Oddly interesting documentary from Penny Lane (that’s her real name) looks at an attention-grabbing sect with some sincerity to boot, stirring up a bit of the netherworld for inquiries and socio-political implications.
Hail, Satan? is not into the Church of Satan but the current Satanic Temple responding to U.S. Christian ecclesiology. Like the freedom of or from religion that was the foundation of the Constitution with the evangelical pull of Ten Commandment stones set outside state capitol edifices; not to mention prayer in public schools and anti-abortion crusaders raising bloody banners outside health clinics.
Ms. Lane’s fair-minded sensibilities reveals how the Temple diminishes its goodwill through a diabolic lampoon when black lace, pentagrams, and boars’ heads are on display. Which may lead to the probability of how this leans a tad into satirical non-fiction territory.segueing
Equity in the arbitration in the name of religion with logic and science goes a long way for the Temple’s ducat who goes by the name of Lucien Greaves. An erudite, thoughtful proponent of this movement has the look when it comes to his visage, notably an eye, and his dress.
What he avers and what his followers endorse because of Christian thinking and the Catholic Church of Boston caught in web of hypocrisy with the former ideology not so fond, in one case, about Mahatma Gandhi. Some amusing bits include a Southern bow-tied gentleman talking about his spiritual persuasion with segueing from the technical contributors helping to reinforce a message. Though curiosity may cause wonder into the cultural, devilish detail maybe as a point of familiar, if offensive contrast.
Not that Hail, Satan? isn’t into the grappling when it comes to adversaries like Arkansas Senator Jason Rapert, an ex-preacher (even troubles in its Detroit chapter) as the Temple tries to connect on leniency, embracing terms if a Santa Cruz pitchfork clean-up is any indication. Taking a new direction Lucifer may surprising get his sympathetic due, emphatically punctuating its title.