I knew nothing of this man Malachi Martin when I looked into watching Hostage to the Devil but I enjoy a good exorcism story as much as the next and going into this I believed it to be a straight up movie and not actually a documentary on the gentleman's life.
It wasn't actually until I came on IMDB some 20 minutes into the film to check out previous reviews of this documentary to see if this was one of those fake 'spoof' type of affairs and while I I believe this person existed now, throughout the film I still got this air of inauthenticity about it.
Perhaps it was because the film was too pro-Malachi and his beliefs to establish a balanced view of the man with just one dissenter who I felt was made out to be a bitter dying man because Martin allegedly started an affair with his wife.
It was an absorbing watch however and a curious look at what many 'rational' minded group of people could just have easily labelled Martin as a charismatic con artist.
12 Reviews
Ok
Jessicanu942 August 2018
The controversial figure of (former?) priest Malachi Martin would had been, and still would be an easy topic for a good documentary. This is not.
weller7926 May 2017
To be clear, 99% of the doc consists in interviews to disciples, demonologists, "religious demonologists", occult investigators, reality TV pseudo-stars. Except for a dying Robert Kaiser, there is no contradictory in it. With such ingredients, you can hardly have a decent result.
The criticism Martin faced during his life is barely mentioned, but never explained nor contextualized. His most bizarre theories and revelations are not mentioned, let alone discussed or rebutted. His contradictions are left out. Disputed events of his religious and private life are either completely left out or (more rarely) vaguely hinted, but never deepened.
Ultimately, Malachi is a fascinating and ambiguous figure who would deserve an in-depth, more neutral, less sensationalist movie. This one, is just a missed opportunity.
The criticism Martin faced during his life is barely mentioned, but never explained nor contextualized. His most bizarre theories and revelations are not mentioned, let alone discussed or rebutted. His contradictions are left out. Disputed events of his religious and private life are either completely left out or (more rarely) vaguely hinted, but never deepened.
Ultimately, Malachi is a fascinating and ambiguous figure who would deserve an in-depth, more neutral, less sensationalist movie. This one, is just a missed opportunity.
Warning. Don't attempt to view this without your skeptic's glasses.
purrlgurrl21 January 2017
I'm a former Catholic who left the Church not long after reaching my teens. Watching this reminded me why I left, although the film is not really about Catholicism per se but seems to have been meant to capitalize on the current craze for the paranormal – ghosts, time travelers, ESP, demonology, etc.
The film features Catholic clergy and paranormal investigators as well as a couple of people who profited from its subject, the late, former Jesuit priest and well-known exorcist, Malachi Martin. It also contains some old video clips and audio recordings of Martin as well as of some purported exorcisms (but nothing at all juicy or substantive is offered up in these).
With every word uttered by Martin in the film (surely, he kissed the Blarney Stone), I became more convinced he was just a charming, eloquent con man who preyed on gullible Catholics uncomfortable with changes in the Church and having difficulty aligning their Catholic world view with the rapid advances in science and technology in the last half of the 20th century.
Besides, there's always been a large measure of show business in Catholic rites and rituals. After all it was the only entertainment available for the impoverished masses throughout most of European history. As its ultimate carnival act, exorcism had it all -- the terror of the pit, the horrors of possession, and the thrill and exaltation of salvation. Hollywood didn't invent but merely regurgitated a tried and true horror formula that was around for centuries.
Anyway, Malachi Martin surely was no saint, as some in the film seem to believe, but only a carny barker who was good at getting people into his tent.
The film features Catholic clergy and paranormal investigators as well as a couple of people who profited from its subject, the late, former Jesuit priest and well-known exorcist, Malachi Martin. It also contains some old video clips and audio recordings of Martin as well as of some purported exorcisms (but nothing at all juicy or substantive is offered up in these).
With every word uttered by Martin in the film (surely, he kissed the Blarney Stone), I became more convinced he was just a charming, eloquent con man who preyed on gullible Catholics uncomfortable with changes in the Church and having difficulty aligning their Catholic world view with the rapid advances in science and technology in the last half of the 20th century.
Besides, there's always been a large measure of show business in Catholic rites and rituals. After all it was the only entertainment available for the impoverished masses throughout most of European history. As its ultimate carnival act, exorcism had it all -- the terror of the pit, the horrors of possession, and the thrill and exaltation of salvation. Hollywood didn't invent but merely regurgitated a tried and true horror formula that was around for centuries.
Anyway, Malachi Martin surely was no saint, as some in the film seem to believe, but only a carny barker who was good at getting people into his tent.
