’s face it.
B: You know, people — they have to realize that there is only one way out — is nature. You have to respect the nature. Otherwise, it’s — (“HOW”)
Q: What is going to bring about that realization?
B: The people — they’re making this world too polluted.
Q: I know.
B: And if we don’t do something now, then our coming generation — they won’t see this beautiful world. They will see disasters . . .
Q: Well they won’t even have a world.
B: They will have a world which would have — they will have a tree without leaves.
Q: Exactly. So they won’t be here very long. (“WA[Y]”) And there’ll be, like, cockroaches walking around.
B: That’s what(‘s) going to happen.
Q: Exactly. So, anyway, so have you had any strange experiences recently?
B: Strange —
Q: Or paranormal or —
B: I believe in a lot of things and a lot of things have been happening in my life so I really don’t see them as strange. I just —
Q: Right. It’s just day-to-day reality.
B: — whatever comes — day-to-day reality, wake up and you know —
Q: What about Sai Baba? Have you ever met Sai Baba?
B: I met him a couple of times. He has his own supernatural powers. (“NO”)
Q: Well he doesn’t but God does. (“BUT GOD”)
B: God gives him. (“YEAH”) God give him a little bit of it. (“I JUST THINK HE DOES”)
Q: God does things around him is what really is going on.
B: That’s it. Yeah. Because God is the One that is a supernatural power —
Q: Exactly.
B: — which we don’t see; which can be given to you or to me (“NO”) and people have to respect that.
Q: It’s really more that He works around certain people that He chooses —
B: That’s right.
Q: — to be His hierophants or whatever. What did Sai Baba tell you?
B: He looked in both my eyes one day and he says, (“DON’T TELL HER”) “God bless you.”
Q: He didn’t say anything profound like —
B: No, he said, “God bless you.” This means that he’s not a God. (“NO”) So he made it clear (“THERE”) there is another power after him. (“NO”) So he says —
Q: Right.
B: “God bless you.”
Q: What do you think about all these people (“WHO ARE LIKE”) making a pilgrimage to meet him who live here in the United States?
B: They go to India to see him. (“NO”) They have (a) message to bring to him and they want to get (a) message back. (“THIS IS”) They go there to bring their — Americans — they go to Sai Baba because they have a question and they’re looking for (an) answer.
Q: Why don’t they just go to a psychic?
B: They can — the answer is always in their own mind. They can ask themselves. (“NO”)
Q: Exactly. (“I MEAN IT’S LIKE”)
B: Why do (you) go (“IT’S LIKE”) six thousand miles? (“YEAH” “IT’S LIKE THEY’RE”)
Q: They think he’s some kind of movie star or something.
B: They credit him — (“I GUESS”)
Q: I don’t know. It’s weird. (“SO”) Well, I don’t know. I think you’re a much better spokesman for America than Sai Baba.
B: Sai Baba is —
Q: Right?
B: (small laugh)
Q: Definitely.
B: I think so.
Q: Exactly. I think so too. (knocking on door)
( . . . )
Q: So I was just telling Baba about all these people I’ve been meeting who’ve been telling me they’re the reincarnation of famous people and I showed him the wonderful antiquities that God has had me go out and buy for peanuts to prove He exists. (“WHAT DO YOU”) What is your reaction to this?
B: Well if you bought all these things, I think this is a very good message. (“NO”) Something is there. (“NO”)
Q: Exactly. (“YEAH”) Exactly. (“SO”) So — I don’t know. (“MAYBE” “REMAINS”) So I think you are a reincarnation of Buddha. Maybe not the reincarnation of Buddha.
B: Not the reincarnation. Maybe the part of the reincarnation.
Q: Who else do you think are reincarnations of Buddha in today’s world?
B: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan the singer. He’s from Pakistan. There are a couple of people in India. Dalai Lama is — (“DI”) his holiness Dalai Lama from Tibet. He’s one.
Q: So do you think you’re (“LIKE”) very close to his energy? Is that a better way of saying it than reincarnation?
B: It’s possible, yeah.
Q: But these people who keep —
B: I follow his rules (“NO”) so if I follow his rules I belong to his kingdom. (“Y[OU KN]OW”)
Q: I see. Maybe — but if you are the only reincarnation of Buddha, wouldn’t that sort of make your life a little more complicated?
B: Oh will make my life difficult.
Q: Well, Mighael (“YEAH”) — my Angel talks on the tapes — so, Mighael, if he is the one and only reincarnation of Buddha, (“YEAH”) please tell me now.
( . . . )
Q: I’m speaking to Jennifer Kutner, one of my friends — it’s noisy here so I’m holing up the microphone — (“I MEAN THE”) the tape recorder near her so I can hear her. (“BUT” “DON’T”) You work in publicity/public relations with my brother Michael.
J: That’s correct.
Q: And you’ve also worked at Paramount.
J: This is also correct.
Q: And what did you just say about God? I love what you just said.
J: I said that God exists and it’s so obvious when we just look at each other that it’s obvious that He exists.
Q: And why don’t people behave themselves then?
