zontar-venus

In this case from a real cult. L. Ron's face is never shown, instead he is given the Mohammed treatment. An arm appearing from off frame with a copy of the "holy book", the nondescript back of the head. Older religious propaganda often becomes camp over time, but this howler is Bad-Film from the get go. Bad writing, photography and most hilariously the acting. A favorite scene takes place in a low budget comedy set of a mental hospital. Caricature evil "Shrinks" boast about how quiet the ward is now that they are over medicating the patients. These victims are quickly cured of major mental illnesses overnight when a disorderly orderly smuggles a copy of the title book onto the ward. I saw this on 16mm film at the Scientology Center in Boston in the early 90's. Luckily a pal and I were left alone in the screening room because there was a lot of laughing.

David Cronenberg's first film short already has the themes of alienation and psychiatry that will continue to show up for years to come.The Brood and Scanners are the most obvious examples of this. Images of a therapy session in a deserted snow filled vacant lot are striking. I saw this at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astora Queens with Stereo and Crimes of the future. Cronenberg has created thoughtful and unique films from the beginning. Transfer, a reference to the term for the feelings a client has for a therapist, is an interesting footnote for students of auteur theory and Cronenberg's strange body of work.