Travolta rebuts 'scientology propaganda' claims

Monday May 15, 2000

John Travolta again faces accusations of peddling Scientology propaganda, this time through his latest film, the sci-fi folly Battlefield Earth.

Entertainment Weekly reports that the cult-awareness group Cultwatch has charged that the movie, adapted from a novel by Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, contains subliminal pro-Scientology messages, and that the controversial sect secretly financed the film.

Insists producer and star Travolta, "there's no correlation at all to Scientology. Even in the preface, Hubbard made it clear that this is simply a science fiction book."

Director Roger Christian chimes in, "I know there are wars going on against the church, and I knew we would be used for that... But when people have asked if there are subliminal messages, I've said, 'Yes, there are, because I've buried messages about Buddhism!' I'm basically a Buddhist and I'm at the helm of this thing, so if anyone should accuse the movie of promoting something, it should be my philosophy."

The film opened in the US last Friday to some of this year's worst reviews so far.