Salvation!
Salvation!, subtitled Have You Said Your Prayers Today?, is a 1987 American black comedy film written and directed by Beth B (Elizabeth Beth Sipe).[1][2] The film stars Stephen McHattie as Reverend Randall, a charismatic yet avaricious televangelist, alongside Exene Cervenka as his protégé who rises to fame as a heavy metal Christian rock performer, and Viggo Mortensen in an early supporting role as a desperate factory worker involved in a kidnapping scheme targeting the reverend.[1][3] The narrative satirizes the commercialization of religion and the televangelist movement prevalent in 1980s America, depicting absurd intersections of faith, extortion, and rock music stardom as characters pursue wealth under the guise of spiritual salvation.[1][2] Produced independently on a modest budget, it features punk and new wave influences reflective of Beth B's background in underground cinema, blending dark humor with critique of prosperity gospel excesses.[3] Despite limited commercial success and mixed reception—evidenced by a 5.5/10 average user rating on IMDb from over 260 votes—the film has garnered niche appreciation for its prescient mockery of religious hypocrisy and media manipulation.[1][4]
Production
Development
The screenplay for Salvation! was co-written by director Beth B (Elizabeth Billingsley) and musician Tom Robinson, who drew from observations of the expanding influence of televangelism on American media during the 1980s.[5][6] For research, Beth B attended Reverend Jerry Falwell's Superconference with artist Jenny Holzer to study the operations and rhetoric of right-wing religious gatherings.[5] Emerging from Beth B's background in the New York No Wave movement—a punk-derived underground film scene emphasizing raw, experimental aesthetics and rejection of commercial norms—the project marked her first solo feature-length effort.[7][8] Production was led by Beth B and Michael H. Shamberg, embracing a low-budget, DIY ethos typical of independent cinema, with a total budget of $80,000.[5][6] Central creative decisions focused on crafting a black comedy that parodied the fusion of religious piety with commercial greed, incorporating motifs of sex, drugs, heavy metal music, and evangelical spectacle to expose hypocrisies in media-driven faith.[5][9] This approach anticipated cultural critiques of televangelism's excesses, positioning the film as a satirical lens on 1980s societal tensions between spirituality and materialism.[9]Filming
Principal photography for Salvation! occurred primarily in Staten Island, New York City, utilizing local settings to capture the film's gritty, working-class atmosphere.[10] The production adopted a low-budget approach characteristic of independent cinema, with director Beth B drawing from her roots in New York's No Wave movement to infuse the visuals with raw energy and stylistic experimentation, prioritizing satirical edge over conventional polish.[5][7] Shot on 35mm film, the 80-minute feature emphasized efficient on-set execution to maintain a brisk pace that amplified its black comedy tone, reflecting B's experience in underground filmmaking where resource constraints fostered innovative, unrefined aesthetics.[11][12] This technical restraint aligned with the film's B-movie ethos under B Movies production, using practical locations and minimal sets to evoke a sense of immediacy and absurdity without elaborate artifice.[13]Historical Context
1980s Televangelism Scandals
The PTL Club scandal involving Jim Bakker intensified in March 1987 following his resignation amid revelations of a $265,000 hush-money payment to church secretary Jessica Hahn to conceal a 1980 sexual encounter, which exposed underlying financial improprieties at the ministry. Subsequent federal investigations revealed that Bakker and associates had defrauded donors by overselling thousands of lifetime memberships to the Heritage USA theme park, promising free lodging that the facility could not accommodate, thereby bilking followers out of millions in contributions intended for ministry operations. Bakker was indicted on December 5, 1988, on 23 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy; he was convicted on October 6, 1989, on 24 counts and sentenced on October 24, 1989, to 45 years in prison and a $500,000 fine, though the sentence was later reduced to eight years upon appeal.