Holy Ghost People

I was the sound recordist for Peter Adair's film "The Holy Ghost People" and we spent one Summer and Fall filming their services each weekend. There is no question in my mind that most of the worshipers were completely genuine in their beliefs and actions. The few who weren't so sure of their faith were fairly obvious.

It was a powerful experience I will never forget it. I'm not about to become a Pentecostal Christian nor practice my belief the way they did, but I was was deeply affected by their sincerity and spirituality.

I have shot film all over the world and I have never experienced more friendliness and hospitality than we did on location in Scrabble Creek and Gauley Bridge, WVA in 1966.

YEARS ago on the internet archive, there were quite a number of videos (not film) set in the Appalachian mountains about religion, music and just general townspeople, but mostly it was about religion, and I found that INCREDIBLY fascinating, full of speaking in tongues, faith healing, baptisms, and other fun stuff (and a few boring things). They've disappeared (maybe because I gave some damning reviews to some of them), but they've always stuck out in my mind as some of the most unique vids ever on the archive. The Holy Ghost People is similar to these, maybe a wee bit more talky, grainy and non-structured then I would like, but there's still some stuff that got my attention. The interviews are interesting, and the actual speaking in tongues-hallelujah thing is really strangely bizarre. Would have liked to have known what happened to the preacher in the end.

This film puts the viewer inside the Holiness Church where poison-drinking, snake handling and speaking in tongues are a normal part of worship. I am an anthropologist and I use this as a teaching tool for my students when we discuss religion. I challenge them to explain what functions religion serves for these people and why they are more deviant than any other religion. it is excellent.

For some time - ever since I heard of this film and found it was highly recommended - I've been wanting to see it. As it came to an end, I found myself wondering what it was trying to achieve. Basically, we get to watch a recording of parts of a "Holiness" service in West Virginia. If you've ever been to a charismatic worship service most of this will be pretty familiar. Testimonies, speaking in tongues, dancing in the aisles, people asking for healing, people being "slain in the Spirit" and lots and lots of singing. Head to your local Pentecostal Church for an evening service. You'll see most of that. What you won't see at your typical charismatic church, of course, is snake handling. That's the hook here, but there's no snake handling until the last 15 minutes or so. The person leading the service gets bitten, but seems OK, and there's no follow-up to see if he stayed OK. Aside from being able to see the snake handling, actually attending a charismatic service is far more interesting than watching one.

Basically, I found myself with a question when this was over: what was the purpose of the film? It's described as a documentary, but it offered very little information. The opening of the film mentions that the movement bases itself on the signs recorded in Mark 16:9-20, but doesn't mention that Mark 16:9-20 is considered by most to be a later add-on to Mark's Gospel, but not part of the original text. Issues around "proof-texting" could have been mentioned here, but weren't. There's no real discussion of the "holiness" movement, no background, no critical evaluation. It's just a recording of a service. The snake handling gives it an edge, but frankly the edge is rather dull. 4/10

.....then by all means let me know directly at the above e-mail address so that I may arrange for a copy for you. This gritty, startling documentary by Peter Adair brings you so unnervingly close to the actual holy-ghost consciousness that you'll almost feel as though the people in question are breathing down your neck in all their shrieking, convulsive, snake-handling glory. What a spectacle! By the time the copperheads and rattlesnakes start flying about the room, you won't believe your eyes (or ears, for that matter) if you hadn't reached that point already. 'Holy Ghost People' is guaranteed to satisfy anyone's appetite for Mondo-movie-style bizarreness.