A
Genres
Overview
Roughly chronological, from 3/96 to 11/96, with a coda in spring of 1997: inside compounds of Aum Shinrikyo, a Buddhist sect led by Shoko Asahara. (Members confessed to a murderous sarin attack in the Tokyo subway in 1995.) We see what they eat, where they sleep, and how they respond to media scrutiny, on-going trials, the shrinking of their fortunes, and the criticism of society. Central focus is placed on Hiroshi Araki, a young man who finds himself elevated to chief spokesman for Aum after its leaders are arrested. Araki faces extreme hostility from the Japanese public, who find it hard to believe that most followers of the cult had no idea of the attacks and even harder to understand why these followers remain devoted to the religion, if not the violence.
Details
Budget
$0
Revenue
$0
Runtime
136 min
Release Date
1998-09-09
Status
Released
Original Language
Japanese
Vote Count
196
Vote Average
5.86
Hiroshi Araki
Himself
10.0
Witness Underground
Punk rock, B-movies, and Jehovah’s Witnesses unite in this heartfelt documentary. As members of Jehovah’s Witness start to explore culture outside of their religion, they have to wrestle with the possibility of being excommunicated from friends and family. Featuring in-depth interviews and extensive home video footage, Witness Underground tells the story of punk rocker Witnesses pushing against the highly controlling Jehovah’s Witnesses religion as they build their own community through music and art. This prolific community of Witness musicians create their own record label, Nuclear Gopher, and become early adopters of promoting their music through the internet, including what may have been the first album to ever be livestreamed. This community’s history is well documented through archival footage of their home movies and self-produced music videos, all with a very charming energy.
2024-01-26 | en
3.0
Aliens from Spaceship Earth
While the aliens in this film may seem to be quite human, one must realize that we're dealing with close encounters of the fourth kind. An inner space journey triggered by the drug culture and rebellion of the 1960s, and the non-violent search for self that continues among people in today's culture. Could this be due to some influence from a higher spiritual consciousness? The world's alien leaders are well represented in this film: Baba Muktananda, Swami Satchidananda, A. C. Bhaktivedanta, Guru Maharaj Ji, Yoga Bhahan, Sri Sathya, Sai Baba, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Father Yod, Baba Ram Das, and well-known personalities who present their views on seeking their own terrestrial individuality.
1977-01-01 | en
7.4
The End of the World Cult
An inside look at the Lord Our Righteousness Church, an American cult based in New Mexico.
2007-12-12 | en
7.6
Waco: The Rules of Engagement
In one of the most tragic face-offs in the history of law enforcement, the deadly debacle at Waco pitted the Branch Davidian sect against the FBI in an all-out war. This documentary makes the most of footage and recordings to examine how the events that led to the tragedy of April 19, 1993, unfolded, and how the FBI's unrelenting approach made what was already a bad situation much worse.
1997-09-19 | en
0.0
No Stopping the Stover
A documentary exploring the fascinating life of Baltimore B-movie legend, and John Waters' favorite, George Stover.
2016-06-21 | en
0.0
How to Use Dianetics
In this sprawling 33-part epic, Dianetics therapy and the effects it has on human minds are explored.
2009-01-01 | en
7.6
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
GOING CLEAR intimately profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, shining a light on how they attract true believers and the things they do in the name of religion.
2015-01-25 | en
6.0
The Ashram Children: I Am No Body, I Have No Body
The first 20 years of the film-maker's life he grew up in two places: in Jerusalem, and in an ashram in India, a thing he had to keep a secret. in the ashram it wae expected of him to devote his entire being to his guru. Thus, in his words, he could finally define the purpose of his life, understand the "truth" of the meaning of life and be enlightened 20 years later (quite a few in psychological therapy), the director sets out on a quest to find out what was hidden in his life in India, why his life in the Ashram still affects him even when he has not visited in years, And whether he grew up in a cult.
