Newsvine's Third Movie Discussion: Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple

So the IMDB page on Jonestown is here
and the Wikipedia page is here.

I'll write up my own review of this documentary sometime in the next few weeks
to give those who can't get the movie a jumping off point plus it might make debate
more interesting. I'd encourage others this time to post their own reviews
in addition to making comments.

This is the best review I've come across so far about the movie.

An excerpt:

Why did they do it?

In the nearly 30 years since more than 900 people died in what's been called the largest mass suicide-murder in history, the question of why so many otherwise seemingly rational human beings could be persuaded to drink cyanide-laced Kool-Aid in the jungles of Guyana has been one of the most haunting of our time.

The riveting documentary "Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple" comes as close as we are going to get to answering that question. Directed by the veteran Stanley Nelson ("The Murder of Emmett Till"), this calm and thorough film has just the right attitude and tone to deal with a most incendiary story.

Nelson and his team have done a considerable amount of work, tracking down numerous former temple members as well as the event's few survivors and getting everyone to talk on camera. The result is harrowing stuff, with one man breaking down as he describes what it was like to have his wife die in his arms.

Also very much to the film's advantage is how thoughtful and articulate these people are, both about why they joined the temple as well as the awful aftermath, making it clear that what they signed onto was not what the temple became.

If you want to know where I am coming from regarding religions, read here.

I received this movie and the Dixie Chicks movie today. I'll write reviews for both in the next week.

Who is going to join me in discussing these movies?

Oh the discussion of this Jonestown movie at my church in Frederick, Md. is this Sunday
so I need to get my act together. If you live anywhere near me you're welome
to come join me. Just email me for directions.

I'm writing up tonite a review of the Jonestown documentary. Below are some comments and questions to spark discussion of the film. I will keep this discussion going through the end of the summer.

Without cheating and looking at a dictionary how would you define what a cult is?

Do you understand why someone would join a group like Jim Jones' People's Temple, with his message of hope and racial harmony and justice?

Do you agree with this comment:

"Nobody joins a cult. Nobody joins something they think will hurtt hem. You join a religious organization, you join a political movement, you join with people you really like," one survivor says in the movie."

What lesson did you take away from this documentary?

This is this review I wrote

The Blogcritics posting of the Jonestown review

sparked this response:
#1 — July 17, 2007 @ 03:19AM — Danny Haszard
I applaud your blog!

I was raised in the apocalyptic Jehovah's Witnesses.
When I exited the Jehovah's Witnesses in 1992 EVERY Jehovah's Witness around me,was convinced in their heart of hearts that they would NOT see 2007 in "this old system"
Many had NO retirement plans for old age.

The Watchtower cult lies and people die!

Is anyone going to watch this movie for the discussion?

I'm clipping this to the Unitarian Universalist group, as it is at a UU church where I show these movies at and lead the discussions.

The September movie will be Dust and Deceit - the discussion will be here - and the October movie is Out of Balance, about how Exxon has manipulated the media re: climate change. Details here.