Nothing new here ...
mastrait25 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Same old crap. Why oh why did I waste my time watching this? Filled with old school priests who believe in the devil and exorcism, paranormal "investigators" who also seem to be into exorcisms, pseudo-psychologists who are into exorcisms, former book agents of the long dead exorcist, who believe in exorcisms.
If you've ever watched any cheap paranormal TV show, you'll recognize many of them.
And guess what? They keep you hanging on till the ending to find out what finally happened to the centerpiece of the documentary, the former priest, Father Martin.
Save yourself time, skip to the last 10 minutes, you'll find out. And you won't have to hear the cries of "sainthood" by his 10 loving followers.
If you've ever watched any cheap paranormal TV show, you'll recognize many of them.
And guess what? They keep you hanging on till the ending to find out what finally happened to the centerpiece of the documentary, the former priest, Father Martin.
Save yourself time, skip to the last 10 minutes, you'll find out. And you won't have to hear the cries of "sainthood" by his 10 loving followers.
Possesed by bordem
thomasmorganlee12 January 2021
The story and topic have the potential to fule an interesting documentary.
This however is a painful mess to watch.
Bad editing
Bad sound design
Bad pacing
Bad narrative flow
Save yourself 90mins and don't bother with this. Hopefully someone will make a proper doc about this in future.
riveting
Festie_722 August 2019
Totally engrossed from the get go... if you've had any personal experience with evil. I like the quote early on about how "words don't teach, experience teaches."
Applicable in all arenas of life but esp. in this one. I have had encounters with evil forces, wrestled with them, and rejected them. This was very affirming for me. Just because you haven't had experiences like these, does NOT give you the right to discount them, or sadly put down others who have had them. This is not sensationalized entertainment, it is real I tell you whether you like it or not like he said. If you haven't experienced this stuff, I'm happy for you. Not a part of your story. But for a small percentage of us it is very real
Fascinating!
gebremenfeskidus8 June 2017
This is a fascinating documentary about Father Malachi Martin, who authored the incredible book by the same name. The book was so good that I was afraid this documentary wouldn't live up to its name. But it surpassed my expectations. I loved this documentary, but please make sure to read the book as well.
An interesting documentary on a very brilliant man who was still flawed
HBelloc21 February 2019
It's like one of the paranormal lay assistants said in documentary: You will either believe or not believe. All he can do is get the word out.
My review is written as a practicing Catholic who knows Church history well. The Jesuits indeed took a turn for the worse leading up to and post Vatican 2. Malachi was right to be disillusioned with the 12yrs it takes to become a Jesuit, only for it to succumb to leftist ideology and marxist indoctrination with "liberation theology". Vatican 2 opened the floodgates to all kinds of clerical and liturgical abuses. Fast forward to present day, and you know the smoke of Satan is suffocating the heirarchy.
I can't speak to his detractors like the Time magazine correspondent who had a lifelong ax to grind against Malachi. What I do know is that the seal of the priesthood is indelible, so while not living in the Jesuit community post 1965, he still has the authority to conduct exorcisms, if given approval by the local bishop.
If you are a true believer of Christ, you absolutely cannot deny the existence of Satan and the fact that people are afflicted with demonic possession. Christ exorcised many demons on this earth and he gave his disciples the authority to do so in his name to help those suffering. But at the end of the day, supernatural or preternatural (demonic) posession is still rare. The devil doesn't have to resort to those measures. It's easy enough im post modern culture to ensare others in evil activity in daily choices we make to be selfish and put ourselves instead of neighbor and God first.
My review is written as a practicing Catholic who knows Church history well. The Jesuits indeed took a turn for the worse leading up to and post Vatican 2. Malachi was right to be disillusioned with the 12yrs it takes to become a Jesuit, only for it to succumb to leftist ideology and marxist indoctrination with "liberation theology". Vatican 2 opened the floodgates to all kinds of clerical and liturgical abuses. Fast forward to present day, and you know the smoke of Satan is suffocating the heirarchy.
I can't speak to his detractors like the Time magazine correspondent who had a lifelong ax to grind against Malachi. What I do know is that the seal of the priesthood is indelible, so while not living in the Jesuit community post 1965, he still has the authority to conduct exorcisms, if given approval by the local bishop.
