Cult fiction that brings a drubbing alien to Travolta
By Mark Jagasia

EVEN after the unprecedented critical drubbing Battlefield Earth has received, the Church of Scientology remains remarkably keen for journalists to see the film.

I was telephoned by New Era, the publishers of L Ron Hubbard's doorstop- sized novel, who insisted on delivering a ticket for the premiere to me in person.

A smartly dressed lady duly app-eared at the office reception bearing not only the ticket but a glossy brochure proclaiming the late Mr Hubbard's "genius" and cataloguing his many other works.

But despite their eagerness to get journalists to the premiere, there was also a heavy-handed side to Travolta's entourage which became evident at a book-signing held by the star during the day.

"I was shoved in the chest so hard by one of the security guards I am considering bringing an assault charge," said one eyewitness. "The whole signing was badly handled and bad-tempered.

"There were a lot of people from New Era handing out posters for L Ron Hubbard books - including to children - and they got very upset when I asked them if they were Scientologists. They had been travelling round Europe with Travolta and had a very odd manner."

The premiere itself can hardly be described as a roaring success. Although Travolta has been one of the biggest names in Hollywood in recent years, advance word to steer clear of the event had obviously spread through the invited celebrities.

No one, it seemed, wanted to be publicly associated with what is set to become one of the biggest turkeys of recent cinema history. The only celebrities to bother coming were boxer Chris Eubank and obscure teeny pop band Scooch - hardly the A-list set that a star like Travolta can usually command.

The man himself did not appear to be at all dismayed by the snub. Watched closely by a group from New Era, the portly star - he is now edging the 20st mark - worked the cheering crowds in Leicester Square for 10 minutes, walking up and down the barricades with two burly henchmen. The other guests at the premiere, however, were not allowed to hang around and were allocated to various screens in the cinema. Not entirely to my surprise, I discovered that my ticket for the film seated me next to the lady from New Era who had delivered it and who was keen to engage me in conversation.

However, the start of the film cut short any further probing. The reasons for the poor reviews of the film soon became clear.

Although Scientology is deeply unpopular in America, where it has been presented as a sinister but remarkably powerful presence in Hollywood, distaste for the organisation is not solely behind the rotten critical reception.

With or without the Scientology connection, the film would have been panned. It is badly written, badly edited and badly acted, with Travolta looking particularly ludicrous in his 9ft alien outfit. In the film, for which the 46-year-old actor has lobbied over 15 years to get made, he plays Terl, the cruel security chief of the alien Psychlo race who have conquered most of the known universe in 3000 AD. The Psychlos have subdued what is left of the human race and use them for slave labour. But a rebellion by a resourceful human captive, Jonnie Goodboy Taylor, finally succeeds in overthrowing the vicious aliens.

Although the audiences at the premiere had been put in different screening rooms, it soon became clear that there were an unusual number of people leaving the film early and gathering to debate it in the foyer.

Because it is based on a Hubbard novel, many think the film is propaganda for Scientology. If this is the case, it is unlikely the religion will get many new converts.In the words of one American critic: "A million monkeys with a million crayons would be hard-pressed to write anything as cretinous."