Happy Halloween part 3

More Halloween treats!

Brother T Tex isn't doing candy this Halloween, he's giving out

Christian Comics

Happy Halloween part 2

Brother Russell has this to drop in your goody bag:

BLACK METAL PRANK CALL

sez Bro Russ: This is some sort of extended mix deal, probably not worth listening to the whole thing… but the prank call at the beginning is intense and the victim’s feckless reactions are hilarious.…

Happy Halloween

enjoy All Hallow's Eve with a re-post of our exclusive House of Judgement '96 footage

Another Thrift Store Gospel classic!

I will make this observation: Through the early seventies, Christian women's hair styles did seem to be influenced by the atomic mushroom cloud.

This album cover was originally posted here.

And another tip of the hat to T Tex, who always finds the good stuff.

WARNING - demons sneak into bags of Halloween candy!

according to Kimberly Daniels on Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network website:

“[M]ost of the candy sold during this season has been dedicated and prayed over by witches,” Daniels wrote. “I do not buy candy during the Halloween season. Curses are sent through the tricks and treats of the innocent whether they get it by going door to door or by purchasing it from the local grocery store. The demons cannot tell the difference.”

full story here.

Thanks once again to Brother Ben for alerting us.

Lastest on the Horrorcore Murders - Sister says Sam is innocent

From a local bay area rave related board:

SarahThiZZle Sep 26 2009, 02:43 PM Post #128

Ok first of all. what the ****. Get your facts straight before you wanna try and put someone on blast. For one, my parents are not hells angels, I do NOT live ina ****in crack house or in san leandro for that matter. Hello....it ****in says castro valley u dumb ****. I did NOT stop raving because people were insecure and decided to come online and bash someone they didnt know but didnt have the balls to say **** to my face. I can really give a **** what any of you think for that matter, I am just setting the record straight.

Yeah your definitely one to talk down upon people you two faced **** sideshow. Nice to someones face but then as soon as you can hide in ur dark ass stanky filthy room im sure u stay inand sit in front of a screen probably beating off to the fact that a girl actually accept your friend request on myspace...thats when you decide to talk ****. Yeah. way to go. Everyone give it up for this lazy fat ****.

I like how none of you actually have your own opinion. As soon as someone said they didnt like me, what did you do...jump on the ****in bandwagon. Can any of you think for yourselves? As a matter of fact, we did not give anyone consent to put our pictures up on the internet, my phone number, my house all over the news not blurring out my address or license plate number. Its the ****in media...they dont care about consent. So before you go and try and talk like you know whats goin on and giving out facts, why dont you at least try and get some true facts to add some truth to your story ok.

I am in no way using my brother being accused to try and get "famous" I am doing pretty ****ing good being in magazines and newspaper for my production company I run, for you to accuse me of such things is bull****. My brother is innocent, I want people to know who my brother is to stop and think..."hey is this guy really capable of killing 4 people by himself without one ****ing person hearing a scream?"

No, there is WAY more to this ****ed up situation then the media is gonna let out. There is no truth behind anything you have seen or read on the news. He was setup...i cant say anything but let me tell you. After all this is done, everyone is gonna feel real ****in stupid. You have no idea how much it hurts to have the cops ransack your house, trash everything, press everywhere with you not being able to go home because of it. The whole world having my number, calling me left and right to either say they are sorry or say they are gonna ****in slice my throat. My personal life has been put up on ****in display for the whole entire world to see. I hope that one of your loved ones does this **** and lets see how you ****in feel to come online and see your name being thrown around and dragged in the mud JUST for being related....

I have really cleaned up my life and was going somewhere and now I have to start all over cause everything has been taken away. You know, a lot of you were my friends. And now you sit here talking **** just cause you wanna waste some of your miserable life on here talking **** with all the rest of the losers, clicking refresh every 10 seconds praying that one of your "friends" is agreeing with you. You guys make me sick. I dont need anyones ****ing sympathy, and I can give a **** what you think. You arent going to put a damper on my day. So go ahead, sit on your ass day and try to come up with a witty comeback or comment so the internet message board geeks will think you are cool for 2 seconds. As long as it makes you feel better.