If you are a true believer of Christ, you absolutely cannot deny the existence of Satan and the fact that people are afflicted with demonic possession. Christ exorcised many demons on this earth and he gave his disciples the authority to do so in his name to help those suffering. But at the end of the day, supernatural or preternatural (demonic) posession is still rare. The devil doesn't have to resort to those measures. It's easy enough im post modern culture to ensare others in evil activity in daily choices we make to be selfish and put ourselves instead of neighbor and God first.
Brilliant
georginaplaysted12 July 2020
I just recently watched 'Hostage to the Devil' and was thoroughly glued to the screen
It's brilliantly researched and responsibly portrayed for the viewer to receive an unbiased representation of the subject matter
Congratulations to the entire creative team that put this production together 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
It's brilliantly researched and responsibly portrayed for the viewer to receive an unbiased representation of the subject matter
Congratulations to the entire creative team that put this production together 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Ephesians 6:12
take2docs13 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Within our postmodern society, it's become trendy and cool to identify oneself as a Satanist, either in some self-perceived sophisticated sense or as an avowed atheist, which by extension would require denying the existence of a spirit world and within it intelligent evil. Little do these ones know or care to know. They imagine themselves as being above such 'superstitious nonsense' and perhaps even have taken on the image of Baphomet as their mascot of sorts, a figure meant to represent their Goth/nihilistic lifestyles and metaphysical ignorance. Enter Malachi Martin's world, in which the Devil is real and very much alive!
For anyone unfamiliar with Martin, the documentary provides some background info on the former Jesuit. He was born in Kerry, Ireland in 1921, and was virtually destined to become a theologian and Catholic priest. This fascinating man of God was multilingual and was even said to have assisted in translating the Dead Sea Scrolls. A highly intelligent clergyman, Malachi Martin would go onto leave Rome in 1964 to become an American citizen and to pursue a writing career as an exorcist. Upon settling in the US, the ex-Jesuit, we are told, had little money and at first had to support himself by working menial jobs (dishwasher, cabbie) in order to make ends meet.
I should point out at this point that I highly respect the late Malachi Martin and am one who firmly believes in the supernatural (i.e, phenomena that cannot be rationally explained away by scientific materialism). I do not say this based entirely on my biblical upbringing (religious training that has never really left me). Although I wouldn't describe myself as Christian, I don't think a person needs to be one in order to accept the reality of a spirit realm or to acknowledge the truth of what scripture has to say on the matter, as with the verse referred to in the header for this review.
I suppose it all depends on one's worldview as to whether this movie would be appreciated or not. As one who had read and enjoyed the book of the same title prior to viewing this documentary, it was with great anticipation that I sat down to watch this.
Although the movie could have been better, overall it does not disappoint. The doc contains various TV and audio clips of Martin speaking during his days as an author/exorcist, as well as appearances by John Zaffis, Lorraine Warren and -- a special treat for me -- the late, late-night radio host, Art Bell, whose show I used to be a regular listener of back in the day.
Really now, who could not have liked Malachi Martin? Here was a refined intellectual, mild and soft-spoken, personable and accommodating; a man of remarkable depth and humility. In the movie, we're introduced to a former intelligence agent who was a close friend of Malachi's. This guy gladly gave of his time and voluntarily would chauffeur Martin to various places he needed to be. The scenes that feature this particular interviewee are some of the best. Yet every person, saint or otherwise, has their critics. Heck, if Christ himself was crucified, then it should be of no surprise that the rest of us, as imperfect humans, would have our own fair share of critics, too. In the movie, which is pretty objective and fair in its treatment of its subject, we meet another former Jesuit priest by the name of Robert Blair Kaiser, author of "Clinical Error." What to make of what he has to say here about Martin? (Truth-teller or character assassin?) The personalities of Martin and Kaiser could not have been more different: the former, introspective and theologically serious; the latter, somewhat cynical and seemingly frivolous in faith, akin to those laughable Catholic priests in "Religulous" -- pseudo/nominal sky pilots and apparent aftereffects of the Second Vatican Council. According to the semi-snickering Kaiser, Martin was primarily if not solely in it for the money and fame that came from the lecture circuit and publishing contracts. As if these negative comments weren't enough, Kaiser goes onto relate quite the shocker, which if true would help to explain why this alleged cuckold comes across sounding so vindictive and smeary as he does in the movie.
It must be noted that HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL is not based on the 1976 book of the same title, in that not one of the five case studies presented in print is highlighted let alone even mentioned here. As a professional penman, there can be no doubt that Martin was a gifted writer (granted, if not a wee verbose and a bit too ornate at times for my liking). I've read the book repeatedly and can say that it is both an absorbing and insightful work and well-worth the patience it takes to complete. It has a lot of interesting things to say pertaining to modern-day exorcism, as well as to the reasons for the decline in belief in the Devil, not only among the laity but surprisingly and sadly among the clergy, also.
