FOLLOW ME ON
Daily Notifications
Sign up for free emails to receive the feature story every morning in your inbox at tonyortega.substack.com

Categories

We’re in Cleveland today to talk about Scientology and you’re invited

Cleveland1a

 
Hey, your proprietor is in Cleveland today, our first trip to this fair city and a visit we’ve been really looking forward to. In the evening we’re giving a talk about our book, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely, but before that a friendly Bunkerite has agreed to show us around town. Are we lucky or what?

Continue reading We’re in Cleveland today to talk about Scientology and you’re invited

Visualizing Scientology’s latest ‘Going Clear’ public relations disaster

GoingClearDVD

 
As former Scientology spokesman Mike Rinder pointed out yesterday, Scientology’s attempt to frighten a Clearwater, Florida movie theater out of showing Alex Gibney’s documentary Going Clear only ended up with straight up and vertical expansion: Now two theaters in the area will be showing the movie.

If that doesn’t sum up Scientology PR, we’re not sure what does.

Continue reading Visualizing Scientology’s latest ‘Going Clear’ public relations disaster

United Kingdom sees Scientology documentary ‘Going Clear’ tonight on Sky Atlantic

GoingClearBanner

 
Finally, the time has come! After a considerable delay caused by nagging legal concerns, Alex Gibney’s Emmy Award-winning HBO documentary, Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief, will air tonight on Sky Atlantic at 9 pm local time.

Continue reading United Kingdom sees Scientology documentary ‘Going Clear’ tonight on Sky Atlantic

L. Ron Hubbard, would-be conqueror: Scientology’s fable about Rhodesia is a riot

MV4DanSherman

 
We’re grateful to our source who has been supplying us rare looks at the Maiden Voyage celebration of 2006. As we’ve said previously, these videos are exceedingly tough to find, and it has been illuminating to see David Miscavige lead his “OT Summit” on Scientology’s private cruise ship, the Freewinds, over successive nights that June. And now, we’ve save the best for last.

Continue reading L. Ron Hubbard, would-be conqueror: Scientology’s fable about Rhodesia is a riot

THE GETTING CLEAR CONFERENCE: How to see the videos that lay Scientology bare

Jon_Atack_Jim_Beverley

 
Historian Jon Atack (right) and religion professor James Beverley put together a remarkable gathering of people in Toronto in June. We were fortunate to see people like Paulette Cooper and Nancy Many and Jonny Jacobsen and Nora Crest and Nan McLean and so many others all get together for the first time.

Continue reading THE GETTING CLEAR CONFERENCE: How to see the videos that lay Scientology bare

Scientology about to throw its Harlem party — and we need your eyes and ears!

SciHarlem

 
Scientology has its soul duds on! These young staff members are in place in Harlem for tomorrow’s big block party, as David Miscavige opens yet another Ideal Org.

We’re very disappointed that we won’t be on the scene because of other obligations. We’d love to know if there are any New York correspondents who might want to check out the scene for us and maybe snap a few photos on Saturday. Please let us know.

Continue reading Scientology about to throw its Harlem party — and we need your eyes and ears!

Surreal encounter at Scientology’s secretive Int Base shows up in Danish documentary

IntBaseDanish

 
Last December, we brought you some pretty bizarre footage. It was shot by Marc Headley, who was visiting Scientology’s secretive Int Base near Hemet, California with a Danish film crew making a documentary about a Danish former Scientologist, Robert Dam.

Continue reading Surreal encounter at Scientology’s secretive Int Base shows up in Danish documentary

‘Fundamentalist’ Scientology means chasing the ideal of Neo while turning your back on family

Aaron_Smith_Levin3

 
We have a new video today from Aaron Smith-Levin in his series, “Growing up in Scientology.” In order to help outsiders understand why Scientologists could dedicate themselves to chasing outlandish ideas about superhuman abilities, Aaron went all Matrix on us.

Continue reading ‘Fundamentalist’ Scientology means chasing the ideal of Neo while turning your back on family

Back where it all started: Hoping to see you in Phoenix to talk Scientology then and now

Arizona

[Thank you, reader SeriouslyWTF, for this image.]

Wow, it’s great to be back in Phoenix. Your proprietor spent some very important formative years of his journalism career here in the Valley of the Sun, and it’s great to see that despite some new trolley tracks, a freeway shooter, and some new coats of paint, the place essentially remains the same.

In other words, gorgeous.

Continue reading Back where it all started: Hoping to see you in Phoenix to talk Scientology then and now

Another rare Scientology video leaks, and this time we see its long vanished president

MV3HeberJentzsch

 
Your proprietor is a bit under the weather, and we’re traveling, but we didn’t want to leave you without something to chew on today. Luckily our source came through again and pointed us in the direction of yet another Scientology video gem that has previously been unseen outside of the church.

Continue reading Another rare Scientology video leaks, and this time we see its long vanished president