Ticket to Heaven (1981)

"Nananananananana leader, leader, leader!"

This is an excellent dramatization of how an ordinary man (an atheist Jew no less!) fell under the influence of a religious cult- modeled on the Moonies- and how he was eventually rescued and deprogrammed. It's a gripping movie, featuring several now-famous actors before they were well-known. I think it's an important movie for the light it shines on the workings of our weak, needy human psyche and the accusing finger it points at all groups which employ spiritually and mentally manipulative tactics to ensnare and retain members.

If this film's message were limited to cults, I wouldn't be that interested. After all, how many people are really going off to live on communes under the direct control of some semi-divine leader? I don't think cults, per se, are such a big problem. Where I think we see the most widespread use of cultish practices is in many of the charismatic megachurches and their denominational offshoots that have proliferated throughout our suburbs and our airwaves.

Where else do we find such expert use of love-bombing, personality alteration, group elitism, sensory overload, financial exploitation and psychological manipulation carried out in support of a charismatic, authoritarian and unaccountable leader (pastor/prophet/apostle) whose messages are believed to be divinely inspired? The situation has gotten so bad that Congress is now holding hearings about some of these televangelists who have gotten obscenely rich telling their followers that God's blessings depend on how much money they donate to these pastors' ministries. I'm glad that these people are being put under public scrutiny, because one of the techniques used to deprogram a cult member is to expose the hypocrisy or worldliness of the holy leader. However, the preponderance of such churches blunts much of the positive effect the prison sentence of a Peter Popoff or Benny Hinn might have- their followers will easily just find another leader in the next time-slot on TBN. Hopefully, enough exposure might eventually cause a change, God willing.

I guess the lesson here is that we all want to be loved, and need a sense of belonging and importance somewhere. The trick is to be aware that a lot of people want to love you for their own ends, which may not be in your best interest. True love requires the surrender of your heart, not your mind. Jesus told us to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (MT 10:16) A tough combo, to be sure, but necessary if we're to avoid ending up selling flowers in airports or giving our credit card number to TV preachers in flamboyant suits. January 17, 2008

Deserving a remastered DVD release

TICKET TO HEAVEN is a most effective film, one that flew through theaters far too quickly on its initial run (thanks for the tip, Siskel & Ebert), shedding light on any number of obsessions. The focus is on a religious cult, but could as easily center around any pursuit where, with all the attractive chaff winnowed away, the end aim is making money for the top dogs or ideals. Where membership comes with a strident urging to include friends and relations.

As Linc Strunc (R.H. Thomson's extraordinary performance in a Genie-winning role) says, "It's the smart ones" who prove the most difficult to deprogram.

Nick Mancuso's David is intelligent, but he lacks what many are missing: Close human contact, permission to touch someone without fear or evoking sexual connotations. For many, that's like the difference between hugging your parents as a child, and the wall that goes up when you must "be a man" or "put away childish things".

The tools used to unhinge David's rationale are Legion: Beauty, peace, and belonging held up as within-reach (but cunningly and perpetually unattainable) goals. Simple messages that snowball. Inquisitiveness and discussion trampled as selfish distractions, with some subtle belittling. Repetition to instill new habits, relentlessly grinding in new beliefs. And then there's the food, and toying with body chemistry -- good science abused by clever minds.

A fine, memorable ensemble cast, from Guy Boyd's Eric, to Robert Joy's Patrick, to Timothy Webber's Greg, right down to Michael Wincott (THE CROW) in a minor role. Many of Canada's very best performers.

Saul Rubinek, who played nearly the same character in AGAINST ALL ODDS, goes to the other end of the scale here, however. A stalwart friend, Larry, never giving up however hard things get. A solid performance, one that embedded Rubinek's name in this reviewer's mind.

Paul Soles and Marcia Diamond are splendid as David's parents. Harvey Atkin adds some nice texture as Larry's boss. Who could say "no" to Kim Cattrall when she's this welcoming, and who wouldn't blanch before Meg Foster at her eeriest. Stephen Markle, as Karl, is a voice of reason who nonetheless does this to his friend, David.

And Nick Mancuso (HEARTBREAKERS, but who first impressed this reviewer in NIGHTWING) shines as David. Mancuso's a journeyman actor, always working, but rarely has a role so showcased his talents as TICKET TO HEAVEN. A performance you won't soon forget.

Most definitely deserving a new DVD release. May 2, 2006

Great film, deserves to be better known....

This film is very difficult to find on VHS and/or DVD. I saw it in a DVD store for 10 bucks a few years ago, so I picked it up. The film is a terrifying, intense, very realistic one, depicting with great accuracy the truth about cults. Nick Manusco gives an excellent performance as David, the young man who gets caught up in the cult. He has just broken up with his girlfriend, and decides to visit a friend of his in southern California. David doesn't know that his friend is in a cult. They program David through various methods, including lack of sleep, moving around and around without reason, lack of protein in the food they eat, isolation, and fellow cult members following him around at all times. Saul Rubinek plays his friend who finds out where he is, and helps get him out with a deprogrammer. The film isn't perfect. There are noticable continuity flubs, awkward edits, misplaced comic relief (even though the sign "it's always amateur night" in the comedy club is hilarious), but these are minor compared with the intensity and accuracy of the film. This film was made in Canada (when Canadian film production was at a nadir), and it's a lot more realistic than a Hollywood film would be about the same subject. There are excellent performances all around (check out a very young Kim Catrall as Debbie, a cult member who is scary in her loyalty to "Father"). Hopefully, somebody will reissue this film.... April 18, 2006

A gutsy expose on how religious cults work

You have to hand it to the Canadians for having the guts to make such a true-to-life movie about cults: how they recruit, how they brainwash, how they make money. A little more contrast between the blind euphoria of the lower-tier cultists and the opulent, materialistic ways of the upper echelon would have been nice. And the movie was obviously made on a shoestring budget, which no doubt is hard to accept for someone raised on Hollywood production values. But Hollywood would NEVER make a film like this -- not with all the cultists running around in Tinsel Town! They'd boycott the production. Solid performances are turned in by Nick Mancuso as the "lost soul," Saul Rubinek as the friend who won't give up on him, Kim Cattrall as a bundle-of-energy cultist (actually one of the scariest characters in the film), and R. H. Thomson as the deprogrammer. If you can get past the made-for-TV-movie feel, this film is an excellent way to teach your kids about how cults operate and what they're really all about: money. --MellowMonk.com December 5, 2005

Eerie deja vu

In the late 70's I got caught up in the Moonie cult for a time in Northern California. This is a very accurate portrayal of the moonies of that time and place, right down to the rickety converted chicken coop they had their talks in, the cult member who follows you everwhere, the "choo choo yay pow" cheer. (Yes they really did use that!) The enforced conformity, The famous dodge ball game with chanting. Deadly accurate.
Though the material is dated, and the ranch in the countryside where The moonies brought recruits is long since shut down, it's still a great film to watch...and to show your kids if you want to help them learn to avoid being sucked into cults of many kinds.
November 23, 2005

More reviews at Amazon.com ...