* We hear that members of the Church of Scientology were being urged last weekend to see, over and over again, Scientologist John Travolta's universally panned movie "Battlefield Earth," based on the novel by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. An e-mailed message exhorted: " 'Battlefield Earth' MUST beat 'Gladiator' on the first weekend 'B.E.' comes out. Anything after that doesn't count! So please pass on this message and let's fill the theaters on May 12th, 13th and 14th! You can go more than once, you know!" Alas, the hugely expensive "Battlefield Earth" did a disappointing $11.5 million in weekend business, compared with $24.6 million for "Gladiator." Church spokesman Mike Rinder yesterday insisted the Church had nothing to do with the e-mail. "It's pretty sickening," he told us. "The last three weeks have been consumed with people telling people not to see the movie." We suppose he means film critics.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/style/columns/reliablesource/A8937-2000May15.html

PS: 118 nasty snippets about Battlefied Earth at

http://www.lermanet.com/reference/BatEarthfaq.htm