Last year we talked to J.R. Biersmith, one of the filmmakers who had agreed to allow the Church of Scientology to show their movies on the “Documentary Showcase” at the Scientology TV network on DirecTV.
Biersmith’s 2017 film, Men in the Arena, about Somalian soccer players, was quite good. But we asked him why he would want to help out Scientology TV by letting it show the movie. “When it comes to documentaries, getting your story out there is not easy. And when you have a new cable station coming on, you have to give it a thought,” he told us.
He said he was aware of Scientology’s controversies, but getting the word out about Somalia’s struggles was more important to him. Like most of the other filmmakers, he had not only let Scientology show his film to help out its young TV channel, but had also sat down for an interview at the Scientology Media Productions studios on Sunset Boulevard.
Our story spotlighted the baker’s dozen of films and their directors who were featured.
In September, we looked at another batch of filmmakers who had made their documentaries available to Scientology, and had also sat for interviews.
And now, a third set of filmmakers has joined their ranks. Six of them sat for interviews at Scientology’s new studios on Sunset Boulevard.
We know that getting a documentary seen can be tough, but we just wanted to put on the record who were the folks helping out Scientology, for, you know, future prosecutions — er, posterity. That’s it, posterity.
Uncommon Allies (2018)
Director: Jon Brick
IMDB: “In 2011, Rosilyn Temple’s son was murdered in his own apartment. He was 26 years old. To this day, his homicide remains unsolved. Uncommon Allies shows how Rosilyn, in the wake and devastation of her son’s murder, turned a personal search for justice into a life changing community call to action.”
A Tuba To Cuba (2018)
Director: TG Herrington
Getting to the Nutcracker (2014)
Director: Serene Meshel-Dillman
IMDB: “Every Christmas season, The Nutcracker Ballet is performed in cities all over the world. What does it really take to produce this ballet each year?”
Memphis Majic (2019)
Director: Eddie Bailey
IMDB: “Memphis Majic takes a look at the DNA of Memphis through the lens of a 30-year Memphis-born street dance called Jookin. The dance style derived from Memphis hip hop about 30 years ago.”
500 Miles (2019)
Executive Producer: Micah Fink
Outdoor Channel: “The film follows 16 Bureau of Land Management wild mustangs that are gathered and trained by the crew at Heroes and Horses. The veterans in the program set out in the middle of summer’s heat to begin prepping the horses for a 40-day re-integration program.”
Modified (2017)
Director: Aube Giroux
IMDB: “64 countries around the world label GMOs. Why don’t we?”
Director: Lana Šlezić
IMDB: “In Saskatchewan in 2016, students are competing in the first ever province-wide First Nations Spelling Bee. The winners will travel with their families to Toronto, Ontario for the 29th Annual national championships of the Spelling Bee of Canada.”
Eat Up (2019)
Director: Fiona Turner
Scientology.tv: “Eat Up is an eye-opening account on the abject state of school lunch programs and one entrepreneur’s yearlong mission to prove that she can improve the nutritional value of school lunches while offering food that students will actually want to eat.”
Saving Sea Turtles (2017)
Directors: Michele Gomes, Jennifer Ting
The Clean Bin Project (2010)
Director: Grant Baldwin
IMDB: “The Clean Bin Project is about a regular couple and their quest to answer the question ‘is it possible to live completely waste free?'”
Operation Toussaint (2018)
Director: Nick Nanton
IMDB: “Tim Ballard and his special forces team go undercover in Haiti to bring a ring of sex traffickers who bribed their way out of jail, to justice.”
The Fantasy Makers (2017)
Director: Andrew Wall
IMDB: “The Fantasy Makers is a feature documentary which examines the profound impact fantasy pioneers C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and George MacDonald have made on popular culture to this day.”
Australia: The Wild Top End (2018)
Director: Nick Robinson
IMDB: “A stunning journey through one of the most remote areas on the planet: far Northern Australia. Narrated by Indigenous elder Balang T. E. Lewis, this giant screen documentary explores the culture and wildlife of Australia’s wild north.”
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“I could read in this life when I was about three and a half years old. And then I went to school and they kept insisting that I learn how to read. And you know, I never learned how to read in school. I could read, only nobody ever heard that…You can read so then if anybody tries to teach you how to read and you won’t learn how to read and you can read, why nobody ever finds out about that. See? So you’ve had it. So, let’s say we were teaching a course on how to be a rocket jockey. How to fly a Mark 14 interplanetary scout ship. See, and we’re running a course on this. And we’ve got somebody and they had Mark 18s in their system and he knows all about flying one of these things, you know. Well, that’s fine you know. Here’s this, here’s that, and the instructor keeps saying, ‘Now just a minute. Hold it down now. Now, that is your circumlocutor.’ And the fellow says, ‘Yes, I know. And you pull it like this, and you go like this, and so forth; and it’s for vertical takeoff, see. Yeah, well now, what I do want to know is, you’ve got a couple of dials here that were taken off the later?’ And the instructor says, ‘Now just a minute, just a minute, that’s the circumlocutor.’ See. That guy has a hell of a time, see.” — L. Ron Hubbard, May 22, 1962
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“The problem is that ‘thetans’ are more than ‘single viewpoint in space’ beings. The Time Track of Theta tapes speak of that. Buddhists are more aware of those issues. They must be laughing at us over this ‘Hunt for the Reincarnated LRH.’ In short, they know that there can be several reincarnated LRHs.”
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“I was attacked by an angry goose once. I still have that engram.”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Jay Spina: Sentencing was set for April 3 in White Plains
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members: Trial set for October 7 in Los Angeles
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Waiting for an appellate decision from the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for August 11
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: July 8 (plaintiff attorneys pro hac vice), August 31-Sept 1 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed.
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Scientology loses a whale: Major donor Michael Baybak dead at 77
[TWO years ago] Jack Parsons is getting his star-turn next month, but we’ll have to wait for L. Ron Hubbard
[THREE years ago] Google helps Scientology censor two more of our stories — maybe you can help us figure out why
[FOUR years ago] Scientology makes you a god who can heal this horse just with your finger
[FIVE years ago] DOX: How Scientology ensnares the unsuspecting in a series of binding contracts
[SIX years ago] Scientology Hip Hop: Is there anything better in the world?
[SEVEN years ago] Meet Dennis Nobbe, Miami Chiropractor and Scientologist!
[EIGHT years ago] L. Ron Hubbard in his Own Words: Mr. Charisma?
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,945 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,449 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,969 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 989 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 880 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,187 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,055 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,829 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,603 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,949 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,515 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,434 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,602 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,183 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,444 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,482 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,195 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,720 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,250 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,810 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,950 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,270 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,125 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,245 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,600 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,903 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,009 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,411 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,283 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,866 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,361 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,615 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,724 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on May 22, 2020 at 06:00
E-mail tips to tonyo94 AT gmail DOT com or follow us on Twitter. We also post updates at our Facebook author page. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
Watch our short videos that explain Scientology’s controversies in three minutes or less…
Check your whale level at our dedicated page for status updates, or join us at the Underground Bunker’s Facebook discussion group for more frivolity.
Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
