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The Idea Behind Gambling, Gods and LSD
The world is full of free-spirited people whose dream is to travel the world and to explore different cultures. That seems to be the case with Peter Mettler, who gives us an inside look at the lives of heroin addicts, Las Vegas gamblers, and religious worshipers. Within its movie Gambling Gods and LSD, Peter is a silent observer who does not judge anyone’s choice.
In most of the film, he’s narrating what he experiences and the stages he goes through. Since Mettler edited the movie out of his traveling journey over the course of 2 years in the late 90s, the quality is not anything spectacular. And it definitely is not an easy watch where you sit down and immerse yourself for 3 hours straight.
| Name: | Gambling, Gods and LSD |
| Release Date: | April 2002 |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| IMDB Rating: | 7.0/10 ⭐ |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating: | 80% |
| Box Office: | N/A |
| Director: | Peter Mettler |
| Screenplay: | Peter Mettler |
| Starring: | John Paul Young, Albert Hofmann |
| Running Time: | 2h 53 min |
The Canadian experimental cinematographer shares in an interview that the concept behind his project first appeared to him in 1988. However, he had to release another one of his projects called Picture of Light first and then devoted himself to GGLSD. Long story short, in 1997, Peter Mettler decided to hop on a plane and started his venture around Canada, the USA, Switzerland, and India.
In the following 2 years until 1999, Mettler met some very interesting people who were subjected as his cast. Through their experiences and point of view, he made a rough 55 hour-long documentary without having a clear concept of the end product. Since he was doing all the work without a professional crew, he didn’t retake any scenes and was extremely challenged when he finally had to put it all together.
“I wanted to let one thing lead to the next, allowing the film to make itself – so that its structure might reflect the logic of life’s unfolding.”Peter Mettler
Watch Gambling Gods and LSD Online
If you’ve reached this far in our Gambling, Gods and LSD movie review, you probably have already made up your mind whether you would like to watch it or not. The film is definitely not a mainstream blockbuster but rather appeals to a smaller audience that appreciates experimental cinematography.
| 📺 Vimeo | Yes |
| 📡 iTunes (Canada Only) | Yes |
| 📀 DAFilms (Europe Only) | Yes |
| 💻 Artfilm.ch | Yes |
| 🖥️ GuideDoc | Yes |
At the time of writing our review, we found that the movie was available on YouTube, where it can be watched for free. However, it’s possible that it might be taken down due to copyright infringement. So, you can rent it on Vimeo, iTunes and other similar platforms. Keep in mind, however, that iTunes is only available for Canada while DAFilms is for Europe only.
FAQs
Gambling, Gods and LSD can be best described as intriguing and enlightening for some, while others will not be able to watch past the first minutes of it. Whichever the case, the work of the Canadian visionary Peter Mettler remains one of his best creations, and so we’ll answer a few commonly asked questions about him and GGLSD.
