We just opened a branch in Jaco, Costa Rica, and are very proud to serve the entire country. PURA VIDA!

Recently we released a 30-minute documentary short for the film festival circuit known by "As Organism". We were awarded 40+ laurels from festivals around the world! We are currently working on a groundbreaking, ten-part docuseries with "As Organism" as the pilot/proof of concept. BrainDagger is in talks with major networks right now!

We also released "Gelker in the Treehouse", the story of a family trying to make it through the coronavirus in Costa Rica at their isolated jungle treehouse. This one has got us 12 Laurels so far!

Most recently we entered our documentary on Ohio's terrible House Bill Six (HB6) into IndieX Film Festival and it has already won Best Mockumentary/Docucomedy! 

We are also partnering up with One Blood Records 

to promote a new concert/music festival series in Costa Rica called "Arte Pura Vida". Our goal is to give up-and-coming Latin American artists a voice and a chance to perform with some of the biggest names around.

This winter we released, "Espiritu del Jaguar", the story of a lost man searching for truth at the end of the Earth. It won 6 laurels including "Best Athletic Performance" from the Assurdo (Absurd) Film Fest in Italy.

Update, we have a new YouTube channel called "As told by". It's a big fat mish mash machine, check it out.

We have just completed our fifth film and are looking into festivals for the world premiere right now. Unfortunately, this

means we can't show it on our website for now but here is the poster at least lol.

"THE IMPORTANCE OF STRANGE PERCEPTIONS"

 

FEATURE FILM REVIEW

THE IMPORTANCE OF STRANGE PERCEPTIONS

The Importance of Strange Perceptions - SCRIPT to INDIE (FOR FULL REVIEW)

What an interesting documentary! All about psychedelics and trying to “explain the unexplainable,” “The Importance Of Strange Perceptions” is a journey through what it was like in the mind of writer/director Moe Taylor. Choosing to go with narration, interviews, and a whole bunch of trippin’ visuals to shed light on a subject that’s still wildly considered taboo, Taylor’s tapped into a topic that’s genuinely crucial to explain - in as vivid detail as possible. For some, the mere suggestion of psychedelics conjures up a whole bunch of stories and folklore of bad trips and experiences that have raged out of control – and for others, psychedelics represent the gateway to an essential aspect of mental freedom that might not otherwise have existed in this world. I know where I stand on all of this already, and I’m hardly able to be as objective as I’d usually be in reviewing something I’m watching after having already had so much personal experience with psychedelics. That said, I wouldn’t even be here today without them; they opened the door to understanding this planet in awe-inspiring ways - that I could have never learned from a textbook or the assistance of some traditionally prescribed medication.

JEREMY GLADSTONE 

 

“The Importance of Strange Perceptions” | Independent Movie Review

Langdon Alger | Independent Movie Review (FOR FULL REVIEW)

The Importance of Strange Perceptions, by Moe Taylor (Director, Editor, Writer, Producer), explores the world of psychedelics, while more specifically focusing on the psychoactive substance ayahuasca, and the journeys a few people experienced in their pursuit of trying to find answers to issues about themselves that they were attempting to understand.

One of the things I enjoyed, was that all the people in the project were really able to articulate their experiences in a very thoughtful and concise way. Their experiences left me thinking that they were able to get something from their journeys that they were needing and just were not able to find before. But at the same time, the project wasn’t about advocating for people to just go try ayahuasca or take other psychedelics. The project really just shared some stories and encouraged people to think about things a little differently, if you’re in need of finding some inner peace or structure, and that “knowledge is good”.

So yeah, I thought the project was really well done on many levels. Moe projects that this project was “edited in a rapid chaotic form in the hopes that the viewer can get a dose of what it was like being [himself]”, but to me The Importance of Strange Perceptions was visually stimulating and complex, but in those complexities all the pieces fit together nearly perfect and therefore simplified a lot of information and philosophical ideas, so you were able to see the forest through the communicative trees.

The Importance of Strange Perceptions – Moe Taylor’s Psychedelic Gonzo Journalism  

Tommaso Paris/ artesettima.it (FOR FULL STORY)

One of the essential features that is noticeable in The Importance of Strange Perceptions is the presence of Hunter Stockton Thompson’s gonzo journalism: a writing style that blends traditional journalism, personal insights, and narrative techniques to provide a unique perspective on events and situations.

Some of Thompson’s most famous works, such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Hell’s Angels, are examples of gonzo journalism. It is often associated with a countercultural ethos and is characterized by its irreverent and often humorous approach to serious topics. It is characterized by a first-person perspective, a subjective tone, and a blurring of the lines between fiction and non-fiction. In gonzo journalism, the writer often becomes a central character in the story, and their personal experiences and opinions are woven into the narrative.

A Complete Interview With Moe

Moe Taylor – Liverpool Indie Awards (FOR FULL STORY)

I was near the end of my rope with various mental diagnoses incurred from military service and had tried all the medications and treatments available through traditional medicine and the Veteran’s Affairs healthcare system. I was extremely desperate to find any way to get just a little bit of happiness out of life so I went to Costa Rica and began studying psychedelic plant medicine for the film in hopes I could find something that could fix myself outside the realm of big pharma and mainstream medicine as those drugs had done more harm over the years than anything beneficial.