Thank you mark for being a true friend. You need to let me know what time you work next cause I pass your work at least 4 times a day. I could really use a mark burger

earlier posts here if you need to a refresher

Hell House LIVES!

Go here for all the details.

from their website:

Hell House was first opened in October of 1991 and is a creative alternative to the traditional haunted house. It is a dramatization of real life situations. Each year over 10,000 people walk through its doors with an ambiguous expectation. With Hell House now entering its 19th year, we attempt to keep that ambiguity going by offering new, fresh, in-your-face scenes and ideas. This year there are 7 scenes, with the walk-through taking an estimated 45 minutes (not including waiting in line). A “demon” or “death monitor” will guide you through the maze-like walk-through. Each scene will give you a look into the real life issues that we deal with everyday. Hell house is not meant for children under the age of 13. There are guns, blood, violence, intense scenes, and disturbing images.

we are indebted to Brother Ben for the info.

Dr. Gene Scott's widow, Melissa Scott's Unholy Past

Pastor Melissa Scott presides over a televangelist empire. Hard to believe that she was once a triple-X plaything known as Barbie Bridges. Gretchen Voss uncovers the true story behind Scott's divine reinvention.

Must Read!

Thanks to Brother Russell for sending this in!

Hell House director interview from 2002

George Ratliff talks about his Christian Haunted House documentary, Hell House, on This American Life from 2002, being made available to listen to and download currently. I am a huge fan of both the actual Hell House in Cedar Hill, Texas and of the documentary. Thanks to Brother Steve for spotting this!

If you've never seen the doc, I suggest you go immediately to the Snake Oil Amazon Store and pick it up while it's still available.

UPDATE: Hell House Lives!

Southern Preachers On The Radio

from WFMU's DJ Steinski

Thank you Brother Tex!

Mrs. Bob Tilton # 2

After Marte, but before Maria, there was Leigh Valentine.

As in Mrs. Bob Tilton # 2.

These days Leigh is selling anti-aging products. Here's a recent Leigh as "beauty expert" YouTube-mercial:

But readers of this blog are probably much more interested in Leigh's role in letting the world know about the "rats eating Bob's brain," as revealed in nasty divorce-related court documents.

Here's what Snake Oil reported at the time, Summer of '96:

"They want to say I'm a GOLD DIGGER," complained Leigh Valentine Tilton to The Dallas Morning News.

Now why would anybody say that?

In both interviews with the press and statements made in court documents, the second Mrs. Robert Tilton has taken the couple's vicious divorce battle into the public arena, dramatically playing the part of the wronged wife who has tried so hard, sniff, to be strong (dab eyes). While Bob has remained tight-lipped during the ordeal, Leigh has wasted no time in airing enough dirty laundry to give a fascinating, if one-sided, glimpse into the lifestyle of the one time Pope of Prosperity. Leigh's fight thus far has centered on staking a claim in the $1.6 million parsonage in the Dallas suburb of Addison. Bob has been in Florida, living aboard the Liberty Leigh, a 50 foot yacht docked in Ft. Lauderdale.

Shortly after filing for the divorce in March, Bob tried to kick Leigh, her son, and her mother out of the parsonage on Winnwood Road. Church representatives were sent in to box up and haul off household effects. Leigh, notified of the intrusion by her personal assistant, came rushing home to find the locks changed, the utilities cut off, and, according to her, many personal possessions missing. Especially upsetting was the bedroom wall safe being removed. Leigh was also furious that Bob had cashed an insurance check on her Jaguar and that her $100,000 annual salary from the church had been cut off. In an application for a protective order, Leigh made the following assertions in an affidavit filed in Dallas County on May 15, 1996:

"I regret having to make accusations; however, to protect myself and my son I find it necessary to tell the truth in this affidavit so that my family and I can be adequately protected. "Approximately Sunday the 18th day of February, 1996, we were in Florida. Bob began one of his drinking sprees, started yelling and screaming at me and telling me how worthless I was and I tried to get away from him. He grabbed me by arms and wrist and cut my leg while dragging me up the stairs. He was verbally abusive and he cursed over and over again in front of my three year old son.