J: That’s the universal question. Why don’t people believe this and know for sure? I get nervous when — interview but okay. (“THAT’S”) That’s the age-old question. Why don’t people know it and why don’t they believe it? I do. (“I MEAN”) I know Him. I feel Him. I know . . .
Q: What religion are you?
J: I’m Jewish. But this doesn’t come out of Jewish belief.
Q: Of course not.
J: No. It comes out of just being alive and just understanding that we’re part of everything all around us. And that it was all created by us and by God — (“THAT”) that He’s there in all of us. And that it’s so obvious (“AND”) and yet people just don’t get it.
Q: What do you do when you see a homeless person?
J: I think that this is part of the journey that they’re taking here on Earth.
Q: Do you ever give them money?
J: Sometimes.
Q: See, you are a genuinely spiritual person.
J: Why?
Q: Because of your answers to my questions.
J: No, I know but what did I say that makes you know that? I mean (“I KNOW”) I know what it is. I’m just curious.
Q: Some people say when they see a homeless person, “I don’t give them any money because they’ll just go out and buy drugs.
J: Oh. (“I”)
Q: Isn’t that what most people would say?
J: That is what most people would say. It’s true. But I don’t believe that. And if they are on drugs and on alcohol, then that’s part of the journey that they’re here on Earth — it’s part of what they have to clean themselves out of. It’s part of the spiritual growth that they need for this earthy experience.
Q: Who are you the — if you were — what’s the first person that comes into your mind when I ask you who are you the reincarnation of?
J: I’m not the reincarnation of anyone.
Q: Really? Is this your first time around?
J: I think so. Yes.
Q: You’re a young soul. But how could a young soul know so much if this is your first time around?
J: Because I don’t think that we come around any more than one time.
Q: You’re definitely wrong. Definitely. Look at this picture of me (“FR[O]M”) from Egypt.
J: That was you in Egypt?
Q: Yeah. (“O”)
J: See, I’m not sure about that. (“SOME”) I mean I believe that but I do know that I could be wrong on that.
Q: You sound very spiritually advanced to me. (“I”) I think that your probably are the reincarnation of someone. Go see a psychic and let me know.
J: Go see what?
Q: Go see a psychic and ask them who you’re the reincarnation of and then give me a call and let me know and I’ll add it into my book.
J: Alright. I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t want to know. I’m fine and happy with where things are at right now so it’s okay.
Q: I didn’t want to know either and I’m writing this book. (“YEAH”) So we don’t have much of a choice.
J: Oh. Okay. (“ME” “WE THE”)
Q: The planet needs you.
J: Yeah, (“E O”) I hear that a lot.
Q: Exactly. It needs more spiritually advanced people.
J: This is definitely true.
Q: Well thank you, Jennifer.
J: You’re welcome, Mike. (“MARK”) Mark.
Q: Mark. That’s okay. Everyone does that. (“NO”) I’m channeling Mighael — the Angel Mighael.
J: I’m so used to saying Michael when I look at someone who looks like you. (“THANK”)
Q: Exactly. Or maybe it’s something much more profound than that.
J: Like what?
Q: Like maybe (“THAT I’M TR”) you feel the vibrations of Mighael the Archangel coming through me into your subconscious mind.
J: Oh really? (“WHO’S”) Who’s Michael the archangel?
Q: He’s the One who’s channeling this book that I’m writing.
J: Oh. But who is He? I mean (“O” “I”) who is He?
Q: Well there’s a Michael in the Jewish religion. There’s an angel named Michael, isn’t there? (“ACE” “PSYCH” “CLUE”)
J: I’m not that learned about the Bible to know that. I didn’t think so — that there was. (“OH I”)
Q: I think there is. In every religion, there’s an angel named Michael. (“OH”) He’s like the number one Archangel.
J: I see.
Q: He just happened to choose me to do this book with Him. (“SO”) I’ve been very busy. (“GOOD”) You’ve also worked with Allison Jackson (“I LO — LOVE YOU”) and Cheryl Boone Isaacs. (“I HATE”)
J: Yeah. (or “YEAH”)
( . . . )
P: You know what character —
Q: I still have my doubts (“BOB”) — (“YES”) no. (“NO”) Well, see, Mighael — the Angel Mighael (“HELL” “I DREAM”) — His definition is like He’s the number one Archangel “Who is as God” so I’m sort of thinking in my mind that He might be —
P: The Devil.
Q: — the alter-ego for God. And God can be a devil, (“RIGHT”) let me tell you. I don’t believe in a Devil. (“MY CHAIR”) I don’t believe in a Hell. (“UH-HUH”) Except for people who believe in those things, they can create that for themselves because we —
P: Many people do.
Q: Exactly. (“SO”) And my book (“SORT OF”) helps bring these things into focus (“MOTHER”) without (“BIG LIE”) revealing all the mysteries because it’s beyond their comprehension (“OSCAR”) anyway.
P: And how could any one person reveal all those things?
Q: Exactly. (“E HA”) Nobody can really understand that except the mind of God (“TOMMY”) so (“GOD”) anyway —
P: Did you believe in God before all this started?
Q: Yes, I did.
