Heretic is definitely disturbing
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bigo_mega — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 06:28 AM)
That's the same vibe I got from him. Never anything to suggest Satanist. In a very abstract way through an Abrahamic lens, it could be argued that he is a Satanist, but the film never suggests that itself.
Cast In The Name Of God…Ye Not Guilty -
bigo_mega — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 08:25 AM)
It's pretty subjective at that point. I think that was intentionally very vague so that the audience would speculate, but I don't think they were necessarily attempting to mislead anyone's ideas. In the end his "true religion" is still atheistic and he is just a psychopath. It is weird though for him to have been so well studied, so much so that he has a library of religious books and in his deepest chambers uses very esoteric imagery like sigils etc, yet he makes mistakes (or maybe there were intentional lies) about the religions he has supposedly studied.
Cast In The Name Of God…Ye Not Guilty -
Steve Lake — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 09:26 AM)
You had it right in your other posts. Intentional lies.
Nothing could or would deter him. His mind was made up. It was others whose minds he was attempting to change. So if he had to lie or tell half truths or in some cases completely omit( The Person in the basement, he would do just that.
The only poster who had his account banned 4 times without ever breaking any rules each of those times. -
bigo_mega — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 09:36 AM)
Yeah, I do think this is what was likely going on. He was testing their faith the whole time, gradually upping the intensity. His goal always being to break their faith and then them.
Cast In The Name Of God…Ye Not Guilty -
Steve Lake — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 09:24 AM)
An Abrahamic lens is not only the way to see this film or any other horror film through, but also how I go through life.
It's implied or suggested by his sinister nature. His utter orgasmic delight in both seeing cracks in their faith as well as the Fear in their faces.
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bigo_mega — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 09:35 AM)
That's true, but the sort of abstract way of concluding that he is a Satanist would come through an Abrahamic perspective, for example through a Christian lens one would view someone like Mr Reed as a Satanist in that all his evil deeds are Satanic/Demonic in nature…more simply from a Christian perspective all things outside of Godliness are wordly/sinful/evil from the mundane (lying, petty stealing, lustful thoughts) to the heinous (murder, rape, etc). Man fights against his own worldliness/sinful nature to become righteous and be made holy. Without that lens I'd say there is nothing to really illustrate he is Satanic, instead he is just an athiest religious scholar & dangerous psychopath. His character in the movie I'm sure would not label himself a Satanist.
Cast In The Name Of God…Ye Not Guilty -
Steve Lake — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 09:46 AM)
Well I did state why I originally thought he was a Satanist. If you see one of my other posts I also clearly state he was not a Satanist.
I'm simply admitting that it is my Christian Worldview that accounts for my initial deduction. The Film in my opinion should be watched for this reason.
It challenges you to take a microscope to your own beliefs. While at the same time keeps you in a constant state of foreboding and utter dread.
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bigo_mega — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 09:52 AM)
I see. Yes, I agree about it challenging you. I'm not mormon, but I found myself arguing back at Mr. Reeds claims, partly because I knew many were just untrue, and partly because there are obviously some mormon beliefs which overlap with Christianity (I do not consider them to be the same faith, which I'm sure is controversial to mormons, but this is the view of most Christians).
Cast In The Name Of God…Ye Not Guilty -
Steve Lake — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 10:00 AM)
Correct. As a Christian I or many like me give not an ounce of credence to Mr. Smith in either of his writings. And I too was arguing or in some cases yelling at the screen.
Particularly when he claims the whole all religions have a Virgin birth . The Film had a profound effect on me.
It didn't help that I watched it alone in my living room with all the lights out. From like 2:00 am to it's conclusion.
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Steve Lake — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 10:52 AM)
Longlegs is phenomenal. Creepy, Jarring. Nick Cage gives a memorable performance.
I wont say anything to spoil Longlegs. The reason I asked is something I was thinking about . After seeing these films as well a few other horror films.
I wouldn't watch Hereditary again. My reasoning is what I felt afterwards. I didn't see that film as an actual horror film.
I saw it as an infomercial for Satanism/Demonic worship/witchcraft.
To me , rather than going for actual menace and horror per say, the film promotes what I believe to be a lifestyle choice. That's how it came across to me.
I won't be specific but Longlegs does something towards the end of the film that I found to be utterly gratuitous. And I believe that was on purpose.
Now these types of films aren't new. There was a huge bunch of them starting with Hammer studios in the late 60"s to Hollywood embracing the subject they entire decade of the 70's.