"He told me on this occasion and a couple other occasions, 'You don't understand, I am the Pope! That means I am the boss, haven't you learned that yet? Everyone does what I tell them to do and you had better obey me. If you do not obey me and be submissive with me I am going to make sure you loose everything, everything!'

"It was during the last three months together that Bob was having trouble sleeping and he woke up with several weird dreams and even told me that he was afraid he was not thinking straight. He indicated that he thought he was going crazy and that he didn't think that he was going to 'make it.' When he was in this type of state it was usually after he had been on a drinking spree and he got mad at me during these times because I wouldn't buy his liquor for him and I would not drink with him. Several of these times he woke up in the middle of the night saying that he thought rats were eating his brains and other wild dreams such as that.

"He also indicated that he would have other people kill the people that have messed with him."

It is certainly not the intention of anyone associated with Snake Oil to "mess with" Bob. We had, in fact, hoped that his union with Leigh would be the impetus needed to get his television ministry up and going again. It seems, however, that Leigh was the last thing Bob needed. Leigh, a former Miss Missouri USA and an evangelist in her own right, first met Bob at a religious conference in Germany, and the two supposedly began dating in the fall of 1993. They were secretly married in the Dominican Republic in February 1994 although their marriage was not made public until months later, at which time Bob wrote a letter to his friends and supporters claiming that Leigh had saved his life. This was also the time that Bob, under Leigh's influence, radically altered his preaching style, dropping the Pay As You Pray Prosperity message and embracing a Shout The Devil Out Of You Life form of worship. The double whammy of switching theologies and divorcing Marte, his first wife and co-founder of the church, seriously diminished the attendance at Bob's Word Of Faith Family Church in Dallas. Besieged by religious-fraud lawsuits and unfriendly media attention, his television ministry off the air, and now the church he built falling apart, Bob has become understandably angry and isolated, even vulnerable.

Whether Leigh intentionally set out to wreck Bob's first marriage and then split his church is open for speculation. What seems clear is that Leigh is not going away quietly and is willing to sling a little mud in order to get her lunch hooks into Bob's and the church's coffers.

Church art exhibition includes crucified ape and black Jesus on electric chair

"(The gorilla artwork) is a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect those who are least able to protect themselves,"

The exhibition featuring 16 artists, called The Age of Marvellous, is on now at the former Holy Trinity Church, now known as One Marylebone, in central London.

Here are the details.

Thanks to Brother Ben for the scoop.

More Thrift Store Gospel

hat tip to t tex

Benny Hinn on Nightline

missed this one a couple of nights ago:

Benny Hinn on ABC's Nightline talking about Senator Grassley's televangelist investigation. Dallas Observer posts about it here, with some additional links.

And we were just talking about Benny here not too long ago.

Halloween Book Burning! Records and cds too!

Looky here: A Halloween Book Burning!

Come to our Halloween book burning. We are burning Satan's bibles like the NIV, RSV, NKJV, TLB, NASB, NEV, NRSV, ASV, NWT, Good News for Modern Man, The Evidence Bible, The Message Bible, The Green Bible, ect.

These are perversions of God's Word, the King James Bible.We will also be burning Satan's music such as country , pop, heavy metal, western, soft and easy, contemporary Christian, jazz, soul, oldies but goldies, etc.

Ah, the good ol' King James, recommended by Snake Handlers everywhere.

and wait, there's more!