P: Yeah. So you had a basic belief in God?
Q: More than a basic belief in God.
P: Were you religious?
Q: Profoundly but I never went to church.
P: Okay.
Q: Get it?
P: Yeah.
Q: Yeah. (“YEAH”) In fact, churches right now have become sort of a negative because people spend all their time studying the Bible instead of helping their fellow man.
P: Yeah, right.
Q: So that’s another one of the themes of my books. (“YEAH”) Plural. (“I HA[TE]” “YEAH” “SO U[M]”) Anyway, it’s quite interesting.
P: Oh yeah. And you look so different.
Q: Yes I do.
P: Physically you look so different. (“YEAH” “WELL”)
Q: You’ll notice — (“YEAH”) this look like me in the medallion? (“[Y]EAH”) It looks just like me.
P: Yeah.
Q: It’s the god (Amun-)Ra and another name for him was Bel-Marduk. So apparently the Jesus Christ story was based on an old mystery play about Bel-Marduk. (“SO”) Unfortunately, (“DRINK ALL”) one of the things my book reveals is that Jesus was a fairy tale.
P: Oh Jesus.
Q: So talk about controversy.
P: Yeah.
Q: (laughs)
P: There you go.
Q: Exactly. (“YEAH”) So — I don’t know. What do you — what religion are you?
P: I was born a Catholic and, again, I’m not formally religious but, you know, I certainly believe in God now and I believe in doing kind things, in practicing kind things.
Q: Exactly.
P: And leaving everyone with their dignity intact. You know?
Q: Yeah.
P: And not blowing up and having arguments and all of that (“PU[T]”) sort of thing.
Q: Exactly.
P: Just being a good person.
Q: Exactly. (“AND SIN”) So most of the people I’ve been meeting recently.
P: I just got something hot — I’ve got to get some more of this diet shit.
Q: Okay.
P: So you might want to stop that.
( . . . )
Q: So why don’t you say what — begin by saying your name and spelling it for me. Or if you give me your card you don’t need to.
L: Luo Yan. (“AND” “SO”)
Q: And you were telling me a little bit about your religion in — because you live in a communist country.
L: It’s (an) interesting experience if you, you know, really want to get into it. I grew up in a country (that) is complete(ly) communist. Unless if your family is strolling — used to be, in history, there’s a religion in a family or whatever — but after ’49 — China probably most of — there’s no church existing. Maybe there’s one — a few but few people (“BE”) will be daring enough, brave enough to go over there. My family wasn’t that much so — but speaking generally average people — they, like, believe they must go somewhere — temple or — so usually most popular is, like, a temple so they go to —
Q: And what religion is that?
L: Buddhism.
Q: Buddhism.
L: That’s most of — it’s like anything existing then they go. It’s not specific religion.
Q: Do you know Michael and James’s friend, Baba?
L: No.
Q: Okay. He’s — because I think he’s very close to the energy of Buddha in our time.
L: Then I remember when I was like very young — like even wasn’t tall enough to reach the table. I would say five or six or something around (that). I remember my grandma was playing mahjong—like a game—with others. One day, she was losing — like in the fall of them. I went up — I climbed up to the chair and kind of like prayed: “God, help. Let her win.” Everybody was shocked. I remember everybody looking at me: “Are you stup(id) — I mean what are you doing?” I’m like pray(ing).
Q: And now you work in the film industry? (“AND LIKE”) Because I think every movie is like a miracle so —
L: Oh you pray. You do. Of course, I’ve never had a chance to go to church or anyone approach me or — of course I read Bible as a book. You just read it but I would say in my heart I do believe. Every time I pray, things happen.
Q: Can’t you wait until the new Bible comes out?
L: I hope I can read it —
Q: You will.
L: I know. Yeah.
Q: Trust me. You will.
L: Okay.
Q: It’s in the works. (small laugh)
L: Okay. I just, like, feel that way. I don’t know why. I feel like every time you pray, it happen(s).
Q: True — that’s true.
L: I don’t know why but (it) happen(s). (“IT’S”)
Q: It’s because —
L: Gradually. It’s not like it happen(s) tomorrow. But gradually.
Q: See, that’s what people don’t understand is that —
L: Why?
Q: — because it’s like God is not someone that you need after you die, He’s constantly collaborating with you in every single moment of your life. (“I DON’T KNOW”) I’m not quite sure how — if it’s through angels or through spirits or whatever — intermediaries of some sort. Or maybe it’s through astrology and the actual motion of the stars but let’s just say He knows everything that’s going to happen — (“BUT”) He hasn’t emotionally experienced it yet. So and that’s what I find in writing my own book which is about the New Age. I find that — I find myself doing some — like right now I’m doing interviews even though I’m very fatigued with working on my book. I’m almost like going through the motions and talking about God because, of course, I believe in Him — I mean He’s almost like (“FIRE”) — I’m almost like married to Him. (“YOU”) Because when you work on a religious book, you feel very close to Him. (“SO”) Emotionally, sometimes I’m not here even though I’m still doing my job because I just feel like, “Goodness sake, what’s going to happen next?” It’s like I mean I’ve witnessed a lot of miracles in my life. Little ones and big ones. So sometimes it gets sort of overwhelming, thinking, “What will the next one be?” (“TOMORROW”) What is His ulterior motive?
