Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 3, Nos. 2 &3, 2004, Page 70
The news of this famous man‘s arrest reaches Pratt, a rude deprogrammer nervously played
by James Woods. Pratt quickly approaches the family, not unlike a caricature of an
ambulance-chasing lawyer. Pratt shows up uninvited at their home, and readily convinces
them to hire him and his team.16
Split Image treats us to a horrific example of an abduction that includes handcuffing and
duct-taping Danny until he is carried into the family home and locked in a boarded-up room.
Pratt uses even more physical and condescending tactics on his client than Linc attempts in
Ticket To Heaven. The bickering and arguing between Pratt and the parents leaves the
viewer sympathizing with Danny only. He is the embattled son looking for meaning outside
of his neurotic family, and later, outside Homeland.
After he leaves the cult, Danny rejects Pratt‘s attempt to get his story on television to help
debunk the cult and to educate the public. Danny states that some of his experience was
―good.‖ He does not want to play into Pratt‘s cult hating agenda. In the end, Danny
convinces Amy (the girl he loves) to leave Homeland during a final, dramatic confrontation
with the cult leader, Neal. In the last scene we see Danny and Amy running happily
together. We are left with the image of two innocent souls running away from a sick family
system, a derisive deprogrammer, cynical police officers and a most noxious cult. Long-time
deprogrammer, Cliff Daniels, claimed he was a consultant for this movie. He told me that he
was furious with the way the producers portrayed the entire event, and he quit in the
middle of the production.17
48 Hours: “The Deprogramming” and TV Journalism
To my knowledge, for nearly a decade no new movies appeared regarding
cult/deprogramming events, although news stories and television talk shows or magazine
programs did mention them. In May of 1989 the CBS television program 48 Hours featured
deprogrammer Rick Ross who helps a family deprogram a high school-age boy from a Bible-
based sect. In this case, the young man unwittingly walks into a deprogramming set-up. He
soon discovers he is not allowed to leave for several days when his brother and a guard
physically keep him from going out a door. The legal intervention works to convince the
young man to leave the sect. A year before this production aired, CBS had been searching
for a deprogramming event to film. They contacted many deprogrammers and exit
counselors including me. CBS was not interested in a non-coercive version of an
intervention had one even been available to them. The excuse to me was ―ratings.‖
“Hippies and Cults” on NBC
NBC television aired something about deprogramming in their The 20th Century special
―Hippies and Cults‖ in 1995 that aired many times in subsequent years. Mike Wallace hosted
the program. The only mention of an intervention is of the deprogramming/kidnap variety.
The show presents little in-depth information about any one cult or new religion.
Drop Squad
Universal City Studios released this film in 1994 about a paramilitary organization of African
Americans, the Drop Squad, D.R.O.P. being an acronym for Deprogramming and
Restoration of Pride. The Squad decides to abduct an African American ad executive for
selling out his race and attempt to deprogram him. Directed by David Johnson it features
Spike Lee as an actor. Lee also helped to produce the film. The film is now on DVD and it is
one I have yet to see.
MTV and “The Cult Problem”
―The Cult Problem,‖ was an MTV (Music Television Videos) special first aired in August of
1995. Although MTV did a credible job in the less than half-hour program, when it came to
intervention they chose to feature only a 1993 newspaper photo of handcuffed
The news of this famous man‘s arrest reaches Pratt, a rude deprogrammer nervously played
by James Woods. Pratt quickly approaches the family, not unlike a caricature of an
ambulance-chasing lawyer. Pratt shows up uninvited at their home, and readily convinces
them to hire him and his team.16
Split Image treats us to a horrific example of an abduction that includes handcuffing and
duct-taping Danny until he is carried into the family home and locked in a boarded-up room.
Pratt uses even more physical and condescending tactics on his client than Linc attempts in
Ticket To Heaven. The bickering and arguing between Pratt and the parents leaves the
viewer sympathizing with Danny only. He is the embattled son looking for meaning outside
of his neurotic family, and later, outside Homeland.
After he leaves the cult, Danny rejects Pratt‘s attempt to get his story on television to help
debunk the cult and to educate the public. Danny states that some of his experience was
―good.‖ He does not want to play into Pratt‘s cult hating agenda. In the end, Danny
convinces Amy (the girl he loves) to leave Homeland during a final, dramatic confrontation
with the cult leader, Neal. In the last scene we see Danny and Amy running happily
together. We are left with the image of two innocent souls running away from a sick family
system, a derisive deprogrammer, cynical police officers and a most noxious cult. Long-time
deprogrammer, Cliff Daniels, claimed he was a consultant for this movie. He told me that he
was furious with the way the producers portrayed the entire event, and he quit in the
middle of the production.17
48 Hours: “The Deprogramming” and TV Journalism
To my knowledge, for nearly a decade no new movies appeared regarding
cult/deprogramming events, although news stories and television talk shows or magazine
programs did mention them. In May of 1989 the CBS television program 48 Hours featured
deprogrammer Rick Ross who helps a family deprogram a high school-age boy from a Bible-
based sect. In this case, the young man unwittingly walks into a deprogramming set-up. He
soon discovers he is not allowed to leave for several days when his brother and a guard
physically keep him from going out a door. The legal intervention works to convince the
young man to leave the sect. A year before this production aired, CBS had been searching
for a deprogramming event to film. They contacted many deprogrammers and exit
counselors including me. CBS was not interested in a non-coercive version of an
intervention had one even been available to them. The excuse to me was ―ratings.‖
“Hippies and Cults” on NBC
NBC television aired something about deprogramming in their The 20th Century special
―Hippies and Cults‖ in 1995 that aired many times in subsequent years. Mike Wallace hosted
the program. The only mention of an intervention is of the deprogramming/kidnap variety.
The show presents little in-depth information about any one cult or new religion.
Drop Squad
Universal City Studios released this film in 1994 about a paramilitary organization of African
Americans, the Drop Squad, D.R.O.P. being an acronym for Deprogramming and
Restoration of Pride. The Squad decides to abduct an African American ad executive for
selling out his race and attempt to deprogram him. Directed by David Johnson it features
Spike Lee as an actor. Lee also helped to produce the film. The film is now on DVD and it is
one I have yet to see.
MTV and “The Cult Problem”
―The Cult Problem,‖ was an MTV (Music Television Videos) special first aired in August of
1995. Although MTV did a credible job in the less than half-hour program, when it came to
intervention they chose to feature only a 1993 newspaper photo of handcuffed