[14][15] In parallel, Jimmy Swaggart's ministry unraveled in February 1988 when he was apprehended by police in a New Orleans motel with prostitute Debra Murphree, prompting his public confession on February 21, 1988, in the televised "I have sinned" address where he tearfully repented before millions of viewers. The Assemblies of God, Swaggart's denomination, defrocked him on April 8, 1988, imposing a three-month suspension from preaching and requiring supervised reinstatement, though he defied the terms and continued independently, leading to permanent expulsion. This followed Swaggart's prior role in exposing rival preacher Marvin Gorman's adultery in 1986, which had cost Gorman his Assemblies of God credentials, highlighting ironic hypocrisy in Swaggart's moral crusades against sexual sin.[16][17] These incidents exemplified wider patterns of financial exploitation in 1980s televangelism, where ministries like PTL and Swaggart's amassed empires worth hundreds of millions annually—PTL alone generated over $150 million in the mid-1980s—through relentless donor solicitations promising divine prosperity, yet diverted funds to leaders' luxuries such as Bakker's $600,000 air-conditioned doghouse and private jets. Empirical scrutiny, including Senate investigations into faith-based fundraising, traced such abuses to individual opportunists leveraging mass-media charisma and prosperity gospel rhetoric to extract voluntary but uninformed contributions from vulnerable believers, often retirees on fixed incomes, without inherent ties to Christian doctrine itself. While these scandals eroded public trust and prompted regulatory scrutiny, they contrasted with verifiable charitable outputs from other evangelical outlets, such as Billy Graham's association distributing millions in aid, underscoring that exploitation arose from personal moral failings rather than systemic religious causality.[18][15]Plot
Salvation! depicts the rise and fall of a fraudulent televangelism operation through a satirical lens. The central figure is Reverend Randall (Stephen McHattie), an ambitious and avaricious Southern preacher who broadcasts fiery sermons decrying urban immorality while pursuing personal gain. During a rainstorm in Staten Island, he engages in a brief sexual liaison with a seductive woman (Dominique Davalos), which leads to her accusing him of assault.[3][19] To exploit the notoriety and rebuild his fortunes, Randall partners with the accuser's sister, a troubled aspiring musician named Viva (Exene Cervenka), transforming her into a flamboyant heavy-metal Christian rock star. This venture attracts followers and funds through sensational performances blending religious fervor with rock spectacle, underscoring the commercialization of faith.[1][20] Parallel to this, Jerome St. Ambrose (Viggo Mortensen), a laid-off factory worker and alcoholic residing in a rundown trailer, intrudes into Randall's world after losing his job and seeking purpose amid personal despair. Jerome assumes a role in the scam, participating in staged salvation events and providing muscle, which draws his dysfunctional family into the orbit of deception. The film unfolds in three acts—"The Dream," "The Nightmare," and "Salvation!"—culminating in the unraveling of the enterprise amid violence, betrayal, and ironic reckonings.[21][22][23]Cast and Crew
Stephen McHattie leads the cast as Reverend Edward Randall, a charismatic televangelist. Dominique Davalos plays Lenore Finley, Exene Cervenka portrays Rhonda Stample, and Viggo Mortensen appears as Jerome Stample in one of his earliest film roles. Additional cast includes Rockets Redglare, Billy Bastiani, Hector Alcantara, and David Azarc.[3][24]| Role | Actor/Actress |
|---|---|
| Reverend Edward Randall | Stephen McHattie |
| Lenore Finley | Dominique Davalos |
| Rhonda Stample | Exene Cervenka |
| Jerome Stample | Viggo Mortensen |
Soundtrack
Track Listing
The Salvation! soundtrack is a compilation album featuring electronic, post-punk, and new wave tracks from prominent 1980s independent artists, many incorporating ironic or thematic references to religion and salvation that align with the film's satirical depiction of televangelism.[27] Released in 1988 by labels including Les Disques du Crépuscule, it prominently includes multiple contributions from New Order, such as instrumental themes and rhythmic pieces, alongside Cabaret Voltaire's industrial-inflected songs.[28] The album culminates in Dominique's "Destroy All Evil," a heavy-metal track serving as a narrative highlight tied to the character Rhonda's arc.[27]| No. | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Salvation Theme | New Order |
| A2 | You Can't Blackmail Jesus | Jumpin' Jesus |
| A3 | Twanky Party | Cabaret Voltaire |
| A4 | Touched by the Hand of God | New Order |
| A5 | Play the Beat | Dominique |
| A6 | Nightmare | The Hood |
| B1 | Let's Go | New Order |
| B2 | Salvation! Have You Said Your Prayers Today | The Hood |
| B3 | Come On | Arthur Baker |
| B4 | Sputnik | New Order |
| B5 | Jesus Saves | Cabaret Voltaire |
| B6 | Skullcrusher | New Order |
| B7 | Destroy All Evil | Dominique |