L: I know.
Q: But I don’t think He — (“[H]E”) I think it’s a — life is a wonderful pageant of love. Unless the joke — unless He’s really turned nasty, which I hope not.
L: I think if somebody really (is a) believer, they won’t turn out nasty.
Q: Exactly. (“MY HEAR[T]”)
L: You’ll see they’re not nasty.
Q: And I have a very loving relationship with Him. It’s just that I don’t know why He chose me in some respects to do my book. So I wish I’d stop judging myself. You know? And let Him do it. He’s much better at it than me. So — (“ANYW”) but that’s interesting. I’m hoping — because my book I hope (“WILL BE”) will be translated in China as well.
L: Okay.
Q: Yeah so, anyway, thank you for letting me interview you. Do you — what do you pray at night — (“DO YOU”) make, say a prayer before you go to bed at night? (“NO I”)
L: Not like every night. Like I said, I have never gone to church. I’ve never had those chance(s) so you don’t know those ritual thing(s).
Q: Well go ahead and start and see what —
L: You know you don’t know those ritual(s) but whenever you’re really desperate, you want something or you — it doesn’t — say like we want “Red Cherry” to be nominated?
Q: Right.
L: And that kind of thing. You want it badly and you don’t know what to do. You tried your best already in the daytime so in the evening: “Oh God — ”
Q: Well it can’t hurt.
L: ” — help me.” That kind of —
Q: It can’t hurt.
L: I know. But sometimes you forgot — you didn’t remember. Sometimes you — badly — so you want it, you pray. That kind of thing. So whenever you pray is real — has really shown me a strong energy behind. (“AND HAVE YOU A” )
Q: Right. Have your prayers been answered in the past?
L: I would say whenever I pray — see, even I came to the United States? I prayed. I did try but wasn’t, you know, kind of didn’t get success and so on, so forth. But I just have prayed — I really desperate —
Q: What you’ve done is you’ve surrendered your life and will to God without even knowing it.
L: I know. It just — “Oh God help me.” (“BUT”)
Q: At night —
L: But it happen. (“WHA”)
Q: This is what you should say. Trust me. “Adam and Eve suck. I surrender my life and will to God. I have much to do.” That’s all. And your life will be noticeably different.
L: Oh.
Q: As a result. We’ll see if your — what do you think your — you think your film has a chance of getting a nomination (“FOR”) Best Foreign Film?
L: We tried our best.
Q: Is there a lot of competition this year?
L: Um-huh.
Q: But what do you think? You think yes or no?
L: I would say very much possible.
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: WHAT SOUNDS LIKE SPIRIT WEEPING CAN BE HEARD ON THE TAPE HERE.)
Q: Pray.
L: Okay.
Q: Pray.
L: Okay.
Q: Okay.
L: Okay. (laughs) Thank you.
( . . . )
(“WE WANT”)
Q: This is what my book is about. I’m speaking to Dan Yost.
D: Yost (pronunciation as in host and not lost). (“OKAY”)
Q: And he is the screenwriter of “Drugstore Cowboy” and he has a new film entitled?
D: “Love and Sex, Etc.” (“JUAN”)
Q: What do you feel about the studio system?
D: It sucks. (small laugh) The problem is that it’s — in the ’70s it was probably driven by writers and directors and people who worked their way up in terms of apprenticeship. They learned something. They were educated people. And after a number they got into a position where they could make movies. Today, it seems to come from a different direction. It seems to come from agents, attorneys, business people, accountants — driven more than it is by artists. And then the people who rely — and it’s also heavily weighted towards people coming out of film school: the hottest young talent on the block. (“WELL THE”) The hottest young talent may do a nice movie once but where’s the life experience that’s going to result in a real career?
Q: A lot of young actors have been getting directing and writing deals.
D: Yeah. (“I”) You know — but that isn’t — the real problem with the studio system is the whole development process. I, myself, worked on one project for Geena Davis. There were seven different people: manager, two producers, studio executives, studio story editors, studio — (“TWENTY”) seven different people telling me how to write this story.
Q And you know what you’re doing.
D: I had an idea that everybody was wrong in terms of (“ZAHI”) how they started (“NO”) the project. They had a real life story of a woman bounty hunter. Instead of focusing on what happened to this woman in real life, which is incredibly dramatic, they wanted to go to a light action comedy. So essentially they hired the rights to this woman’s story and then threw it out and did something completely different. I thought it was very wrong-headed and the result was a script that several people, including myself, worked on and no — (“NO”) probably it never will get made.
Q: So the soul has gone out of the industry.
D: Well the development process — it goes through one writer to another writer to another writer. And the executives are deciding (“HOW TO DO THAT”) what is good and what isn’t good. And some of these executives don’t really have an education.
Q: And so much for internal logic because everyone — every writer knows that it’s one writer’s vision really (“BOB”) and if you change one thing of that internal logic, the whole thing begins falling apart.
