Unholy (film)
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Unholy is an independent film about Nazi mysticism starring Adrienne Barbeau and Nicholas Brendon. It was written by Samuel Stephen Freeman and directed by Daryl Goldberg.
It was produced by the studio Sky Whisper Productions.
Following World War II, a U.S. classified military document was uncovered recounting events of a Nazi experiment of an occult nature being smuggled into an underground facility in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The website of the movies states that "We have provided the only known copy of a portion of that document. However, we strongly advise that you do not download it." The document can be found on the website.
The movie is allegedly based on fact. The movie was produced to document the facts surrounding the myth and the experiments. It is believed, however, that many feel that the film will trivialize the consequences surrounding these experiments and have begun rallying against its release.[citation needed] The film has still not been released.
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[edit] Synopsis
The film deals with a grieving mother, Martha (Barbeau), trying to uncover the terrifying secret that is jeopardizing her family. Along with her son (Brendon), Martha becomes entwined in a conspiracy involving a fabled witch, Nazi occultists and the U.S. government. The film is inspired by an actual military document found discussing elements of Nazi witchcraft that were smuggled into small town Pennsylvania following World War II by the U.S. administration.
[edit] The Myth
The Germanenorden was a secret society in Germany early in the 20th century. Formed by several prominent German occultists (witches) in 1912, the order, whose symbol was a swastika, taught its members of Nordic race superiority, anti-Semitism as well as occult, almost magical philosophies. Some say that the Deutsche Arbeiter-Partei (later the Nazi Party) when under the leadership of Adolf Hitler was a political front, and that the true goal of the Nazi Party was to seek out mystic powers such as supernatural strength and energy to exterminate all "inferior" races.
With the victory of the Nazi Party, the occult tradition was carried on in the Third Reich mainly by Hitler’s personal army, the SS. An occult research department was established in 1935 with SS Colonel Wolfram von Sievers at its head, and Occult research taking SS researchers as far as Tibet. National Socialism and the Third Reich represented a major attempt to re-establish a Culture based on the Laws of Nature against the entrenched forces of anti-Life.
With these powers in hand, Germany’s dominance would be indisputable. However, time ran out for the Nazi Party, and defeat at the hands of the allies was to have ended the research.
However, many believe that the research continues today by the last remaining superpower, and that the Nazi Occultists that sought to control the Laws of Nature continue to do so. Little evidence has been found to support these claims, but that which has been brought public often has been seemingly smuggled out without the intention of the government to make these documents and media public.
[edit] The "Reality"
In reality, Wolfram Sievers was a handsome high school drop-out who was the Managing Director of the SS Ahnenerbe (a "Research and Educational Society", that literally translated means 'something inherited from our ancestors'). During the war Sievers was the administrator in charge of the Ahenerbe's Military Scientific Institute. His Institute was responsible for grizzly experiments conducted at several concentration camps. However, the Ahnenerbe was primarily a meeting place for Nazi scholars and scientists who propagated the official party line; whether they were studying Ancient Rome (Dr. Franz Altheim), anthropology and racial studies in Tibet (Dr. Bruno Berger), studying runes in Sweden (Dr. Herman Wirth) or mystical and shamanic chants in Finland (Yrjo von Gronhagen). For a full and scholarly account of the Ahnenerbe see Heather Pringle's "The Master Plan: Himmler's Scholars and the Holocaust" (2006). It should be noted that Hitler was generally uninterested in the Ahenerbe's activities - at one point he went out of his way to refute an Ahnenerbe "scholar"'s claim that Germans were descended from Atlanteans at a 1936 Nazi rally (Pringle, 91-2 citing Sievers to Himmler, 24.09.1936, BA, NS 21/302).
However, in favour of the myth as recounted in the film Unholy, several members of the Ahnenerbe were indeed interested in the occult. Karl-Maria Wiligut is perhaps the best example: an ex-mental patient, he claimed descent from Thor and said he was the protector of ancient Germanic lore. Wiligut was known to slip into trances and speak in tongues, which impressed Himmler enough to give him an office at the Nazi RuSHA offices.
[edit] From the writer
The writer, Sam Freeman states that: "When I began to "probe" into the validity of the military document, I started my journey in small town Pennsylvania. At first, everyone looked at me as if I were the crazy one. But after I dug, and dug, and dug, some of the people I came across seemed to be even more confused than I was thought to be.
The first thing that stood out to me was an overwhelming presence of paranoia. Who were these select few afraid of? Not just normal scared, but "I'm going to inflict physical harm on you if you don't go away" scared. But then again, it's funny how the mere statement, "I may write a movie about your life," allows people to be a lot more willing to be thrown into harm's way. I admit, there was other cajoling involved, and what resulted were the most original, bizarre, and horrific tales I've ever heard. Was there really a witch, or how they put it, a "Necromancer" who resided underground? And could missing persons' reports really be chalked up to townsfolk being experimented on? Not only by a fabled witch, but more sadistically, by our own Government? Exactly how far would our administration go to understand the secrets of Hitler?
I know this all doesn't make sense now, but in my screenplay for Unholy, I tried to make the most sense out of it possible. I tried to tell these peoples' stories to the best of my ability. When the film went into production, the situation of things became even weirder. Not only did the two of the five townsfolk we interviewed for the film completely fall off the radar, the remaining three began to warn and threaten us against going through with their stories. I know there has been talk about higher-ups in the production being contacted by the government as well. I, for one, have not been threatened or contacted by our administration. And I have strongly urged others involved NOT to suggest they have been either.
Whether it's true or not, I'll reserve judgement.
I know this film is nothing like you have EVER seen before. I hope we've created something special for the genre fans, but more importantly, I hope we somehow conveyed the stories behind our friends back in Pennsylvania."
