Satanis: The Devil's Mass

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• 1970
• 1 hr 26 mins
• Documentary

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A profile of Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan that he founded in San Francisco, California in the 1960s is presented through interviews with Le Vay himself, the church's congregants (including his current (i.e., second) wife), and Christian religious leaders and people who live in the neighborhood of the church along with filmed sequences of the church's services. Even though Le Vay states indirectly that the church was created as a response to the repression of traditional Christianity, the rituals of the services are actually steeped in Christian fundamentals. Despite the use of the name "Satan" and its general implications, Le Vay also states that the church is not built on evil, but rather on embracing the sins, especially those of the flesh, that are inherent within humans, as opposed to Christianity which tries to hide and suppress them. The congregants talk about what attracted them to the church, with a small subset talking about the connection to witchcraft. Religious leaders and both John Q. and Jane Q. Public talk about what they can see of the church from the outside, including if what Le Vay has created is truly both a religion and a church. Le Vay's personal life is also discussed, including what can be seen as his eccentricities in the form of Togar, his pet lion.