D: The whole — yeah, the scripts could get very messed up but I think the main problem is that they’re all concept-driven as opposed to having a sense of reality. And I find that a lot of the studio films these days — they play as a formula plot to a certain extent. They do have this problem of some of the details not being logical because of the problems of different writers all working on it; and different executives with different ideas. But you also — (noise of bottles)
N: Oh my God, that was loud.
D: That — there’s something in the background.
Q: Paranormal phenomena. (“YEAH”)
D: They have the problem of not having any reality even within the story. (“THE”) The scenes aren’t real anymore. I mean I remember seeing movies in the ’70s and even sometimes in the ’80s where you might have a fantastic idea or plot but (“PLEASE” “US”) within any given scene, there would be a sense of reality — (“HAVING”) that this is the way real things and real people and things that really happen. Maybe there’s an alligator coming out of the sewers. Like John Sayles wrote a script called “Alligator” but in any given scene, (“ONE”) there’s a strong sense of reality. And that’s not even true anymore. The scenes don’t make any sense. The characters don’t connect to reality. The dialogue, the situations — it’s just really — it seems to me the last two or three years have been the worse. (“IT”)
Q: Well I worked in marketing so would you agree that for most films, more creativity goes into the marketing than the film itself?
D: Yeah. No question.
Q: Isn’t it sad?
D: Yeah. It’s amazing, you know.
Q: I have written so many screenplays and none of them have ever been made. And they’re good. (“W[E]”) What else is new? (“I”)
D: I’m not a person who says that the writer’s vision necessarily is always the one that’s (“FAB”) fabulous because I don’t think, myself, I’ve ever written a screenplay that’s any more than 70% of what the movie should be. But when I made my own movie, I discovered that there’s a good reason for that because when you shoot a movie, you do some more writing. (“YOU YOU”) Depending on what’s going on, you — you have an ability to understand what the actors are contributing — what other people are contributing.
Q: You wrote “Drugstore Cowboy” — you’ve proven yourself. These young jerks at the studios haven’t. Doesn’t that make you angry?
D: No, it just — it amazes me.
Q: It makes me fuckin’ mad.
D: (small laugh) It amazes me. I’ve gotten some writing jobs, obviously, as a result of that movie but I don’t — but no one’s giving me —
Q: They should shut up and let you write the goddamn script and then film it and — (“THAT’S IT”)
D: No, nobody’s giving me $5,000,000 right now to make my own movie, which is why I had to do it myself.
Q: Well that’s called artistic vision.
D: Even though they loved a couple — some of my scripts — and they said — (“BUT”) they’re always thinking, “Well let’s give it to Wes Craven” or something.
Q: Mike Figgis had a tough time getting “Leaving Las Vegas” set up.
D: That’s unbelievable because it’s a fabulous project and he made an incredible movie. (“SO”) Anyway, the screenplay gets maybe 70% there. You write it (during filming) — that’s another 15%. You edit it — that’s another 15%. I still felt that I was making a writing contribution to my movie when I was working on the music because that creates an emotional mood that gives the audience a sense of how to feel about what’s going on. So it was just a real (“FRIDAY”) discovery for me to do the whole movie.
Q: You know what I think it is? Directors and producers — especially producers don’t know what they want so they feel the more writers on it, the more chance they have of making a good movie.
D: But the opposite is true.
Q: Exactly. (“YEAH”) And that’s what my book is here to tell them. (“REALLY”)
D: It’s absolutely the opposite because the more writers work on it, the more confusing it gets. I recently rewrote a play—that was a pretty good play—for Showtime. It was a job. And when I read this play — it was one of the best things I’ve read —
Q: The title? (“NUTTY”)
D: It’s called, “Doing Time at the Alamo.” It’s a story about women visiting men in prison. And The Alamo is a motel across the street from the prison. I thought the play was awfully good and I told the people who are going to pay me money to work on this — I said, “Why are you hiring me? Why don’t you just make this play?” (“BERNIE” “WELL”) When I started looking more carefully at it, I saw that there were a few thing that you had to change, obviously, for film and (“NO”) you show some things that are said in the play and so forth but essentially what I did in my first draft is that I stuck to what that play was. And I tried not to change what the writer had accomplished in that. Whatever I tried to do in the screenplay — I tried to make it consistent with what was already there. And I think that whole idea that you buy a property, as they call it—a book or a play—and then you change it completely, (“GIVE MARK”) is totally ridiculous. If you buy the life (“MORE TIME”) of this woman bounty hunter, another project I did, (“NO” “DON’T CARE”) let’s make a movie about that — her life. Let’s not suddenly decide we’re going to make a silly action-comedy because Geena Davis needs to have an action comedy to become the star that she wants to be. In reality, Geena goes off and she makes “Cutthroat Island,” which is a total disaster but she’s an action-comedy person. And she’s ruined her career or could ruin her career — because she’s a terrific actor in an ensemble situation or where she has a co-star.
Q: I think this interview is going to be very illuminating for people so they can see where the artistic process has become for writers. And by that I mean (“THE PEOPLE WHO”) initiate the project, not the ones who rewrite the project.
