CHICAGO– Religion, and the separation of those institutions from the “state,” is an ongoing controversy in the United States. One such religious group may have found the ultimate solution to keep that separation in place. The Satanic Temple is an anarchist religion whose goal is to get a place at the table with the other holy influencers. They are profiled in director Penny Lane’s new film, “Hail Satan?”
Lane followed the group through their development, as they continue to counter the arguments of Christian infiltration into government, such as posting the 10 Commandments on a courthouse grounds. By applying, for example, to put their own statue of Satan up next to those commandments, they force the “state” to examine what is the truth in justice. The sometimes reluctant participants of The Satanic Temple – many are interviewed with their faces hidden – are nonetheless warriors for social balance, simply by pointing out the absurdity of religious dogma.
’Hail Satan?’ by Director Penny Lane
Photo credit: Magnolia Pictures
Penny Lane is a veteran documentary maker (and yes, that’s her real name), who graduated from Vassar College, and teaches at Colgate University. She began with documentary shorts, producing “The Abortion Diaries” (2005) and “The Voyagers” (2010), among others. Her first full-length doc was the excellent “Our Nixon” (2013), which combined home movies made by Richard Nixon’s aides during his tenure as president, combined with an overview of those flashpoint years. “Hail Satan” is her fourth full length documentary.
In Part One of the following Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Penny Lane of “Hail Satan?” talks the intuition of The Satanic Temple, its media attention and the projection of rival religions.
In Part Two, Lane reflects on Richard M. Nixon and what how the devil can get their due.
 | By PATRICK McDONALD |
