This is an effective odyssey into the religious beliefs of what appear to be mainly average people off the street, specifically regarding beliefs in "heaven". It also uses stock footage to good ends to illustrate its main themes, drawing from horror films, other old documentaries, Metropolis, etc. Most interviewees are harmless enough, if extremely naieve about fairy-tale types of "heaven", but the actual "ministers" are an arguably controlling, fear-mongering and hateful bunch. One woman claims all ethnic people will become white in heaven, but be allowed to keep their own names. Others have seen Jesus hovering around their homes, modelling different outfits in each room, before disappearing in the bathroom. If you've ever seriously wondered about the benefits of religious belief, what the ultimate "payoff" of those beliefs might be, and what sorts of average people harbor such beliefs, then "Heaven" amply illustrates the topic. Inventive, clever, outrageously funny, and touching and frightening simultaneously. Whether you're religious or not, this film is well worth seeking out.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Point of Terror
(1971)
A Sparkling Gem of Badness
5 January 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Those with a true, well-developed epicurean taste for badness should definitely seek out this oddball film. It fails on many, many levels, but it ain't for lack of trying. Admittedly, the "time loop" sequence at the end is weak, but after watching all the way through, what else can you reasonably expect--Citizen Kane? Tony Trelos' Tom Jones impressions are as embarrassing as the original, which is not to say Jones is an untalented man. There are several scenes which offer a lot more than many snobby armchair reviewers will care to admit, if they even mention them--case in point being the swimming pool scene, in which the crippled husband charges his wife repeatedly in his wheelchair, to the roars and strains of a Mexican bullfight. Is this film good? Is it bad? Decide for yourself, but definitely do NOT avoid. Whatever doesn't kill you can only make you stronger, so embrace!
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