We will be serving Bar-b-Que Chicken, fried chicken, and all the sides

Thanks to Brother T Tex for this word of knowledge!

a little more Satanic Sammy

article from Vice

and this one

Satan Worshipin' Sammy

image pinched from Adam Gorightly.

But that still doesn't answer the musical question... "Where'd his eye go?"

Estus Pirkle

Estus Pirkle (1930- 2005)

Filmography

If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? (1971)

The Burning Hell (1974)

The Believer's Heaven (1977)

The best way I have to describe the films of Estus Pirkle is that they are Jack Chick tracts come to life. Chick tracts, of course, are those hateful little rectangular comic books that you find left atop bus station urinals and other such places that find the general public in a position of spiritual vulnerability. Chick tracts always followed the formula of someone being presented with a moral dilemma, making the wrong choice, refusing an offer to repent, and ending up cast into everlasting Hell.

Now Chick and Pirkle had no affiliation that I'm aware of beyond the common theology that

God is a cranky old white man who sits on a throne and sends people to hell who don't get with the program and do as they are told. Especially Commies.

But while Chick tracts were ubiquitous, the films of Estus Pirkle were much harder to come by. If you were involved in Baptist youth activities in the US in the 1970s, there is a good chance that you were made to attend a screening of "The Burning Hell" or "If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do," or "The Believers Heaven." Otherwise you were out of luck. Pirkle steadfastly refused to make his films available on tape during the video boom of the 80s and 90s. To see the films one had to rent the actual 16mm print for a not insignificant sum and sign a multi-page legal agreement.

But tantalizing bits of his films did find their way into the secular realm. The San Francisco experimental group Negativland used a soundclip from the Footmen film on their 1987 breakthrough album Escape from Noise to magnificent effect:

"Christianity is stupid! Communism is good!"

Pirkle's film "If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do" dealt with the imminent Commie takeover of the USA, and the soundbite in question comes from a scene where the new Commie masters are driving down Main Street USA with a loudspeaker blasting the aforementioned quote. Quite a scene and quite a song.

Diane Keaton used good size chunks of Pirkle's films in her dippy 1987 documentary Heaven.

But blessings abounded for those dedicated students of Kooky Kristian Kulture who tracked down full length copies of Pirkle's films. The vexingly titled "If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do" was Pirkle's first and best. Filmed in Pirkle's hometown of New Albany,

Mississippi, the film uses footage of Pirkle's sermons (he was a Baptist preacher) interspersed with the story of a sinful woman and the Communist takeover of America. It was notably produced by the Ormond Organization, the southern drive-in kingpins known for such exploitation classics as "The Monster and the Stripper" and "Please Don't Touch Me." My reviewing skills are woefully inadequate, but let me say that if the prospect of anti-Commie hysteria dished up Southern style in the early 70s with a cast of beehived locals, complete with scenes of torture and beheadings (of children!), sounds like a good time, then Footmen is for you!

Next came "The Burning Hell," a bigger budget affair with scenes filmed in the Holy Land and depictions of Hell that are crudely effective. The premiss has something to do with a guy who gets his head ripped off in a motorcycle accident and ends up in Hell. It's too late for him but not for you blah blah blah.

Last is "The Believer's Heaven." Here is a clip used by Diane Keaton in "Heaven," mentioned previously:

Bootleg copies of Pirkle's movies pop up from time to time on online stores which cater to fans of the weird and offbeat. You may also be able to get a legitimate copy here.

Estus on Wiki

More reviews - here and here and here

Watch online, but be warned, these copies are pretty grainy:

Burning Hell

If Footmen Tire You

Related:
Check out this guy's most excellent Flickr photostream

and yes, there is a soundtrack album!

Is this real?

I've about concluded that it's fake - that the "victim" of the prank is in on it, and it's all to promote her youth minister's "edgy" Christian "punked" video. But I'm not 100% sure. I want to believe that the poor simpleminded girl is about to cry because she was Left Behind...

Faking the rapture - Watch more Funny Videos

On the Sunny Banks

Our thanks to Brother Kenneth for passing this along!

