Should you subscribe to HBO.now? Yes, if only to watch “Going Clear”


I actually watch very little television. I prefer seeing movies in a theatre or reading a book. But when the HBO.now service became available to Apple TV owners I couldn’t resist subscribing because I really wanted to watch the documentary “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”. This was directed by Alex Gibney who also directed “Taxi to the Dark Side”. Which is another must-see film about the torture practices of the United States in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Frankly, even if you don’t plan on paying the $14.95 per month after the free month you should subscribe briefly if only to watch “Going Clear”. I thought I knew a lot about Scientology after reading numerous articles and books on the topic such as “Inside Scientology; The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion” by Janet Reitman. Yet the videos of L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology events (presumably private and many featuring actor Tom Cruise), really makes clear how warped the religion is. Of course, the tenets of Scientology aren’t really any weirder than Christianity or Islam but the fact it was created in my lifetime definitely makes it harder to accept. This documentary makes it abundantly clear that Scientology needs to be put out of business even sooner than the three major Abrahamic religions.