“Secret Science and Bizarre Beliefs”: Even More Films from The Moody Institute of Science July 25, 2009

Event: Oddball Films presents “Secret Science and Bizarre Beliefs”: Even More Films from The Moody Institute of Science, a screening of crackpot classroom films from the fringes of far out religious science featuring; Blind as a Bat, The Electric Eel, Facts of Faith, Freedom in Flight, The Mystery of Time, Snowflakes and more. Plus! the 1930s quack science silent short Sun Healing: The Ultra Violet Way with Life Lite.
Venue: Oddball Films 275 Capp Street, San Francisco
Date: Saturday, July 25, 2009
Admission: $10.00 Limited Seating RSVP Requested to: 415.558.8117 or [email protected]
Web: http://www.oddballfilm.com/oddballftp/Moody_Pr.pdf

Still More Films From the Moody Institute of Science!
“Secret Science and Bizarre Beliefs”
Screens at Oddball Films

On Saturday, July 25th at 8:30PM Oddball Films presents “Secret Science and Bizarre Beliefs”: Still More Films from the Moody Institute of Science at Oddball Films, 275 Capp St, San Francisco. Also screening will be the 1930s quack science silent short Sun Healing: The Ultra Violet Way with Life Lite. Admission is $10.00 RSVP(Limited Seating). RSVP to: [email protected] or 415-558-8117.

“Secret Science and Bizarre Beliefs”: Still More Films from the Moody Institute of Science reprises our 2006 and 2008 screenings with still more religious cult science shorts from the Moody Institute of Science “Educational” Films Division.
“Secret Science and Bizarre Beliefs” is a mind-boggling collection of 1950s-1970s crackpot science films brought to you by the world’s strangest bible science film producers, The Moody Institute of Science. Evangelist Erwin “The Million Volt Man” Moon stars in many of these eye-popping classroom science films as he inhales helium, runs electricity through his body, makes metal float in space, experiments with electric eels and preaches god’s creationist “intelligent design” ideology.

Moon got his start in 1938 when he began traveling as a full-time as evangelist demonstrating his “Sermons From Science” under the auspices of The Moody Bible Institute. The next year, with the help of businessmen from San Francisco, a SFS pavilion was built at the 1939 San Francisco World's Fair. For nine months, Moon presented up to eight demonstrations each day, seven days a week. The crowds were so large that demonstrations began hours prior to the scheduled time because early arrivals had filled the auditorium while others waited outside. With more than two tons of equipment, most of it homemade, Moon performed such wonders as frying an egg on a cold stove, lighting a bulb on his bare fingers, and allowing one million volts of electricity to smash through his body.

Following the presentation he asked, "Can you believe these miracles are the result of chance or accident? Or are they part of a divine pattern?" In 1945 The Moody Institute of Science was founded with a two-pronged evangelistic approach incorporating films and live demonstrations.
Operating on a shoestring budget, The Moody Institute of Science staff would remodel war surplus material and invent and build the equipment to perform live demonstrations and produce films. More than 6 million people have seen their live demonstrations at the 1939 San Francisco World's Fair, the 1964-65 New York World's Fair, the 1967 Montreal World's Fair and many more fairs and expositions.
Their classroom science films were marketed to schools and churches across the United States and their biblical subtext hit the viewer over the head with the proverbial hammer of faith, far predating today’s “debate” on intelligent design.

Featuring:

Blind as a Bat (1956, Color), The Moody Science bat truck goes on location to study the secrets of bat navigation. Their in-house “mammal abuse experiments” show us the science of bat radar.

Mystery of Time (1957, Color) Watch Erwin Moon demonstrate the theory of relativity-in 15 minutes!

Freedom in Flight (1972, Color). Man’s Law or Natural Law? This thinly veiled promotion of aviation rules compares the rules of man to the laws of god. Flying a Beechcraft Twin Bonanza plane around the world Irwin Moon and son guide us through macabre audio of a pilot losing direction in mid air and crashing, a surreally blindfolded gymnast totally losing his sense of direction in an equilibrium experiment, an interview with astronaut John Glenn and the mysterious story of the Lady Be Good, the WWII bomber lost in the desert. The inevitable end sums up the film’s point of view as Moon honks: “It is only because of these laws, both man made and god given and because of man’s submission to them that he has been able to make meaningful progress in his search for true freedom both in the air and in his personal life.”

The Electric Eel (1954, Color) Irwin Moon shows us the electric eel and demonstrates its amazing abilities to shock fish for food and to use "radar" to find them. Don’t miss the scene where he illuminates a florescent light tube using his eel and the sneer on his face when he shocks his (real-life) employee assistants!

Facts of Faith (1956, Color) Mind-blowing science experiments showcase Moon running thousands of volts of god’s creation though his entire body. A stunner!

Snow (1956, Color) “Snow, given to us by the hand of god” Brilliant Kodachrome snowflake crystals. God made these!

More! A rare silent clip of the quack science Sun Healing: The Ultra Violet Way with Life Lite.

For a primer on the Moody Institute of Science read: "Something Different in Science Films": The Moody Institute of Science and the Canned Missionary Movement by Marsha Oberon and Skip Elsheimer, The Moving Image - Volume 7, Number 1, Spring 2007, pp. 1-26 University of Minnesota Press.

Official Website: http://www.oddballfilm.com/oddballftp/Moody_Pr.pdf