PODCAST: HEAVEN’S GATE

In 1997, thirty-nine people took their own lives in an apparent mass suicide. The events captivated the media and had people across the planet asking the same question...‘Why?’ 20 years later, those who lost loved ones and those who still believe - tell their story. Hosted by Glynn Washington of Snap Judgment.

MY VERDICT: I knew a little about the cult known as Heaven’s Gate before I listened to this podcast so I wasn’t expecting to hear much that I didn’t know. I was wrong. All the information I’d heard before were mostly about the leader of the cult, Marshall Applewhite, and how his life had lead him to become a cult leader. (The best example of this is the Heaven’s Gate episode on Last Podcast on the Left)

This podcast started with interviweing people who had joined the cult, it was fascinating to hear from some survivors. It meant questions could be asked of them that you couldn’t ask to the 39 people who killed themselves in the 90s. We were able to hear what made the cult a desirable group for some to join, and it was interesting to hear stories about the good times that they had, a side that is rarely noted on most documentaries or tellings of this cult’s story.

I think the most compelling thing about this podcast, was the host. The man who put this podcast together, Glynn Washington, had a unique perspective into a story about a cult, as he used to be in one. I found this perspective fascinating. His main point was, that we should not think of these cult members as crazy or mentally ill because he knew that normal people joined cults and they were easier to fall into than some people thought.

This podcast does a good job of telling the whole story, Washington is able to get a lot of interviews with integral characters in the cult’s history that I’d never heard from before, including the families of some of the members of the cult who participated in the mass suicide and the daughter of one of the cult leaders. Which meant we saw yet more sides to these people.

I would thoroughly recommend this podcast, it’s more like listening to a documentary than a traditional podcast and the only down side I could mention is very random long pauses (I’ve noticed this in a few podcasts and I have no idea why they exist.)

See more here:

https://www.heavensgate.show

FILM 1620: THE WITCH

TRIVIA: According to cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, the film was shot mostly with available and natural light.

The premise is based on America's first witch hysteria in colonial New England, set 62 years before the infamous "Salem Witch Trials" which occurred in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

There were more scenes planned to involve Black Phillip, but because he wasn't as well trained as planned, the ideas had to be scratched.

Most of the film's dialogue and story were based on writings from the time.

Although the film's plot was intended to be taken literally, director Robert Eggers has spoken about a few small hints he and the filmmakers left throughout the film that one might interpret as reasoning behind the events, beyond the obvious supernatural. For example, the rot on the corn is ergot - a hallucinogenic fungus.

The Satanic Temple has endorsed this movie and hosted several screenings of the film. Their spokesperson, Jex Blackmore, addressed the film as "an impressive presentation of Satanic insight that will inform contemporary discussion of religious experience."

The film takes place in 1630.

FILM 1467: THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC 

TRIVIA: Believed lost until a complete print was found in a mental institution in Oslo. See also Der brennende Acker (1922).

None of the actors wears any makeup, which was unheard of in the silent era. Carl Theodor Dreyer thought this lent strength to the characters' faces.

Much of the project's budget was reserved for the expensive sets, although, Carl Theodor Dreyer used so many close-ups, very little of the actual sets are seen.

Real blood from a real puncture wound was used in the scene in which Joan's arm is cut, but it was that of a stand-in and not Maria Falconetti.

Although the film was shown with live musical accompaniment in the theatre, there is no evidence that Carl Theodor Dreyer ever selected a definitive score. All current DVD versions of the film use Richard Einhorn's "Voices of Light" for accompaniment.