MovieChat Forums > The Dark Secret of Harvest Home (1978) Discussion > IMDB Has Wrong Description

IMDB Has Wrong Description

posted 18 years ago by torgo7
26 replies | jump to latest

I have loved this mini-series (and the novel) ever since I saw it when it came out on the TV. However, it upsets me that the description of it on this website states "devil worship, Satan etc". That is NOT what the film is about at all.

As those of us who have seen it know, it is about the ancient cult of Demeter with references to even earlier pagan Earth Mother rituals. It seems that anything which does not involve Christianity seems to be automatically associated in the popular mind with the devil, Satan or whatever label one wishes to use.

There were and probably still are many pagan cults which honor the Earth and realize that human life, indeed all life, is dependent upon her (or it). Villifying these harmless beliefs seems to be a knee jerk response to any non-Christian belief system.

Where the description gets cannibalism in reference to this movie is beyond me, unless I missed something. The idea of sacrificing a human to ensure a bountiful future runs across numerous continents, religions and time. Is it evil? That depends on one's point of view, especially if the human chosen to be sacrificed does so willingly. Christianity is but a sanitized version of this.

Just had to get it out of my system. I wish whoever writes the taglines for IMDB would re-do the description to more properly reflect the particular cult in this most interesting mini-series. The late Betty Davis truly shines in this production. This amazing woman kept working as long as she physically could and never lost her acting ability with age.

And that's my rant of the day!

[–] daniel-kyle 13 years ago

"Sacrificing a human---is it evil?---depends on one's point of view"
Can we sacrifice you? Are you a fair-haired virgin? And willing?
Though such practices have been part of human history, along with blood-letting and witch burning, a connection should not be made to any modern ecological stance. That said, eliminating about 6 Billion people WOULD go a long way to preserving the Earth (Gaia). But killing people won't make the crops grow better. An accurate description of this Pagan belief WILL show what a fallacy it is.

[–] morgana-31 11 years ago

The idea of sacrificing a human to ensure a bountiful future runs across numerous continents, religions and time. Is it evil? That depends on one's point of view, especially if the human chosen to be sacrificed does so willingly. Christianity is but a sanitized version of this.

I don't think so.
Jesus 's sacrifice had nothing whatsoever to do with making the crops grow. It was for forgiveness of sins.

It you're going for a "6 of 1, half a dozen of the other" comparison there, then what right have you to criticise the pagan earth mother worship = satanism concept?

(Just for the record there is a school of thought that says anything not of God must be of satan. But if we're going to split hairs, then no, it's a different form of paganism.)

Love is never having to say you're sober.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jonbecker03 10 years ago

i'm not saying that human sacrifice is "evil." i'm just saying that these days it's socially unacceptable, even if the person willingly allows himself or herself to be sacrificed, because the ritual sacrifice of individuals DOESN'T ensure a bountiful future. if there is anything that is "politically correct" wherever one goes on the face of the earth, it is human sacrifice.
the incas sacrificed many people in order to ensure that the sun would rise the next day. i don't see this as justifiable, even if some or all of their victims were "voluntary." there is no connection between killing people and the rising of the sun. the sun would have arisen the next day even if no one had been killed. and of course the same is true in instances where people were slaughtered in order to insure "that the crops would grow."
Jonathan Becker

[–] Writ_in_Water 10 years ago

If anything, this miniseries (and the source material) "vilifies" those harmless earth-worshippers you respect so much: it portrays them as a sadistic cult of murderers who tear out people's eyes and tongues, burn teenagers alive, and in short, eliminate anyone who threatens their Bacchic rituals (even other women). Basically it's a Satanic-cult story under another name. A lot of hatred and paranoia toward women (and paganism) in here.

[–] avadonella-697-251567 9 years ago

You are correct and I would have the same rant. Let me first say I had no business seeing this miniseries at 9 years old, I know it scared the crap out of me, but I also saw the Wicker Man as a young kid, another movie I shouldn't have watched, but I loved it also. There is no satanic stuff in it (hell I knew that as a kid), there is no cannibalism, but there is sacrifice. I think the reason why the guy was they knew his wife would flip out and kill herself, and the new folks were included to bring new blood to the area