MovieChat Forums > The Veil (2016) Discussion > SLANDER HALL

SLANDER HALL

posted 8 years ago by meridiantait
6 replies | jump to latest

In 2010 I wrote a book horror novel called SLANDER Hall. In early 2012 it was published by the press Dark Continents. Having just seen The Veil, the similarities are far too ubiquitous for me to feel comfortable. Of course, nothing is overly original any more ... but I would be surprised if Robert Ben Garant had not read the novel before turning his eye to the script.

Anyway, here is the description. I guess I can say goodbye to this ever finding a home on film now: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13375921-slander-hall

[–] FieCrier 8 years ago

No gated community or spaceships in The Veil. No vagrants, worshippers, and thanatourists are to be found at the cult's former compound. Apparently the original plan had been for the cult leader to be more of a fundamentalist Christian, but they made him more of an occultist. Yaldabaoth and the seven archons apparently comes from Ophite and Sethian Gnostic Christians.

The general plotline of someone returning to their ancestral home, and being won over by the mystical powers of their ancestors, I think is a fairly common one.

[–] meridiantait 8 years ago

Seems you may have read only the opening paragraphs ...

Still - you do have a point. It was more of a knee-jerk reaction after my first viewing. The film crew aspect (and especially the dialogue) felt far too intimate.

And after a few days of contemplation I do see the premise/theme as fairly universal.

[–] inertiia 8 years ago

It felt to me like a version of Deaders without cenobites.

[–] DarleneHamilton 8 years ago

Well a reviewer says Slander Hall reminds him of a real life mass suicide by the Heavens Gate cult. So it seems more like this movie comes from that tragedy. Even down to the name of the cult

[–] meridiantait 8 years ago

My cult is called 'Soul Evolution.'

Parts of the dialogue in the film are directly lifted from my novel. And the basic crux remains the same: soul survivor returns with a documentary film in tow. As an indie-author there isn't a lot I can do about the situation ... but if I ever do become prolific it may be a good idea to lawyer up. :-)

[–] StephieVee 8 years ago

I thought it was heavily based on the Jonestown Massacre?