Saw the doco last night at the theatre in Whanganui. Michael Organ was sitting a couple of rows behind us and was talking the whole way through the movie. Weird hearing the echo of his voice behind us and on screen. The only time they were silent was during the funeral part. It was a weird experience having him there and then walking out onto Victoria Ave and feeling like you are still in the film.
Was so thrilled to be at the Mister Organ premiere but my heart ached for you during the Q and A. It sucks that coming home is not what you hoped. I hope that you are okay and taking care of yourself.
Loved the documentary. Was equal parts gut wrenching, hilarious, strange and interesting. Didn't stop thinking about the key for days! Well done David!
jeezuz fuck David......I got to Mr Organ (the movie that is) on Friday night and had quite a visceral reaction - this 'thing' (can't call it a person) is as evil as he is banal - and yes, the banality of evil is a thing it seems. I was in such a relationship about 20 yrs ago, and that person came close to killing me - by driving me to a suicide attempt - which thankfully failed. I have never been more terrified and alone before or since - and I lived with a physically abusive father. What my partner subjected me to for 12 mths was psychological torture and misery. Their previous relationship had involved destroying that partner also - who was a much loved local GP - and who sold the practise and the loved home in their life community to leave NZ for a few years. That other ex partner is now back in NZ, but I hear did not ever fully recover from the exposure and relationship. So Mr Organ rang so many familiar bells for me I was pretty much in shock through the whole movie! Narcisstic Sociopath with Dissociative Disorder is what my therapist gave as a diagnosis for my ex. And this fits the person you came to know also, I would think. You will have a bit of shaking off of the shit to do, David, but you will shake it off. The fact that it takes so freaking long to do that is testament to the evil, or NSDD , individual that you were exposed to over a fairly long period of time. If I could give you a survivor's hug I would. And as for cats - my beautiful black Arabian Mau cat by the name of LIcorice, who was missing for eight days, returned to me last week! Dry and clean and uninjured but starving thin and desperately hungry and terrified. I would say, at a guess, that she got locked into someone's garage before they went away somewhere..... :-( She is slowly recovering from the trauma and the starvation and lack of water - but my vet is astonished....that she survived that long without food and water is miraculous enough, but without her daily blood pressure and anti seizure medications, after three/four days the vet encouraged me to let go of hope, because a seizure or stroke would likely have finished her off at that point. But no. She survived the odds, Albeit with the loss of one of her lives ... :-/ She is a little miracle and I sure do wish I could send you pic of her - she is cat royalty and steadfastness personified! And I am soooo happy she came back home!
I saw it last night (Lighthouse Petone) and it was PACKED! Had to go to Petone because the Cuba St one was booked out.
Loved it. It featured two of the most engaging and fascinating people I have ever seen interviewed - I’m terrible with names but I’ll refer to them as the karate man and the abandoned institution man. I feel like they each deserve their own films that could be made without paying any soul tax at all. I actually laughed til I cried and snort/choked with karate man to the point that the woman next to me remarked to her partner “she has lost it”.
Abandoned institution man was the perfect note to end on and his perspective was so genuine and spot on. I wish him all the happiness in life. And you too!!
Reading that I've missed out on seeing the pets of webworm because I'm an Android user is the first time I've ever regretted my phone choices! Congrats on the success of Mister Organ and well done for managing to get a Webworm out on such a busy week!
Dearest David, thanks for putting our picture up - meeting you twice in one week was an absolute highlight and you really are as lovely and kind in person as you are on Webworm! Plus, your outfits are always perfection 😍
We’re telling absolutely everyone to go see your film, it truly is a masterpiece & leaves you thinking about it for days... especially all the victims & poor Jillian. I also loved all the interviewees and Simon’s (?) art is just AMAZING! I want to get my hands on some of their pieces so badly.
I read that awful article about Curate today & thought exactly the same thing: the point of these megachurches is to create suffering. Then people become too fragile to leave & get further sucked into the cult. Not unlike Mr Organ, just on a grander scale. Tbh I’m surprised he’s never started a cult!
Have a wonderful time in Aotearoa & revel in the aroha most of us Kiwis have for you. Fuck Sean Plunkett, Mr Organ & all the abusive men leading megachurches (have you found much abuse from the females in leadership or are they mainly guilty by acquiescing?)
I wish I lived in New Zealand. I’d love to see Mr. Organ in theaters and show support! Supporting from afar in the US! 😊
Any streaming service would be lucky to have it.
