The Source Family

It is only near the end of the film that you realize that its whole orientation is bizarrely supportive and even advocating in favor of one of the most well-known cult of the 70's. This movie is about a despicable crazed man, as poisonous and manipulative as most cult leaders, and at no point during the movie filled with a soundtrack of the trashy and unbearable hippie music the cult "produced" will a strong catharsis critique be heard against the pathetic group of young and beautiful brainless lost children lead by a middle-ages ex-convict who calls himself nothing less than "God".

Just seems to justify their behaviours and the cults tactics. Sad that even now most seem to be still taken in by it all. This film is far not nearly critical enough and takes to long to look at the danger it was from the beginning. Cults and religions only divide people.

This is a documentary about the so-called 'Source Family'--a cult built around an odd guru in California. This man, who renamed himself 'Father Yod', slowly took the group from one that saw him as a great spiritual leader to a god-like being who should be obeyed without question. This is actually pretty typical of many of the cults of the era but what makes this one a little confusing is the ending. Now, many years later, his followers are interviewed--and some sound as if they STILL think he was god, some see him as flawed but a good part of their lives and a few see him as a huckster--though this seems like the minority. So, if you are looking for clear answers, this isn't what you'll find. Instead, it's a film that you watch and make of it what you will. As for me, I found it mildly interesting but nothing more. In fact, I got far less out of it than "Commune"--a similar sort of documentary that was made very interesting due to folks' insights into their group today.

This documentary is excellent as a time-machined view back to the 1970-1975 California lifestyle as lived by a strange cult that was financed by a successful Los Angeles restaurant. It is very interesting to see so much unpolished archival footage. Thankfully it isn't "animated" or enhanced in the tacky way that other documentaries have done (In The Realms Of The Unreal). Videos, photos, and audio recordings fill-out this movie so well, that the viewer almost feels as if they are a frequent visitor to the Source Family's housing compound. Many modern interviews, both respectful and regretful, make for great color commentary on the events as they were lived by the participants. And, amazing to see Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) attest to the greatness of the ?music? produced by this group. Songs are played and concert footage is shown (Beverly Hills High School 1973) so that the viewer can then decide on the musicianship.

Both great and goofy, this movie has moments of clarity as well as opaque clouds of hazy gibberish. Luckily, the commune leader invested in recording equipment so that history can judge the transcendent quality of everything. Or the disposable folly of it all. But, there it is. A current Family archivist plays a major role in providing the raw materials seen on screen. Thankfully, the movie-makers do not inject their own viewpoints too heavily. Supposedly the Family numbered about 140, and only a fraction of that number is interviewed.

Ultimately, this movie is well worth seeing for anyone interested in cults, leaders, charisma, messiahs, hippies, hucksters, astrology, orgies, the 1960s-1970s, free love, psychedelic music, communes, utopias, and hang gliding.

This documentary is pretty much the ultimate in "okay Boomer." In fact I'm finding some of the rave reviews of this documentary comical, as if they think there was really something complex and ultra-spiritual actually going on.

Father Yod was an alcoholic, a drug addict, a millionaire, and a murderer. So let's start there, okay?

A deranged teen girl who was basically "dying" according to herself and a neighborhood friend, fell in love with him as a father figure who saved her life. It's not unusual for someone taken in at such a young age under dire circumstances by a wealthy, powerful person to feel you owe that person something for life. Happens all the time, every day. They also did lots of speed together, as far as I can gather. Like, yeah, man. Like speed doesn't make people even more insane and selfish and abusive than alcohol. It's not exactly known as the spiritual peace drug.

So anyway, people as young as TWELVE (though some look to have been in their early-to-mid 20s...possibly) were all looking for a dad. They thought he was a baddie. They were impressed by his murders and his millions. Sounding spiritual to you yet? I didn't think so.

THEN (oh then) his "commandments" were to worship HIM like a god. "You must love your Earthly Father more than yourself." Yikes on several bikes, dude.

Sure, you're a lost kid living in a crappy apartment in LA, maybe abused by your own parents, or just kicked out by some rigid conservative Republican types who refused to pay for college or to help their young adult children get started....and A RICH GUY who has KILLED PEOPLE tells you he's god, and gives you drugs. Oh, he also buys a mansion for you all to live in. I don't see any big secret sauce here. This is fairly standard reasons why someone would take a shine to someone during a hard, desperate time in their lives - especially at a tender age like 12 or 19 or even 23.

I'm aghast and these rich old people still talking about Father Yod like he really had something going on. Saw one review that marveled that a group of privileged white Boomers living in a mansion in LA did well for themselves. Oh my god.