This is particularly annoying when it comes to books on Scientology as most of the material was transcribed from L.R.H.’s Dictaphone recordings. How am I supposed to get rid of my Thetans, if there are whole axioms in the “Axioms of Scientology” and whole chapters in “Scientology 8 to 80″ that are missing?

Yes, I actually did notice (and enjoy) the lack of music throughout the movie. I especially liked how we could almost always hear the thump of the monster’s feet no matter where the characters were. That said, it’s not the first movie which didn’t have music.

Not a bad review. I agree with you on most everything you said, but I do think you underestimated the importance of the aesthics of video versus the film syntax. If you took the exact same story, script, and actors and shot it traditionally with edits out the wazzoo, and meticulously-planned action sequences (think Speilberg’s totally overrated War of the Worlds movie), and then ratcheted up the emotion with an overwrought score, I don’t think it would be nearly as involving. Sure it would work as a movie, but you probably wouldn’t remember it a week later. Maybe that’s a little gimmicky, or a lot gimmicky, but you can’t tell me that this movie would’ve been anywhere close to being as intense as it was if it wasn’t presented in the fashion that it was. There’s something to be said about having a movie that intense with no score the entire way through it.

Also, you’re not missing anything not reading that guy’s book. In fact, you’re probably better off for it. It’s mostly ramblings of a few interesting theories using dated (even for when it was written) and esoteric allusions to explain his points, and his chapters usually contradict themselves, a point he was proud of. Also, word is that he didn’t write it; it was actually a string of speeches that he gave that some of his students put into a book. LAZY. If you’re gonna write a book…. WRITE A BOOK.