What's the matter, Darwin-lover?

from here. Tweeted by Tex

Hard Truth - Anti Abortion Cult Classic

Alex Cassar aka Abortion Girl does not appear in Hard Truth

I'm sorry. I've resisted posting this picture of Alex Cassar, featured in the documentary Hell House, ever since I did one of the first posts on this blog, the one concerning Christian Haunted Houses. I guess the devil finally won, and I have now posted it. But it ties in, thematically at least, with today's post, which is a classic review by our good friend Brother Russell which originally appeared in a back issue of the Snake Oil fanzine. The review is of an anti-abortion film called Hard Truth, and though it does not feature Alex Cassar, it does register a ten on the gross out meter. So take it away Brother Russell...

HARD TRUTH

"A powerful, educational video" -- Pat Robertson

What has Brother Pat raving with such glee? It's "Hard Truth," the latest propaganda video from American Portrait Films. Yes, the fine folks who brought you "Unholy Hollywood" and "The Silent Scream" have teamed up with the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform to present the ultimate anti-abortion visual aid.

No more pussyfooting with tearful testimonies and murky images from an ultrasound screen. These guys kick out the jams in a quick, gut-wrenching rollercoaster ride of rubber-glove cinematography.

It actually begins with a bit of dignity as a handsome man warns us that the teaching tool we are about to experience is for our own good. Next we hear a plaintive Contemporary Christian ballad about God's judgement coming to America and see some NOVA "Miracle of Life" footage of fetuses peacefully sucking their thumbs in the womb.

But you'll barely have your seatbelts on in time for the "money shot." The forceps emerge with gouts of blood from a woman's birth canal, then the good doctor's instrument pauses to dangle a severed head before the camera. (This fellow must have required a hefty bribe to allow his grisly task to be filmed, because the 9.5 minute "Hard Truth" video costs a whopping 15 dollars. That works out to $1.58 every gore-packed minute, neighbors. But you can't say they don't deliver the goods.)

The rest of this ghoulish post-partum peepshow surveys the aftermath of such procedures. Moved by their deep respect for the sanctity of human life, the filmmakers reverently wave gory little limbs at the camera and cause tiny little eyeballs to fall from their sockets on cue. It appears that they rely heavily on 3rd trimester carnage and stillbirths, but to argue that the deck is stacked would drag me into their stupid realm of debate.

The video comes with a priceless little User's Guide, which warns that if it is not properly introduced to the viewer "the results ... can be problematic." The producers wisely advise us to "encourage reluctant viewers to simply avert their gaze." Especially helpful is "God's Purpose for Hard Truth" section, which uses typically bloody Old Testament passage to set up a Biblical precedent for such lurid shock tactics. It's interesting to note that no women speak in this video, and the host never even says the word "woman" in his introduction. Nevertheless, whatever your position on this issue, you'll have to agree with the President of the Pro-Life Action League when he said "Hard Truth" is "so horrible that it's wonderful."

--Brother Russell

Goin' to Heaven on a Mule

twitted by Brother Russell.

Gettin' Ready Part 2

Although some people believe that their pets will be raptured up to heaven with them, why take the chance? And it's one less thing to worry about as you're getting ready for the Rapture:

Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, USA

A group of atheists and pet lovers who will look after your pet after you are raptured up:

You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.

We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each
Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward. Our network of animal activists are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus.

We are currently active in 22 states. Our representatives have been screened to ensure that they are atheists, animal lovers, are moral / ethical with no criminal background, have the ability and desire to rescue your pet and the means to retrieve them and ensure their care for your pet's natural life.

thanks to Brother T Tex for the link

Next time you're in Liberia or Nigeria

be sure to pick up some DVDs by Pastor Kenneth Okonkwo, particularly the 666 series.