I’ve also been thinking about church culture a lot and how it really does make you more vulnerable to abuse. At least the church that I grew up in. You’re constantly told that you’re broken and worthless and that it’s a miracle Jesus loves you at all…that mindset translated into real life relationships is dangerous. The idea that you should be grateful to be loved at all because you’re so broken and dirty gave me such low self worth and made me put up with a lot of unacceptable things.
(I totally understand that not all churches are like this am I’m super happy for everyone that has had positive church experiences.)
I’m just thankful that there are safe spaces now to work through all of this and call out all the bullshit.
Fiancée and I loved the Christchurch q&a - such a neat surprise having Jason Gunn host! Apologies for not coming up afterwards to say hi - I got shy and didn’t want to annoy you. I’m planning on being a webworm forever so I’m sure our paths will cross again.
I watched the doco last week in Brisbane, and I just have to say to the person I accidentally spat my water all over I'm sorry. I was taking a sip when Michael was going on one of his rants when out of nowhere he said the line about being a cunt. It was so unexpected, I involuntarily spat my water everywhere, all over the person in the row in front. He was a champ though, he lightly brushed it off, and pretended it didn't happen. It was one of those situations that was so horrifyingly embarrassing that the only thing your brain decides to do is laugh, which set my friend off, creating this horrible feedback loop of laugh-crying and trying my hardest not to disturb the nice old couple seated next to me. You truly can't take some people anywhere, and I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to set foot in that cinema again.
I really enjoyed the film and Q&A in Christchurch last night.
I left the film to go straight to my work at Christchurchs psychiatric hospital overnight where I have to walk around the site and for the first time ever I felt a bit creeped out wandering from ward to ward!
Love your work David and I hope this film find success with loads of people getting into cinemas to see it.
I am so excited to see Mister Organ, will do on Wednesday in Palmerston North with a friend. I will then be sharing away and encouraging all my friends and family to go. The reviews are outstanding and I’m so pleased for you as you’ve had to put up with a lot of BS lately and deserve some real recognition for your continued dine work. 👏👏👏👏
Wow. I've just walked out of the film. Everyone looks entirely dazed and gobsmacked. I'm in awe of you, David. So much respect for you persisting wth this story. I can't imagine living that experience. I spent half the film wanting to make you a hot drink and make sure you're ok. Seriously, are you ok?
Saw the doco last night at the theatre in Whanganui. Michael Organ was sitting a couple of rows behind us and was talking the whole way through the movie. Weird hearing the echo of his voice behind us and on screen. The only time they were silent was during the funeral part. It was a weird experience having him there and then walking out onto Victoria Ave and feeling like you are still in the film.
Was so thrilled to be at the Mister Organ premiere but my heart ached for you during the Q and A. It sucks that coming home is not what you hoped. I hope that you are okay and taking care of yourself.
Loved the documentary. Was equal parts gut wrenching, hilarious, strange and interesting. Didn't stop thinking about the key for days! Well done David!
I’m looking forward to the upcoming “Chickens of Webworm” calendar.
jeezuz fuck David......I got to Mr Organ (the movie that is) on Friday night and had quite a visceral reaction - this 'thing' (can't call it a person) is as evil as he is banal - and yes, the banality of evil is a thing it seems. I was in such a relationship about 20 yrs ago, and that person came close to killing me - by driving me to a suicide attempt - which thankfully failed. I have never been more terrified and alone before or since - and I lived with a physically abusive father. What my partner subjected me to for 12 mths was psychological torture and misery. Their previous relationship had involved destroying that partner also - who was a much loved local GP - and who sold the practise and the loved home in their life community to leave NZ for a few years. That other ex partner is now back in NZ, but I hear did not ever fully recover from the exposure and relationship. So Mr Organ rang so many familiar bells for me I was pretty much in shock through the whole movie! Narcisstic Sociopath with Dissociative Disorder is what my therapist gave as a diagnosis for my ex. And this fits the person you came to know also, I would think. You will have a bit of shaking off of the shit to do, David, but you will shake it off. The fact that it takes so freaking long to do that is testament to the evil, or NSDD , individual that you were exposed to over a fairly long period of time. If I could give you a survivor's hug I would. And as for cats - my beautiful black Arabian Mau cat by the name of LIcorice, who was missing for eight days, returned to me last week! Dry and clean and uninjured but starving thin and desperately hungry and terrified. I would say, at a guess, that she got locked into someone's garage before they went away somewhere..... :-( She is slowly recovering from the trauma and the starvation and lack of water - but my vet is astonished....that she survived that long without food and water is miraculous enough, but without her daily blood pressure and anti seizure medications, after three/four days the vet encouraged me to let go of hope, because a seizure or stroke would likely have finished her off at that point. But no. She survived the odds, Albeit with the loss of one of her lives ... :-/ She is a little miracle and I sure do wish I could send you pic of her - she is cat royalty and steadfastness personified! And I am soooo happy she came back home!
