Marshall Applewhite

Known for Acting

5/17/1931

Spur, Texas, USA

Biography

Marshall Herff Applewhite Jr. was an American cult leader who founded what became known as the Heaven's Gate religious group and organized their mass suicide in 1997, claiming the lives of 39 people.

Known For (10 credits)

6.8

Heaven's Gate: The Cult of Cults

2020

What started in 1975 with the disappearance of 20 people from a small town in Oregon, ended in 1997 with the largest suicide on US soil and changed the face of modern New Age religion forever. This four-part docuseries uses never-before-seen footage and first-person accounts to explore the infamous UFO cult that shocked the nation with their out-of-this-world beliefs.

Movie

Into the Zone: The Story of the Cacophony Society

2012

The story of the Cacophony Society. This documentary follows their evolution from the San Francisco Suicide Club - 1977, the exploits of SF Cacophony, their nexus creating the Burning Man Festival, to the irreverent Los Angeles Cacophony and beyond. This is the history of the most significant American underground cultural movement of our time! 'The Cacophony Society is, 'a randomly gathered network of free spirits engaged in the pursuit of experiences beyond the mainstream.' The credo is 'You May Already be a Member!' It's a non-religious, non-political, non-commercial disorganization of Dada klowns rewiring the neuro-circuits of humanity. The heart of Cacophony is deeply routed in kitsch, weird and nihilism.. It's subversion by way of absurdist pranks and fire!

6.0

Movie

Heaven's Gate: The Untold Story

1999

Documentary chronicling the history of the Heaven's Gate cult, including actual home video footage and interviews with surviving members.

5.7

Movie

Holy Smoke

1999

While on a journey of discovery in exotic India, beautiful young Ruth Barron falls under the influence of a charismatic religious guru. Her desperate parents then hire PJ Waters, a macho cult de-programmer who confronts Ruth in a remote desert hideaway. But PJ quickly learns that he's met his match in the sexy, intelligent and iron-willed Ruth.

Movie

Heaven's Gate Initiation Tape

1997

The initiation tape where cult leader talks to the camera. It was made in 1997 5 days before the suicides, trying to convince members to commit suicide in order to join a spaceship behind the comet, driven by his father, God/Te.

6.0

Movie

Heaven's Gate - Culticide in California

1997

Culticide in California explores the grim events surrounding the mass suicide of 39 members of the Heaven's Gate cult, led by Marshall Applewhite. This group held strange beliefs tied to the Hale-Bopp Comet. This documentary uses news footage to tell the story of how 39 people could all have such strong beliefs that they would chemically castrate themselves and die in the hope that a passing spaceship would pick them up.

Movie

Planet Earth About to Be Recycled: Your Only Chance to Survive Is to Leave with Us

1996

"We'll title this tape, "Planet Earth About to be Recycled - Your Only Chance to Evacuate is to Leave With Us." Planet Earth about to be recycled - Your only chance to survive or evacuate is to leave with us. Now, that's a pretty drastic statement - pretty bold - in terms of religion, in terms of anybody's intelligent thinking. To most people who would consider themselves intelligent beings, they'd say, "Well, that's absurd. What's all this doomsday stuff? What's all this prophetic, apocalyptic talk?" You know, intelligent human beings should realize that all things have their own cycle. They have their season. They have their beginning, they have their end. We're not saying that planet Earth is coming to an end. We're saying that planet Earth is about to be refurbished, spaded under, and have another chance to serve as a garden for a future human civilization."

Movie

Last Chance to Evacuate Earth Before It's Recycled

1996

"I'll try to just put it as briefly as I can and as clearly as I can. This planet is about to be recycled, refurbished, started over. That doesn't mean it's going to be destroyed, it doesn't mean it's the end of the world. But it does mean that it is going to be spaded under. Now, you can say, "Well, who are you to say that?" And I'll tell you who I am. As to whether or not you believe who I am is up to you. And whether or not you believe that this civilization is going to be recycled or refurbished is up to you. Now, the purpose of this tape is to warn you that this is about to happen, and that it's going to happen very soon."

Movie

Heaven's Gate Initiation Tape 1996

1996

The initiation tape where cult leader talks to the camera. It was made in September 1996 to explain their religious beliefs.

Movie

Beyond Human

1990

A series of 12 videos documenting the history of Heaven's Gate as told by the group's leader, Marshall Applewhite (known to his followers as Do). Applewhite explains the theology of the group, the reasons for the "exit" they were planning in the late 1990s. Applewhite explains the "students" of the group that were part of an intensive classroom training. He also explains the behaviors the students needed to "drop" to become a member of the Kingdom of Heaven.