Although absolutely nothing special, this documentary by Ray Laurent takes us inside the Church of Satan, founded in California in the 1960s by Anton Szandor LaVey, a former circus lion tamer. It has no narrator, and isn't really attempting to tell a story. It's more a series of interviews - with subjects either standing and talking or sitting down and talking - and therefore, it may be rather boring to some viewers. But the material does have a certain fascination and interest level going for it. At least, that was the case for this viewer. Laurent films the perspectives of various witnesses to this phenomenon: neighbors, flock members, opponents, etc., as well as the man himself.It's not overwhelmingly cinematic, but there are some decent camera angles and movements throughout; the lighting is also noteworthy. The main reason to watch is to see this vintage footage of Mr. LaVey, who comes across as a fairly charismatic, fairly easygoing individual. He based his "religion", if one can call it that, on the idea that humans are basically flawed anyway, and that these flaws could be celebrated and even encouraged. He felt that most organized religion spent too much time condemning people and insisting that they do / not do certain things.If nothing else, "Satanis: The Devil's Mass" is an amusing enough look at an alternative lifestyle, no matter what one may think of Mr. Lavey's personal beliefs. We are witness to some entertaining decadence: nude women on altars, ass whippings, the expected incantations and rituals, etc. Among the major topics covered are public reactions to the goings-on at LaVey's "Black House" in San Francisco in the 60s, the hassles with the law due to Mr. LaVey having a pet lion at his residence, and his response when confronted with the notion that he may be nothing more than a big phony.This is worth a look for curiosity seekers, provided they don't get their hopes up too high about it.Six out of 10.

Having spoken a well-read LaVey satanist in a Gothic pub one time, I figured I somehow understood what LaVey satanism was all about. It's just an expression of your hedonistic self. "Satan" is just a reference to self-indulgence and symbolic for the counter-cultural nature of this philosophy. It is just a way to separate the really enlightened individuals, who come to realize that self-indulgence is the highest form of existence. Or so he told me.Yet when I saw this video, I felt like LaVey was nothing but an adult with the mind of an adolescent, screwing around and inventing all sorts of generic rituals to incorporate into his "religion" just to shock the WASP environment and just to get off as his exhibitionist self with his friends and associates. This was not how I imagined LaVey to be and it really made me lose the last respect I still have for this guy.Considering this film is just a "shockumentary" filmed in the most boring way possible, it's hard to give any rating higher than a 2. The only reason I still give it a 2 instead of a 1 is the somewhat entertaining value of seeing a bunch of adults involved in the most ridiculous of rituals.

Anton LaVey was one of the most intelligent men that ever walked this earth.Satanism got a bad rap because everyone thought they were mutants that only lived to kill babies and listen to bad heavy metal. La Vey sets the record straight by pointing out it's 'natural' inclinations.La Vey came off as the showman that he is. One gets the feeling he loves putting people on.I thought seeing the other (Unknown) people that joined him was interesting. The fact that folks from all walks of life joined his movement.This really should be seen by those who truly believe in freedom of religion. This shows a side of one of the most misrepresented religions that ever existed.

This film swings the doors to the early days of the Church of Satan (CoS) wide open and was, for quite some time, the only interview footage of Anton Szandor LaVey available. (Scenes from this film are still in use today in news specials and documentaries, often times used as propaganda by some groups to turn people FROM Satanism. Most of the humor in this film will not be seen by the audiences that these groups are trying to influence.)This documentary interviews neighbors, friends and enemies of Anton LaVey and his church and helps shed some light (dark?) on origins of the philosophies that were codified in this unique religious movement. This ilm is not without it's tongue-in-cheek moments. During one of the opening scenes, one of a Satanic ritual, the participant's solemn mood is broken when the Priest of the ceremony (LaVey) says, "Okay, that's enough for that part." Perhaps it was the director's idea to show some incidental humor in the film.One thing that will probably strike everybody as strange is the sense of humor shown throughout the film by most of the people that are interviewed. Satanists are often seen as dour, humorless folk, but, as Anton LaVey points out in the film, a person without a sense of humor is intolerable at worst, and doesn't make a good Satanist. Humor abounds and stands in stark contrast to the rituals.Also seen, as noted before, are some of the enemies to LaVey's cause. There are interviews with Mormon missionaries and priests from the area and they are given a chance to voice their outrage towards this philosophy. This film is highly recommended as a documentary of a rather maligned religion. It can be a bit hard to find, but it is available.