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Reviews and Media on HBO Documentary Going Clear

Free to shine

Shiny & Free
As this is the biggest event since Anonymous, I think a new thread is a good idea.

First media found:

Having just attended the very first screening of Going Clear, which is based on the book of the same name by acclaimed author Lawrence Wright, I can report that it is a scathing exposé on Scientology, and makes some very startling accusations concerning its most famous member: Tom Cruise.

First, the film alleges that the Church of Scientology forced Cruise to split from his ex-wife Nicole Kidman via a cycle of disturbing intimidation tactics.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...ch-split-up-tom-cruise-and-nicole-kidman.html
 

Free to shine

Shiny & Free
Tony's first article:

‘Going Clear’ premieres at Sundance, and we watched in awe with the celebs
http://tonyortega.org/2015/01/25/go...we-watched-in-awe-with-the-celebs/#more-19710


Tobey Maguire was sitting in the row behind us. Alec Baldwin was down near the front. Morgan Spurlock and Kathryn Bigelow had joined us in the green room with Alex Gibney and Lawrence Wright.

But the real stars of the show — the ones who provided an emotional wallop — were sitting around us as we watched Gibney’s documentary about Scientology, Going Clear, at its Sundance premiere.

There was Sara Goldberg, who had been forced by Scientology officials to make a choice between her son and her daughter because of the toxic “disconnection” policy. There was Spanky Taylor, who had been forced to rescue her infant daughter from filthy conditions at the cadet org and make a run for it. That daughter, Vanessa, was in attendance too. And so was Marc Headley, who doesn’t appear in the film but references are made to him, and as we were walking out of the theater, I could see that he was in tears.
 

sallydannce

Gold Meritorious Patron
This is going to be huge so I propose we split up into time-zoned teams to monitor and post media on this thread.

I am kidding (about the team thing) but not kidding that there is going to be a huge volume of media. :)
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
Yahoo News is on the case...

Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' Documents Church Abuse, Details Cruise-Kidman Split

A group of former Church of Scientology members received a standing ovation Sunday afternoon when they took the stage at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah following the premiere of Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, a controversial new documentary about the Church.

Drawing largely from the 2013 book of the same name by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lawrence Wright,Going Clear documents several crimes allegedly committed by the Church, including physical abuse by its current leader, David Miscavige. Former Church members also appear on-camera to detail several instances in which they were threatened, harassed, or separated from their families by the institution.

"For a film like this to get made, people have to come forward," director Alex Gibney told the packed crowd during a post-screening Q&A.

Full Story: https://www.yahoo.com/movies/sundance-scientology-documentary-going-clear-109073513897.html
 

Lermanet_com

Gold Meritorious Patron
Major whack job Scilon John Alex Wood is mad. He's been spending the day posting denigrating tweets about critics. I even got mentioned. LOL.

https://twitter.com/johnalexwood/status/559518410724229120

https://twitter.com/johnalexwood


Per OSA's stat sheet they have to respond, which means "attack",
in their normal psycho fashion or the points counting against OSA for the HBO feature airing will count more against them. Their response will be a delusional 'handling' of the damage done by HBO. Good luck with that OSA!
 

bromo

Patron with Honors
http://uproxx.com/movies/2015/01/alex-gibney-going-clear-scientology-sundance/



Based on the book of the same name, Alex Gibney’s Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is an absolute and utterly devastating takedown of Scientology.
Before even discussing the film, I need to write a little about the vibe surrounding this Sundance Film Festival screening: It was absolutely bananas. I’ve never seen anything quite like it in my (admittedly modest) four times at Sundance. Security was tight, because the ex-members of Scientology who were in the film and featured in the movie still fear for their safety.
The documentary itself doesn’t just pull punches, but delivers steroid-enhanced blows. Going Clearhas one “clear” message: This is an evil and vindictive organization.
 

Leland

Crusader
For those that don't know. "The Hollywood Reporter" is read by just about everyone in the Film Industry...

It is a weekly printed trade journal of the film industry....and has been around for decades.

"The Hollywood Reporter" and "Variety" are the two main trade publications....about the business side of the industry....not gossip.
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
DRUDGE has linked to the story now.

"The Hollywood Reporter" now has a story/review of the new film...and is VERY good.

Drudge Report links to it, also.

:)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-scientology-film-subjects-called-766963

Drudge gets over 1,500,000 unique visitors to it's website every 24 hours, so this is big! :thumbsup:

Excerpted from the THR article they linked to:

One of the most emotional parts of the movie is the story of Spanky Taylor, who was John Travolta's liaison at the Church until she broke away in the late 1970s. Taylor was kept separated from her newborn, and one of the film's more thrilling moments is the account of her escape from a compound with her baby.

When Taylor showed up as a "surprise" guest at the end of the screening, her now adult daughter was in tow, with the crowd giving them raptuous applause.

"I had no idea what a charlatan he had been his entire life," Taylor said regarding Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and how she fell under his sway. "We were taught to believe he had all the answers. You are wholly indoctrinated."

Full Story: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-scientology-film-subjects-called-766963
 

Karen#1

Gold Meritorious Patron
"Variety" now has a review of the Film also.

Front page.

http://variety.com/

again....everyone in Hollywood reads this trade journal....


Mike Rinder tells Variety~
“If you are a U.S. Attorney or any form of prosecutor in the United States and you want to take on the Church of Scientology in a case like this, make it your career,” said Mike Rinder, a former senior executive in the Church of Scientology.
http://variety.com/.../sundance-alex-gibneys-going-clear...
 
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