I saw it last night (Lighthouse Petone) and it was PACKED! Had to go to Petone because the Cuba St one was booked out.
Loved it. It featured two of the most engaging and fascinating people I have ever seen interviewed - I’m terrible with names but I’ll refer to them as the karate man and the abandoned institution man. I feel like they each deserve their own films that could be made without paying any soul tax at all. I actually laughed til I cried and snort/choked with karate man to the point that the woman next to me remarked to her partner “she has lost it”.
Abandoned institution man was the perfect note to end on and his perspective was so genuine and spot on. I wish him all the happiness in life. And you too!!
Reading that I've missed out on seeing the pets of webworm because I'm an Android user is the first time I've ever regretted my phone choices! Congrats on the success of Mister Organ and well done for managing to get a Webworm out on such a busy week!
Dearest David, thanks for putting our picture up - meeting you twice in one week was an absolute highlight and you really are as lovely and kind in person as you are on Webworm! Plus, your outfits are always perfection 😍
We’re telling absolutely everyone to go see your film, it truly is a masterpiece & leaves you thinking about it for days... especially all the victims & poor Jillian. I also loved all the interviewees and Simon’s (?) art is just AMAZING! I want to get my hands on some of their pieces so badly.
I read that awful article about Curate today & thought exactly the same thing: the point of these megachurches is to create suffering. Then people become too fragile to leave & get further sucked into the cult. Not unlike Mr Organ, just on a grander scale. Tbh I’m surprised he’s never started a cult!
Have a wonderful time in Aotearoa & revel in the aroha most of us Kiwis have for you. Fuck Sean Plunkett, Mr Organ & all the abusive men leading megachurches (have you found much abuse from the females in leadership or are they mainly guilty by acquiescing?)
I wish I lived in New Zealand. I’d love to see Mr. Organ in theaters and show support! Supporting from afar in the US! 😊
Any streaming service would be lucky to have it.
I’ve also been thinking about church culture a lot and how it really does make you more vulnerable to abuse. At least the church that I grew up in. You’re constantly told that you’re broken and worthless and that it’s a miracle Jesus loves you at all…that mindset translated into real life relationships is dangerous. The idea that you should be grateful to be loved at all because you’re so broken and dirty gave me such low self worth and made me put up with a lot of unacceptable things.
(I totally understand that not all churches are like this am I’m super happy for everyone that has had positive church experiences.)
I’m just thankful that there are safe spaces now to work through all of this and call out all the bullshit.
Fiancée and I loved the Christchurch q&a - such a neat surprise having Jason Gunn host! Apologies for not coming up afterwards to say hi - I got shy and didn’t want to annoy you. I’m planning on being a webworm forever so I’m sure our paths will cross again.
I watched the doco last week in Brisbane, and I just have to say to the person I accidentally spat my water all over I'm sorry. I was taking a sip when Michael was going on one of his rants when out of nowhere he said the line about being a cunt. It was so unexpected, I involuntarily spat my water everywhere, all over the person in the row in front. He was a champ though, he lightly brushed it off, and pretended it didn't happen. It was one of those situations that was so horrifyingly embarrassing that the only thing your brain decides to do is laugh, which set my friend off, creating this horrible feedback loop of laugh-crying and trying my hardest not to disturb the nice old couple seated next to me. You truly can't take some people anywhere, and I'm pretty sure I'll never be able to set foot in that cinema again.
I loved the pet thread! What a source of joy!! 🐱🐶🐔🦆
I really enjoyed the film and Q&A in Christchurch last night.
I left the film to go straight to my work at Christchurchs psychiatric hospital overnight where I have to walk around the site and for the first time ever I felt a bit creeped out wandering from ward to ward!
Love your work David and I hope this film find success with loads of people getting into cinemas to see it.
Love ‘Worms’ as a term of endearment for Webwormies.... I already have the tattoo!
Loved Mister Organ! I hope your soul is starting to replenish after paying such a heavy tax.
I am so excited to see Mister Organ, will do on Wednesday in Palmerston North with a friend. I will then be sharing away and encouraging all my friends and family to go. The reviews are outstanding and I’m so pleased for you as you’ve had to put up with a lot of BS lately and deserve some real recognition for your continued dine work. 👏👏👏👏
Wow. I've just walked out of the film. Everyone looks entirely dazed and gobsmacked. I'm in awe of you, David. So much respect for you persisting wth this story. I can't imagine living that experience. I spent half the film wanting to make you a hot drink and make sure you're ok. Seriously, are you ok?