Full Film Review

THE IMPORTANCE OF STRANGE PERCEPTIONS (USA)
Moe Taylor 

SPRING FEST (28 APR) - Lonely Wolf (lonelywolffilmfest.com)

By Adrian Perez

In the latest episode of BrainDagger Films Presents: Knowledge is Good, Moe Taylor invites us to embark on a sensorial and cerebral exploration of psychedelics in "The Importance of Strange Perceptions." Channeling the spirit of Lewis Carroll's Alice Through the Looking Glass, Taylor leads us down the rabbit hole to demystify and dissect the world of psychedelic substances and their potential therapeutic properties. As we traverse the vibrant landscapes of Ayahuasca ceremonies in Costa Rica and delve into the intricate inner workings of the human psyche, the film illuminates the transformative powers of these mystical compounds.
Taylor's directorial prowess is evident as he weaves a visual tapestry that oscillates between the ethereal and the grounded, reminiscent of the surrealistic compositions found in Wang's The Journey of Murder and the hallucinogenic lighting of Bocchini's Ride with the Guilt. Drawing inspiration from cult film classics and the narrative minimalism of independent cinema, "The Importance of Strange Perceptions" challenges the conventional wisdom surrounding psychedelics and offers a fresh perspective on their role in mental health and personal transformation.
The documentary's cast of protagonists, including researchers, therapists, and those who have experienced the healing powers of Ayahuasca, Mushrooms, Ketamine, and MDMA, form a captivating ensemble that enriches the film's thematic tapestry. Much like the endearing duo in Wang's The Journey of Murder, the individuals featured in Taylor's film offer profound insights into the complex interplay between psychedelics, the human psyche, and the quest for self-discovery.
One of the film's most striking features is its ability to balance the academic rigor of its subject matter with a witty and approachable tone. Echoing the thematic and psychoanalytic explorations found in the reviews of Veitch's Lonely and D. Michael's The Bezonians, Taylor masterfully navigates the intricate web of conceptual terms, cinematographic techniques, and storytelling tools to create a deeply engaging and thought-provoking film.
"The Importance of Strange Perceptions" is an intellectual and visual feast that transports us to the outer reaches of human consciousness and invites us to reevaluate our understanding of psychedelics and their potential for healing. With its rich cinematic language and bold exploration of uncharted territory, Moe Taylor's latest installment in the BrainDagger Films Presents: Knowledge is Good series is a shining example of the power of independent cinema and the transformative potential of strange perceptions. Grade A*  

Right now we are currently in the midst of post-production on our newest documentary.

Here is a partially finished mock-up of the poster for this one. You are not who you think you are. More to come...

The Glorious Spectacle of Human Programming.

HUMAN PROGRAMMING describes how we are programmed, just like a computer by our early life surroundings, friends, religion, government, schools and parents. As a child you have no ideas of your own and ingest everything around you to form your own basis for right and wrong, good and bad and simple morality. Understanding the infinite variables at play across the planet, it’s easy to see why all we do as a species is argue, mostly about dumb shit that doesn’t matter or is completely fabricated. Everyone lives in their own reality and wants the same thing, peace, prosperity and happiness for them and their loved ones. We all take different paths to get there, unfortunately, more than a few end in pointless violence and death. If you understand that we live in a global society and we are truly one large, interconnected group of loved ones at this point, you can understand what I am getting at. There is really nothing to argue about if we can understand why people think the way they think and realize the own flaws in our personal ideations and evolve beyond it. Until then we will find ways to kill each other, ruin lives and civilizations due to miscommunication and human emotions.

Koh Phangan Man is an inspiring and celebratory documentary film about Mark Phinney, a Burning Man organizer who sets out to produce an international burn in Thailand. The film explores the unique philosophical and artistic approach of Phinney and how it transforms the lives of a small group of organizers who work with him.

The film is emotional, encouraging, and uplifting in tone, and follows the organizers through the behind-the-scenes process of creating an event in a foreign country. As they face a variety of obstacles, including bad weather and strange happenings, the central conflict and question emerges: will the festival be a success, and is it a good idea to throw a Burning Man in Thailand?

Through interviews and footage from the actual events, Koh Phangan Man shows how personal transformation and radical inclusion are at the heart of Phinney's vision. The film is a testament to the power of art, community, and human connection to create something truly special and transformative.

What makes this film unique is that it was accidentally made by first time director Dewey Paul Moffitt, who was on assignment to film b-roll for a separate project but was so inspired by the journey that he felt compelled to document the story of Koh Phangan Man. The result is a documentary that captures the spirit of a unique event and the people who made it possible.

Listen to a discussion about the creation of the film here (last fifteen minutes)

And check out "Today With Tally". One of the films' stars weekly podcasts!

Click on an album cover to listen:

"Hard Core (Nucleo Dura)" is a new song made as the theme for our next documentary currently in production called,"The Importance of Strange Perceptions".

New video straight from San Jose

Costa Rica

UFOs Are Coming!