The Profit (film)

2001 film by Peter N. Alexander

Eric Rath plays a paranoid cult leader named L. Conrad Powers (a parody of L. Ron Hubbard),

According to the director, the film's cast and crew faced harassment from Scientologists throughout production. According to the St. Petersburg Times, "Minton went from being Scientology's archenemy to a cooperating witness who wanted out of an expensive fight against the church."

Tampa Bay's 10 reported on the opening of the film at the Cinema Cafe in Clearwater, Florida on August 24, 2001, noting the film's controversial nature, and the fact that it appeared to be an exposé of the Church of Scientology. The report stated that a subtle message of the film was director Alexander's critique of Scientology and his motivation to bring information about it to the public. Alexander stated in an interview with FOX 13 News, that he felt he could better inform others about cults through a fictional portrayal than he could have through a documentary. In a separate review in the St. Petersburg Times, Steve Persall did not view the film in high regard. Persall noted that although Peter Alexander stated the film was a "warning against the influence of religious cults," Kick described the film as "obviously based on L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology." The Times noted that the film depicted a con man who had started a religion in order to become wealthy, and noted that the film is "banned in the US because of a lawsuit taken out against it by The Church of Scientology," even though the filmmaker stated the film does not depict L. Ron Hubbard. José Hernández of Cineol. net noted that the film was banned due to a court order, and might never be seen other than in a clandestine manner.