'Hail Satan?' Documentary Aims to Educate Viewers on the Satanic Temple

With Satan being regarded as one of the oldest, most evil figures in all of history, there are [...]

With Satan being regarded as one of the oldest, most evil figures in all of history, there are many preconceived notions about the objectives of The Satanic Temple. The upcoming documentary Hail Satan? aims to correct some of those misconceptions about the organization, which just released the above trailer. The film will debut in theaters on April 19th.

In the film, "Chronicling the extraordinary rise of one of the most colorful and controversial religious movements in American history, Hail Satan? is an inspiring and entertaining new feature documentary from acclaimed director Penny Lane (Nuts!, Our Nixon).

"When media-savvy members of the Satanic Temple organize a series of public actions designed to advocate for religious freedom and challenge corrupt authority, they prove that with little more than a clever idea, a mischievous sense of humor, and a few rebellious friends, you can speak truth to power in some truly profound ways. As charming and funny as it is thought-provoking, Hail Satan? offers a timely look at a group of often misunderstood outsiders whose unwavering commitment to social and political justice has empowered thousands of people around the world."

This is only the latest surge of publicity the organization received, with the debut of last year's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and a lawsuit placed against Netflix thrusting them into the spotlight.

The series depicted a statue of Baphomet which bore a striking resemblance to a statue that the organization commissioned and debuted. Shortly after the series debuted, Lucien Greaves, co-founder and spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, took to Twitter to point out the similarities between the statue depicted in the series and the monument created by his organization.

"It's deeply problematic to us," Greaves shared with SFGATE. "(But) even if that wasn't the case we'd be obligated to make a copyright claim because that's how copyright works."

The organization unveiled the nine-foot-tall statue in Detroit in 2015, which was intended to be displayed across from a statue of the Ten Commandments in Oklahoma. In the Netflix series, the monument appears in The Academy of Unseen Arts and represents connections to Satan himself, despite the real-life monument not intending to be modeled in the likeness of Lucifer. In that regard, Greaves feels as though the use of the Satanic Temple's monument could misinterpret what the icon is meant to represent and the "prominent use of this symbol as the central focal point of the school associated with evil, cannibalism, and murder."

The lawsuit was ultimately settled, with the stipulation that the series cite the temple in the series' credits, in addition to confidential stipulations of the settlement.

Check out Hail Satan? when it hits theaters on April 19th.

What do you think about this trailer? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!

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