Mindscape of Alan Moore, directed by DeZ Vylenz

There are times in life when you come across a film that is neither great in its entirety nor dynamic in structure, yet when it ends, it leaves you feeling changed, wanting more, and still trying to digest what you have seen. Mindscape of Alan Moore, directed by DeZ Vylenz, is just such a film.

Hidden behind a mass of hair and beard, mysteriously adorned with gothic style rings, a cutoff T-shirt, and a deck of magical cards constantly in motion, Alan Moore at times resembles a softer, more introspective version of Charles Manson. He is the kind of character who might send those with a weaker stomach running from the outset. But if you can see past the visual distraction, resist the urge to dismiss him outright, and keep your own wisdom intact, the film rewards you with moments of thoughtful insight into creativity, perception, and the human condition.

The film opens with Moore facing the camera and narrating his own life story. Early on, he demonstrates his manipulation of language by reframing the word trafficking, typically associated with illegality, to describe his approach to writing fiction. “I traffic in fiction,” he explains. “I do not traffic in lies.” While initially distracting, this wordplay quickly colors the portrait of the man, offering an early glimpse into the philosophical case study that follows.

Turning to his childhood, Moore reflects on his formative years with remarkable composure. Sharing deeply personal memories, mistakes, and realizations in what feels almost like a single uninterrupted take, he displays an ease that draws you closer. Sitting under lights with a crew present is rarely comfortable, yet Moore moves through stories of failure and defeat with a calm that helps explain the man he has become.

After dropping out of society and drifting through the lower rungs of working life, cleaning toilets and handling animal carcasses, Moore makes what he calls a “shot in the dark” decision to become an author. In doing so, he articulates one of the film’s most striking ideas: that to truly create, one must abandon both the fear of failure and the desire for success. The idea that the purest actions are those performed without lust for results is unexpected coming from someone whose appearance might suggest otherwise, and it is here that the film fully earns attention.

As Moore moves through his career, he opens up about his work for DC Comics on The Swamp Thing and his relocation to America, which he describes as part of a “brain drain.” His critiques of American fascism, authorship, and cultural misuse are delivered obliquely, but these ideas seem to crystallize in his most famous work, Watchmen, later adapted into a feature film. When discussing fame, Moore offers surprisingly grounded insights into its dangers and distortions, ultimately choosing to live out his beliefs by returning to Northampton, England, and beginning a new chapter away from the spotlight.

At forty, Moore declares himself a magician, and it is here that both the film and the man begin to drift further from concrete ground. Logic, history, and metaphor blur as Moore reframes reality through a mystical lens. These moments can feel confusing or even alienating, yet they also provide an unusual window into the thought structures of a deeply intelligent and imaginative mind.

By aligning modern writers with ancient shamans and portraying contemporary authors as cultural prostitutes stripped of authority, Moore emphasizes the power of the written word and its frequent misuse. At the same time, he moves freely between fact and metaphor, a skill sharpened through years of crafting fiction. This is where his insights become both compelling and potentially dangerous, and where the viewer is best served by maintaining a healthy sense of caution.

Ultimately, Mindscape of Alan Moore invites you into locked rooms of thought and offers keys shaped by Moore’s own interpretations. Over seventy-eight minutes of dialogue, his slow, hypnotic voice works through nearly every major facet of life. He challenges the limits of perception, redefines how individuals understand their surroundings, critiques distorted ideas of sex and war, invites participation in what he calls creative mind space, and reflects on the overwhelming influx of information driven by modern technology. In the film’s final moments, he delivers some of the most imaginative and provocative ideas presented throughout.

In closing, if you can set aside the film’s sometimes intimidating visuals, move past surface judgments of appearance, and take the time to engage seriously with the thoughts being presented, Mindscape of Alan Moore proves to be a mentally stimulating and creatively challenging experience. You may walk away with a deeper understanding of a worldview very different from your own, and perhaps a few new ways of thinking unlocked along the way.

Thanks for reading.

DIRECTOR DeZ Vylenz
http://www.shadowsnake.com/biogeo_dez.html