Vice, whose intrepid reporter purchased these films during a recent trip to Monrovia and promises to put them on YouTube for the Western masses, proclaims

"retarded-hilarious-fucked-film-to-watch-while-everybody-in-the-room-is-high-as-shit-at-4-AM thing."

These guys may have discovered the Nigerian Estus Pirkle!

And if you're not going to be in Africa anytime soon, I imagine that major US cities with a Nigerian community would probably have a Nollywood video store.

What the 'Left Behind' Series Really Means

Classic essay from the always profound Joe Bageant: "What The Left Behind Series Really Means"

a snippet:

Fetishizing of the End Times as a spectacular gore-fest visited upon on the unbelievers is nothing new. But the sheer number of people gleefully enjoying the spectacle of their own blackest magical thinking made manifest by mass media is new. Or at least the media aspect is new. It reinforces the major appeal of these beliefs, the appeal being (to restate the obvious) that they get to pass judgment on everyone who disagrees with them, and then watch God kick the living snot out of them. It doesn’t get any better than that.

All my life I have seen these people and there are no more or less of them proportionately than before. It is simply that, A) they have built their own massive media, and B) educated middle class folks are noticing them now because they vote and a major political party is willing to violate the church-state boundary to get their votes. They have always been out here and always in about the same percentages. Think about that. It took me a while to accept it too. But George W. Bush learned the significance of this while campaigning for his daddy back when he was supposed to be at his National Guard meetings. Part of his job was to bring in the fundie Christian vote for Poppy. Come George’s turn to play poker for the presidency in that quadrennial rich man’s game we call elections, Sparky knew what cards to play. The effete John Kerry had not a clue. Still doesn’t. Neither did you. Right? Don’t feel bad. I even knew the great unwashed tribes of the faithful were out here, wrote spooky and panicked articles about it before the elections and still underestimated the capability of the death obsessed Christian right.

Gettin' Ready

and lookie - it's all happy white people!

If you are sure that you've led a good Christian life then you can expect to be raptured. This could happen at any time. What about the friends and relative you leave behind? You've Been Left Behind will automatically send out email messages telling everyone where you've gone. It might give them one last chance.

(hat tip to this guy who blogged about this a while back)

Sister Cindy Part 2

I can't help it. I love Sister Cindy, who I called The Best Street Preacher Ever in an earlier post. She manages to be outrageous and rile people up without crossing the line into abject hatefulness like, say, a Fred Phelps. I also think she's sincere, for what that's worth.

I saw her several times in the late 70s/early 80s when she was evangelizing college campuses across the US. I saw her more than hold her own against huge crowds of heckling heathens at the University of Texas campus, and I also had the pleasure of seeing her totally decimate the effete and sanctimonious Baptists at Baylor.

One of the last times I saw her I had a video camera with me which I had on loan from Cable Access of Austin. It was huge and unwieldy and I think we got more shots of our feet and the sky than of Cindy, but I hope to have a few good highlights posted soon. In the meantime, here is Cindy with her husband Jed on the Sally show from the late 80s, where she was just a little past her prime - I would argue she lost some of her edge when she got married. But you gotta love that purple outfit! My thanks to the person who originally shared this:

If you want more, I found a collection of stories of Cindy and Jed from an "alt fan" newsgroup from the early days of the internet. Here's a small sample:

I remember Jed & Cindy quite fondly because they were always so entertaining when they came to Oberlin College. Oberlin is a very liberal place (or was a few years ago, anyway), and virtually nobody took them seriously. Instead, everyone seemed to view B.J. & S.C. as a sort of vaudeville act. We'd all chant along with him when he said "LAAAAKES...OOOF...FI-YER!!!!" B.J. always seemed pretty disappointed in us, because Oberlin was actually founded as a missionary college, way back when.... We usually found it pretty easy to throw Brother Jed off-stride, usually by having two lesbians leap on each other and start making out, right there in the front row.

My most vivid memory is that of a contingent from Harkness (a vegetarian CO-OP) who came out and writhed naked in a circle around Sister Cindy.