D: Do you know — (“THAT”) has Hollywood ever been kind to writers? I don’t know.
Q: Let’ just say kinder in the ’70s.
D: In the ’70s no question because there was a great deal of respect for what (“THEY DID”) was happening. (“OF ALL”) And for directors as well. I don’t think there’s any respect for directors today either.
Q: By the way, what are your religious feelings? (“VIDEO TAPE”)
D: I think that (“THAT”) the people on this planet should respect the Earth and the universe that we live in.
Q: I have a feeling your luck is soon going to change because you’re very spiritual.
D: Oh really? (“SO”)
Q: If there’s any justice, (“NO”) things should start going your way and my way. (“MOMEN[T]”)
D: My luck is actually pretty good. I always feel like I’m living (“NO”) a good life.
Q: Exactly.
D: As long as you enjoy what you’re doing.
Q: Exactly.
D: And I’ve had one or two people look at my movie and love it so what — I mean what difference does it make if five million people see it or two people?
Q: I’ll tell you what — pray a lot and hire Rogers and Cowan to do the publicity and you’re all set.
D: Okay. Who’s Rogers and Cowan? Your brother?
Q: Right. (“[Y]EAH”) He’s good. (“K”)
D: Sounds great.
Q: He works too hard now but . . .
D: Sounds good to me. I liked him. I met him and I liked him.
Q: Thank you for the interview.
D: Okay. Thank you. (“LUCK”) Okay, bye-bye.
( . . . )
D: Well, it’s hard to get anybody to read these days because they don’t have time. Their lives are such that they have X number of phone calls (“TO PARTIC”) to participate in one way either as initiator of the call or taking the call. And they have lost the ability to pay attention. They can’t focus.
Q: Big stars get their calls returned and they have bad taste. (“YEAH”)
D: They cannot — these people do not have time to read. They do not have time to watch a film. I don’t know if they have time to enjoy life. I don’t know how you can make judgements about art if you live that way. (“YOU’RE ON” “MONDAY”)
Q: Thank you.
( . . . )
B: Alright. (“SO”)
Q: I want it to begin by saying your name.
B: My name is Baba.
Q: And you don’t go — no last name?
B: No last name.
Q: Ooohh. Okay. And I guess the last time I saw you was at dinner.
B: Gaucho Grill.
Q: Gaucho Grill.
B: Argentinian food.
Q: That was (“LIKE”) soon after my coming back from Oklahoma (“RIGHT”) after witnessing all this supernatural phenomena —
B: That’s right.
Q: — with the Angel Mighael and everything. So what did James and Michael tell you about what had happened?
B: Well they told me some, you know — couple of things, what happened to you there and what you experienced and —
Q: Did they tell you that God had revealed Himself to me? (“HE”)
B: They told me. James told me. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Q: And so then, of course, you told me (“I”) that wonderful story about how you sort of became famous in Los Angeles for hugging a tree or something like that.
B: A tree because it’s part of nature.
Q: Exactly.
B: Yeah yeah.
Q: And you’re a Buddhist.
B: Buddhist. Buddhist monk. Yeah.
Q: And so there are many — of course, that’s very ironic since Buddha became a tree for you to be discovered hugging a tree.
B: Part of — tree. Yeah. Hugging a tree, you become famous in this town.
Q: So — exactly. (“EAH EAH EAH”) And so now you make appearances on “George and Alana.”
B: Show — yeah.
Q: You sold out. You said you sold out.
B: Yeah. All the time.
Q: And now you’re also working for the Indian Film Commission?
B: I’m going to be Indian Film Commissioner from (the) fifteenth of February. Yes.
Q: So all this success?
B: All this success because power of nature.
Q: Exactly. And God.
B: And God. (“SO”) Power of nature is God. (“WELL”)
Q: There’s only something a little distressing I have to tell you because living with an Angel you learn a lot of things about life. For example, you’ll see my little medallion. I sort of look a lot like this person.
B: Yeah, sure.
Q: The god (Amun-)Ra. So, (“BUT”) anyway, I think you’re very close to the energy of Buddha for our time as a symbol. What do you think about that? (“RIGHT”)
B: That’s right. I believe that.
Q: Isn’t this what Buddha would be doing today?
B: If Buddha was here, yeah. He’s already here maybe. (“CALL”)
Q: Well, (“NOT REALLY”) I don’t know exactly how it works in terms of reincarnation or “close to the energy.” But —
B: Here comes James. (small laugh) (“YOU KNOW”)
Q: You have — James, I’m doing my interview.
U: I know. Sorry.
Q: That’s okay.
U: I have to use a phone. (“BUT UM”)
Q: Real quick —
( . . . )
Q: So, anyway, of course, (“ONE OF”) one of my big problems when I came back was I thought that I might be the reincarnation of Jesus because I had burning bushes and all these (“YOU KNOW”) pseudo-Jesus phenomena. But now I realize no, I’m not. Thank goodness. In fact, he was more probably a fairy tale. (“MOST” “YEAH”) I mean there was some physical —
B: Yeah. (“BURY”)
Q: — but it’s mostly a metaphor. But it’s still possible you could be the reincarnation of Buddha.
