666 Revealed (2006)

 

 

As the end of Documentary Week is upon us, I realized that I had only covered a couple of different topics and it was not the variety I had hoped for. Yes, there was Cryptozoology with Bigfoot related material, UFO material and conspiracy topics, but it all seemed bland or rehashed. With that in mind, I decided pump things up a bit with something darker. The occult and the dark arts are always an interesting subject and for some, extremely controversial, so it would be a perfect topic to close the week. My selection in that realm, 666 Revealed.

 

 

Plot/ This documentary examines Satanism, the occult, and serial killers including Albert Fish, Andrei Chikatilo, Fred and Rosemary West, Harold Shipman, and David Berkowitz.

 

 

Being a fan of the occult and the dark arts, when I saw this one on Netflix, I knew it had to close out documentary week. I especially enjoy works that portray controversial topics such as Satanism in an appropriate light. While misunderstood, true Satanism encourages the fringe genius to stand tall and believe in ones ability, creativity and knowledge.  While not a great or perfect documentary, it definitely does a fair job at displaying the Church of Satan in a proper light, without the typical propaganda that exists. It looked at religious history, witchcraft and serial killer and the role Satan played in those realms.  Is it perfect, no, as some of it is uneven and falls flat and some of the connections drawn by the filmmakers make little sense? There is also a clear religious agenda present, which influenced any type of journalistic integrity.  While I did find this entertaining and interesting, it definitely is not for everyone. If you enjoy documentaries about a darker path, Hail Satan and check it out, if not, stay away.

 

 

The Car (1977)

When I checked my phone yesterday I had a text from one of my friends living in Japan. It has been a few months since I had heard from Terry, as we were working on the van literally the day before he was flying from New Jersey back to Japan (where he is stationed). Now that I am retired, it is nice to hear from some of my old Sailors (of course, I need to call Shaun about this Penn State fiasco). Ironically, my selection last night was The Car from 1977.

Plot/ When a mysterious, driverless black sedan begins running people down in a small Southwestern town, new sheriff Wade Parent must find out who -- or what -- is behind the killings. What he uncovers is a truth more terrifying than anyone expected.

This interesting 1970s flick is one of the more entertaining films I have watched in the past few weeks. From the opening note from Anton Le Vey on, this layered story creates a tension that is often overlooked in movies. The cinematography does a wonderful job at creating atmosphere with its subtle background images, the acting is solid, the characterization is top notch and the storyline plays to a deep psychological level that creates some uneasy feelings when interpreting the religious and philosophical questions that sit at the core. And, I have not mentioned the car itself, which was menacing and awesome, Sure, there were some flaws with dialogue and the soundtrack seemed a bit off, but those are very minor in the grand scheme. In the end, this creepy and underrated drive-in era flick is fun and compelling; check it out if you get the chance!