2019-03-29 | he
4.9
Sex Rituals of the Occult
Bizarre, unusual and horrifying, Sex Rituals of the Occult will shock and delight you. Travel with us to this side of hell and learn the sensual secrets kept by the worshippers of Satan. Witness the modern masters of the dark arts as they undertake hideous violations of the flesh and soul.
1970-10-31 | en
8.0
The Prophet and the Space Aliens
As a young man, Rael was visited by aliens who proclaimed him to be 'the last prophet'. That was in the 1970s. Today, the charismatic Frenchman is the leader of the world's largest UFO religion.
2020-03-21 | he
7.2
Waco: Madman or Messiah
Followers from around the world travel to Mount Carmel to hear the preaching of David Koresh, a local Texas working-class kid turned prophet of God and leader of the religious group The Branch Davidians.
2018-01-28 | en
7.3
Monster Squad Forever!
This is a feature-length look into the creation of the 20 year old cult-classic, Monster Squad, including interviews with writer/director Fred Dekker, stars Tom Noonan, Duncan Regehr, Andre Gower and more.
2007-07-01 | en
5.2
Teaserama
A collection of numerous burlesque acts from the 1950s, including strippers, and cult character Betty Page introducing the acts.
1955-09-16 | en
5.7
Deprogrammed
Ted "Black Lightning" Patrick's practice of "deprogramming," also known as "reverse brainwashing," started in the early 1970s and quickly snowballed into a vast underground movement composed of concerned parents, ex-cultists-turned-deprogrammers and some sympathetic law-enforcers whose mission was to physically and mentally remove individuals from cults.
2015-04-26 | en
0.0
The Seeds: Pushin' Too Hard
Documentary about seminal garage-rock band, The Seeds, that uses vintage footage, rare photos, memorabilia and audio, plus fresh interviews with band members and associates as well as notable fans and observers, Pushin’ Too Hard relates the bizarre rage-to-riches-to-rags tale of the rock quartet who took Los Angeles by storm in the mid-60s.
2014-08-16 | en
5.5
El Palmar de Troya
On March 30, 1968, four 12 and 13-year-old girls claimed that the Virgin Mary had appeared on the Alcaparrosa estate, one kilometer from the village of El Palmar de Troya, in the province of Seville. Weeks later, several neighbors affirmed that they had seen other appearances and in the summer of that same year an altar was built that would be the first stone of the Palmarian Christian church. In June 2018, Ginés, the last Pope of El Palmar de Troya, and his wife assaulted, with brawl included, the congregation’s facilities. Scandals, the shadow of sexual abuse, unlikely anecdotes and all kinds of accusations have marked the more than 50 years of this religious congregation to which some consider church and many others a great sect.
2020-02-06 | es
6.1
Chaos: The Manson Murders
In August 1969, Charles Manson's followers killed seven people on his orders. Why? Explore a conspiracy of mind control, CIA experiments, and murder.
2025-03-06 | en
10.0
Escape From Jonestown
In 1978, more than 900 people were led to their death by Rev. Jim Jones in a mass murder-suicide pact. Those who survived tell their story of pain and loss.
2008-01-01 | en
6.5
The Lord of the Universe
He was the 16-year-old Guru Maharaj Ji and, as the Millennium approached, he promised to levitate the Huston Astrodome. It was the early Seventies and anything was possible so thousands flocked to his gathering. Follow him from his mansion in New York to the limousines in Houston, listen to his followers and watch the spectacle unfold just as TVTV did in this Alfred I. du Pont award wining documentary.
1974-02-02 | en
7.0
1/2 Man
A visual documentary of Einstürzende Neubauten, the German underground band, by Japanese cult director Sogo Ishii, made during their 1985 tour of Japan. The band makes an elaborate and remarkably choreographed appearance in the ruins of an old ironworks which was scheduled for demolition; footage of same was incorporated into the movie and a brief appearance on stage.
1986-07-06 | ja