B: You could be reincarnation — you could be part of the reincarnation.
Q: Exactly. (“YEAH”)
B: It would be like hundred (or “HUNDRED”) —
Q: Several.
B: — several Buddha reincarnated.
Q: Exactly.
B: You know — in different parts.
Q: But doesn’t that sort of intimidate you?
B: No, you know, you have to —
Q: You just go with it. Go with the flow.
B: You just go — (“DENMARK”) you have to believe in your instincts.
Q: Exactly. (“WHAT”)
B: What you really want to do with it. (“NO”)
Q: You could not care less about being politically correct.
B: No, you know, you are here. You are part of the nature and you have to respect the nature. And —
Q: See, when I speak to you, I really feel like this is what Buddha would be saying in 1996.
B: Buddha would be saying, “Respect the nature.”
Q: Respect nature. Save the planet.
B: Yeah. And be pure.
Q: Be pure. So there isn’t much of that going on — let’s face it.
B: You know, people — they have to realize that there is only one way out — is nature. You have to respect the nature. Otherwise, it’s — (“HOW”)
Q: What is going to bring about that realization?
B: The people — they’re making this world too polluted.
Q: I know.
B: And if we don’t do something now, then our coming generation — they won’t see this beautiful world. They will see disasters . . .
Q: Well they won’t even have a world.
B: They will have a world which would have — they will have a tree without leaves.
Q: Exactly. So they won’t be here very long. (“WA[Y]”) And there’ll be, like, cockroaches walking around.
B: That’s what(‘s) going to happen.
Q: Exactly. So, anyway, so have you had any strange experiences recently?
B: Strange —
Q: Or paranormal or —
B: I believe in a lot of things and a lot of things have been happening in my life so I really don’t see them as strange. I just —
Q: Right. It’s just day-to-day reality.
B: — whatever comes — day-to-day reality, wake up and you know —
Q: What about Sai Baba? Have you ever met Sai Baba?
B: I met him a couple of times. He has his own supernatural powers. (“NO”)
Q: Well he doesn’t but God does. (“BUT GOD”)
B: God gives him. (“YEAH”) God give him a little bit of it. (“I JUST THINK HE DOES”)
Q: God does things around him is what really is going on.
B: That’s it. Yeah. Because God is the One that is a supernatural power —
Q: Exactly.
B: — which we don’t see; which can be given to you or to me (“NO”) and people have to respect that.
Q: It’s really more that He works around certain people that He chooses —
B: That’s right.
Q: — to be His hierophants or whatever. What did Sai Baba tell you?
B: He looked in both my eyes one day and he says, (“DON’T TELL HER”) “God bless you.”
Q: He didn’t say anything profound like —
B: No, he said, “God bless you.” This means that he’s not a God. (“NO”) So he made it clear (“THERE”) there is another power after him. (“NO”) So he says —
Q: Right.
B: “God bless you.”
Q: What do you think about all these people (“WHO ARE LIKE”) making a pilgrimage to meet him who live here in the United States?
B: They go to India to see him. (“NO”) They have (a) message to bring to him and they want to get (a) message back. (“THIS IS”) They go there to bring their — Americans — they go to Sai Baba because they have a question and they’re looking for (an) answer.
Q: Why don’t they just go to a psychic?
B: They can — the answer is always in their own mind. They can ask themselves. (“NO”)
Q: Exactly. (“I MEAN IT’S LIKE”)
B: Why do (you) go (“IT’S LIKE”) six thousand miles? (“YEAH” “IT’S LIKE THEY’RE”)
Q: They think he’s some kind of movie star or something.
B: They credit him — (“I GUESS”)
Q: I don’t know. It’s weird. (“SO”) Well, I don’t know. I think you’re a much better spokesman for America than Sai Baba.
B: Sai Baba is —
Q: Right?
B: (small laugh)
Q: Definitely.
B: I think so.
Q: Exactly. I think so too. (knocking on door)
( . . . )
Q: So I was just telling Baba about all these people I’ve been meeting who’ve been telling me they’re the reincarnation of famous people and I showed him the wonderful antiquities that God has had me go out and buy for peanuts to prove He exists. (“WHAT DO YOU”) What is your reaction to this?
B: Well if you bought all these things, I think this is a very good message. (“NO”) Something is there. (“NO”)
Q: Exactly. (“YEAH”) Exactly. (“SO”) So — I don’t know. (“MAYBE” “REMAINS”) So I think you are a reincarnation of Buddha. Maybe not the reincarnation of Buddha.
B: Not the reincarnation. Maybe the part of the reincarnation.
Q: Who else do you think are reincarnations of Buddha in today’s world?
B: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan the singer. He’s from Pakistan. There are a couple of people in India. Dalai Lama is — (“DI”) his holiness Dalai Lama from Tibet. He’s one.
Q: So do you think you’re (“LIKE”) very close to his energy? Is that a better way of saying it than reincarnation?
B: It’s possible, yeah.