My favorite part in "Hostage to the Devil" is a lyrically penned passage that has Martin speaking with a Father Gerald, an aged and frail fellow, and putting to the father the question if he has any regrets being a priest. The response Malachi receives is heartbreaking. Sad also is what would become of Martin, in his experiencing a premature demise. Was Malachi pushed off a ladder? A physical one, yes, but I think many would agree, certainly not Jacob's!
For anyone unfamiliar with Martin, the documentary provides some background info on the former Jesuit. He was born in Kerry, Ireland in 1921, and was virtually destined to become a theologian and Catholic priest. This fascinating man of God was multilingual and was even said to have assisted in translating the Dead Sea Scrolls. A highly intelligent clergyman, Malachi Martin would go onto leave Rome in 1964 to become an American citizen and to pursue a writing career as an exorcist. Upon settling in the US, the ex-Jesuit, we are told, had little money and at first had to support himself by working menial jobs (dishwasher, cabbie) in order to make ends meet.
I should point out at this point that I highly respect the late Malachi Martin and am one who firmly believes in the supernatural (i.e, phenomena that cannot be rationally explained away by scientific materialism). I do not say this based entirely on my biblical upbringing (religious training that has never really left me). Although I wouldn't describe myself as Christian, I don't think a person needs to be one in order to accept the reality of a spirit realm or to acknowledge the truth of what scripture has to say on the matter, as with the verse referred to in the header for this review.
I suppose it all depends on one's worldview as to whether this movie would be appreciated or not. As one who had read and enjoyed the book of the same title prior to viewing this documentary, it was with great anticipation that I sat down to watch this.
Although the movie could have been better, overall it does not disappoint. The doc contains various TV and audio clips of Martin speaking during his days as an author/exorcist, as well as appearances by John Zaffis, Lorraine Warren and -- a special treat for me -- the late, late-night radio host, Art Bell, whose show I used to be a regular listener of back in the day.
Really now, who could not have liked Malachi Martin? Here was a refined intellectual, mild and soft-spoken, personable and accommodating; a man of remarkable depth and humility. In the movie, we're introduced to a former intelligence agent who was a close friend of Malachi's. This guy gladly gave of his time and voluntarily would chauffeur Martin to various places he needed to be. The scenes that feature this particular interviewee are some of the best. Yet every person, saint or otherwise, has their critics. Heck, if Christ himself was crucified, then it should be of no surprise that the rest of us, as imperfect humans, would have our own fair share of critics, too. In the movie, which is pretty objective and fair in its treatment of its subject, we meet another former Jesuit priest by the name of Robert Blair Kaiser, author of "Clinical Error." What to make of what he has to say here about Martin? (Truth-teller or character assassin?) The personalities of Martin and Kaiser could not have been more different: the former, introspective and theologically serious; the latter, somewhat cynical and seemingly frivolous in faith, akin to those laughable Catholic priests in "Religulous" -- pseudo/nominal sky pilots and apparent aftereffects of the Second Vatican Council. According to the semi-snickering Kaiser, Martin was primarily if not solely in it for the money and fame that came from the lecture circuit and publishing contracts. As if these negative comments weren't enough, Kaiser goes onto relate quite the shocker, which if true would help to explain why this alleged cuckold comes across sounding so vindictive and smeary as he does in the movie.
It must be noted that HOSTAGE TO THE DEVIL is not based on the 1976 book of the same title, in that not one of the five case studies presented in print is highlighted let alone even mentioned here. As a professional penman, there can be no doubt that Martin was a gifted writer (granted, if not a wee verbose and a bit too ornate at times for my liking). I've read the book repeatedly and can say that it is both an absorbing and insightful work and well-worth the patience it takes to complete. It has a lot of interesting things to say pertaining to modern-day exorcism, as well as to the reasons for the decline in belief in the Devil, not only among the laity but surprisingly and sadly among the clergy, also.
My favorite part in "Hostage to the Devil" is a lyrically penned passage that has Martin speaking with a Father Gerald, an aged and frail fellow, and putting to the father the question if he has any regrets being a priest. The response Malachi receives is heartbreaking. Sad also is what would become of Martin, in his experiencing a premature demise. Was Malachi pushed off a ladder? A physical one, yes, but I think many would agree, certainly not Jacob's!
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