Hail Satan?

directed by Penny Lane

starring Lucien Greaves

Magnolia

America was founded a secular country, set up to avoid the religious wars that choked Europe since the reformations. One fallout form that ideal is The Church of Satan, a semiserious group of free thinkers and other trouble makers. Founded on a whim, they eventual became a force in the battles between church and state. In a sometimes funny, sometimes ponderous documentary, we follow Lucian Greaves and his fellow as they battle Oklahoma and Arkansas legislatures and attempt to erect a rather impressive statue of Baphomet right next to the Ten Commandments sculpture. At first the Church of Satan members are in it for fun, but things soon get serious and like all religions, it threatens to split in two. Be warned, there is some nudity and a lot of free thinking here.

www.magpictures.com/hailsatan/; www.floridafilmfestival.com/; www.hailsatanfilm.com

Carl F. Gauze