Q: But these people who keep —
B: I follow his rules (“NO”) so if I follow his rules I belong to his kingdom. (“Y[OU KN]OW”)
Q: I see. Maybe — but if you are the only reincarnation of Buddha, wouldn’t that sort of make your life a little more complicated?
B: Oh will make my life difficult.
Q: Well, Mighael (“YEAH”) — my Angel talks on the tapes — so, Mighael, if he is the one and only reincarnation of Buddha, (“YEAH”) please tell me now.
( . . . )
Q: I’m speaking to Jennifer Kutner, one of my friends — it’s noisy here so I’m holing up the microphone — (“I MEAN THE”) the tape recorder near her so I can hear her. (“BUT” “DON’T”) You work in publicity/public relations with my brother Michael.
J: That’s correct.
Q: And you’ve also worked at Paramount.
J: This is also correct.
Q: And what did you just say about God? I love what you just said.
J: I said that God exists and it’s so obvious when we just look at each other that it’s obvious that He exists.
Q: And why don’t people behave themselves then?
J: That’s the universal question. Why don’t people believe this and know for sure? I get nervous when — interview but okay. (“THAT’S”) That’s the age-old question. Why don’t people know it and why don’t they believe it? I do. (“I MEAN”) I know Him. I feel Him. I know . . .
Q: What religion are you?
J: I’m Jewish. But this doesn’t come out of Jewish belief.
Q: Of course not.
J: No. It comes out of just being alive and just understanding that we’re part of everything all around us. And that it was all created by us and by God — (“THAT”) that He’s there in all of us. And that it’s so obvious (“AND”) and yet people just don’t get it.
Q: What do you do when you see a homeless person?
J: I think that this is part of the journey that they’re taking here on Earth.
Q: Do you ever give them money?
J: Sometimes.
Q: See, you are a genuinely spiritual person.
J: Why?
Q: Because of your answers to my questions.
J: No, I know but what did I say that makes you know that? I mean (“I KNOW”) I know what it is. I’m just curious.
Q: Some people say when they see a homeless person, “I don’t give them any money because they’ll just go out and buy drugs.
J: Oh. (“I”)
Q: Isn’t that what most people would say?
J: That is what most people would say. It’s true. But I don’t believe that. And if they are on drugs and on alcohol, then that’s part of the journey that they’re here on Earth — it’s part of what they have to clean themselves out of. It’s part of the spiritual growth that they need for this earthy experience.
Q: Who are you the — if you were — what’s the first person that comes into your mind when I ask you who are you the reincarnation of?
J: I’m not the reincarnation of anyone.
Q: Really? Is this your first time around?
J: I think so. Yes.
Q: You’re a young soul. But how could a young soul know so much if this is your first time around?
J: Because I don’t think that we come around any more than one time.
Q: You’re definitely wrong. Definitely. Look at this picture of me (“FR[O]M”) from Egypt.
J: That was you in Egypt?
Q: Yeah. (“O”)
J: See, I’m not sure about that. (“SOME”) I mean I believe that but I do know that I could be wrong on that.
Q: You sound very spiritually advanced to me. (“I”) I think that your probably are the reincarnation of someone. Go see a psychic and let me know.
J: Go see what?
Q: Go see a psychic and ask them who you’re the reincarnation of and then give me a call and let me know and I’ll add it into my book.
J: Alright. I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t want to know. I’m fine and happy with where things are at right now so it’s okay.
Q: I didn’t want to know either and I’m writing this book. (“YEAH”) So we don’t have much of a choice.
J: Oh. Okay. (“ME” “WE THE”)
Q: The planet needs you.
J: Yeah, (“E O”) I hear that a lot.
Q: Exactly. It needs more spiritually advanced people.
J: This is definitely true.
Q: Well thank you, Jennifer.
J: You’re welcome, Mike. (“MARK”) Mark.
Q: Mark. That’s okay. Everyone does that. (“NO”) I’m channeling Mighael — the Angel Mighael.
J: I’m so used to saying Michael when I look at someone who looks like you. (“THANK”)
Q: Exactly. Or maybe it’s something much more profound than that.
J: Like what?
Q: Like maybe (“THAT I’M TR”) you feel the vibrations of Mighael the Archangel coming through me into your subconscious mind.
J: Oh really? (“WHO’S”) Who’s Michael the archangel?
Q: He’s the One who’s channeling this book that I’m writing.
J: Oh. But who is He? I mean (“O” “I”) who is He?
Q: Well there’s a Michael in the Jewish religion. There’s an angel named Michael, isn’t there? (“ACE” “PSYCH” “CLUE”)
J: I’m not that learned about the Bible to know that. I didn’t think so — that there was. (“OH I”)
Q: I think there is. In every religion, there’s an angel named Michael. (“OH”) He’s like the number one Archangel.
J: I see.
Q: He just happened to choose me to do this book with Him. (“SO”) I’ve been very busy. (“GOOD”) You’ve also worked with Allison Jackson (“I LO — LOVE YOU”) and Cheryl Boone Isaacs. (“I HATE”)
J: Yeah. (or “YEAH”)
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