In my long winded amd esoteric manner I am saying that today's Hollywood is pushing/promoting Witchcraft_Satanism/Demonic Worship as an alternative to Judeo/Christian beliefs. An actual way of life . Lifestyle
Where as I felt the glut of these films in Europe in the 60's and Hollywood in the 70'making them was to just shock or was of a titillating nature.
Now I will admit as I did earlier, I see everything from a Christian Worldview.
Secondly, I could be very naive. And maybe even in the 70's Hollywood could have been full of Santanists and demon worshippers. And maybe those films weren't just made to shock or titillate.
But to introduce or even make the subject commonplace in our culture or society. After all, Sammy Davis Jr and Jayne Mansfield were known Satanists.
Anyway I'm exhausted. So I'm rambling and writing a ****load of run on sentences. I have been up all night.
7:00am here in Nyc or close to it. Tell me what you think.
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bigo_mega — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 11:16 AM)
so, I actually agree to an extent with what you said about Hereditary. The thing about that film is how it presents the occultism, which is actually fairly realistic. They invoke a real demon (or atleast an entity that has appeared by name in extrabiblical occult texts), they use sigils, they allude to rituals which are much closer to reality than many other films portray. I completely understand why someone wouldn't watch it a second time, especially a Christian. There is something about letting that imagery into the mind. It's a bit like dropping ink into water, it will start to tint it more and more as you keep dropping in it. So I get the caution there. You are also likely correct about the promotion of certain values/ideas/practices and the devaluation of others. I have always been drawn to the occult and esoteric but the way I have interfaced with it has changed dramatically throughout my life, some people will never really understand these things, they will always deem them to be just fantasy, well anyone can deem anything as they see fit but sometimes things happen that you can't just explain away with everyday logic…all this to roundaboutly say, I get it. From the Christian perspective you know there is a war between the World (not to be confused with world, ie Earth) and the soul. From that perspective it is quite easy to see why things today may be as they are. I have seen other films that, whether the film itself has much value or not, have included rather accurate portrayals of certain practices, like voodoo/hoodoo/santeria…these are movies I'd caution people to watch for the reasons I said above…again, many people will be fully dismissive of that cautioning (those people have likely no experience with these things in their actual life though)…even what I'm saying here is likely to get some eye rolls, well so be it. anyway, I don't necessarily shy away from these films myself, though I am pretty aware of what I am seeing and hearing in them. One thing I really am not a fan of though is excessive graphic violence and gore, rather than scary I just find it disgusting and disturbing…As long as the gratuitousness you referred to is not of that variety I may want to check Longlegs out.
Cast In The Name Of God…Ye Not Guilty -
Gemini — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 11:21 AM)
That's true, but the sort of abstract way of concluding that he is a Satanist would come through an Abrahamic perspective, for example through a Christian lens one would view someone like Mr Reed as a Satanist in that all his evil deeds are Satanic/Demonic in nature…more simply from a Christian perspective all things outside of Godliness are wordly/sinful/evil from the mundane (lying, petty stealing, lustful thoughts) to the heinous (murder, rape, etc).
No. My son pointed out the all the Satanic symbols and painting and stuff in Mr Reed's house especially in those rooms the girl walked through underground as she made her way to that room where all those women where locked in cages and being starved to death.
Pause the movie at those parts and the do a Google search on that stuff. -
bigo_mega — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 11:32 AM)
Ah. Those aren't specifically Satanic, well unless again you apply that abstract thinking through a Christian lens. I suppose it COULD be argued that Mr Reed was still lying in the end about what he believed was the "true religion" and saying it was "control"…Going back to the Christian perspective, demons all know who Christ is, but will lie about Him to people to put doubt in their minds and lead them astray, which is their ultimate goal. So, if Mr Reed did infact believe in demonic occult practices but his goal was to torment believers, he naturally would lie to them (as he did repeatedly) and derive pleasure out of that torment and harm, and especially out of breaking their faith, if he could.
Cast In The Name Of God…Ye Not Guilty -
Gemini — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 11:27 AM)
He wasn't - they kinda make you think that at first. He has his own religion
No, it was all those paintings, and stuff in those rooms that is proof of Satanism.
He paused the movie, did a Google search of those items. The search lead him to Satanic stuff. Some of the same stuff that was in Mr. Reed's home and those rooms underneath his home. -
bigo_mega — 1 year ago(April 02, 2025 11:34 AM)
Maybe I missed somethings? I have to give it another watch. I do remember the sigils and occult circles on the doors, but they could be related to a few potential practices.
Cast In The Name Of God…Ye Not Guilty