Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Director: Alex Gibney
Year Released: 2015
Rating: 3.0
Chilling expose of the Church of Scientology - started by failed sci-fi writer L. Ron Hubbard, who turned his fiction (and paranoia) into a 'religion' - with testimony by former members about their secret practices and intimidation tactics against any who oppose them (especially, and surprisingly, the IRS). People have known for years that something is remiss about the entire 'organization' (more accurately, the 'cult') so hearing the very articulate filmmaker Paul Haggis (father of two lesbian daughters - the 'church' frowns upon homosexuality) and writer Lawrence Wright detail and document CoS' long history of abuse only confirms everyone's suspicions (although, as many have stated, Wright's source text is even more exhaustive and detailed). The predominant reaction after seeing this is wanting to shut down the entire shit-show, but as Wright admits, it would take someone of Tom Cruise or John Travolta's calibre to start the dismantling ... and because of those sketchy E-Meters and those mysterious files they keep on their followers, I doubt that will happen any time soon: Xenu and the volcano people wouldn't like it one bit.
