Jack Parsons: Jet Propelled Antichrist

Jack Parsons: Jet Propelled Antichrist is a story about one of the fathers of modern rocketry and a founder of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) which as part of NASA still leads the way in the development of rockets and the exploration of space. He was also an occultist, a sorcerer and a magus. The infamous magician Aleister Crowley the self-proclaimed Great Beast called him son. He called himself ‘The Antichrist’ and was repeatedly investigated by the FBI. At the age of 38 Parsons died in a mysterious explosion that made headlines around the US. Officially it was a tragic scientific accident — other interpretations of the event persist to this day.

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Directed & Written by
Daniel Zuckerbrot

Producer/Executive Producer
Donna Zuckerbrot
Daniel Zuckerbrot

Executive Producer, Vision TV
Alberta Nokes

Director of Photography
Neville Ottey

Editor
Alan Gibb

Composers
Aaron Davis
John Lang

Narrator
Colm Feore

Sound Recordist
Lori Dovi

Title Design & Illustrations
Ken Nutt

Series Opening
Tango Media Group

Online Editor/Colourist
Dan Johnston, Imarion Inc.

Sound Editor
Jakob Thiesen, Kitchen Sync

Sound Mixer
Ian Rodness, Kitchen Sync

Legal Affairs
Richard Hanet, Lewis Birnberg Hanet, LLP

Accountant
Richard Warburton, Kay & Warburton

Insurance
Jones Brown

Consultants
Brian Butler
Merrill Ward

Credit Music
Lon Milo DuQuette

Stock Footage/Archival Visuals
Archives, California Institute of Technology
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Herald Examiner Collection,
Los Angeles Public Library
Los Angeles Times
NASA/JPL
Ordo Templi Orientis, International Headquarters Archives
Adam Parfrey
Martin Starr
UCLA Library
University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Nevada

With Special Thanks To
Forrest J. Ackerman
Snohomish Brown
Brian Butler
Robert Clinton
Lon Milo DuQuette
Judy Goodstein
Frater Hrumachis
Suzanne Kovacs
Terry G. Pace
Adam Parfrey
George Pendle
Kevin Pollard
Lucy Tate
Anthony Torchia
Soror Vajra
Cindy Weinstein
Cynthia Wilkes

Ordo Templi Orientis, U.S. Grand Lodge

Produced in association with VisionTV with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credits and the Ontario film & Television Tax Credits.

Worldfest Houston (Gold)
Columbus International Film and Video Festival (honorable mention)

Jack Parsons – Synergy Magazine

The story of Jack Parsons reads like a film noir movie script, except that it is all real. Parsons was a highly creative and intelligent self taught scientist who formed JPL (Jet Propulsion Labs) and with a select group of individuals literally brought the idea of the rocket from science fiction into the real world. At the same time he was a ideological maverick, a student of the strange and eccentric religious system of Aleister Crowley known as Thelema and lived a open alternative lifestyle with multiple partners and an open approach to sexual exploration – all this in the 1930’s and 40’s !

Parsons also seemed to attract disaster, early in his career he provided advice to the court against a number of local policemen, who according to evidence, were blowing up those who stood in their way or in the way of their local mayor. He also worked “magick” with L.Ron Hubbard (yes, that LRH of Scientology fame), who, if the records are correct took off with Parson’s woman and $20,000 he had conned from him. The last fact is hotly disputed by Scientology today who claim Hubbard was working against Parson’s on behalf of Navy intelligence, an interesting claim, if only there were a shred of evidence to prove it ! The upshot of all this was that after a series of bizarre occult experiments and periods of mental instability, Parsons was killed in an explosion in his home lab in 1952. The question of why he died is still open to debate…

This fascinating documentary examines the wild and eccentric life of Jack Parsons, his unique contribution to science and technology and his obsession with the strange beliefs of Aleister Crowley as well as his membership of the esoteric organisation the O.T.O. It includes interviews with key figures including historians, scientists, current members of the O.T.O and includes scenes from this orders occult rites including the Gnostic mass. Interviewees include Adam Parfrey of Feral House books and Lon Milo DuQuette, a well known occultist and author.

Jack Parsons Jet Propelled Antichrist is very professionally made, once again Reel Time has made a documentary which clearly is the result of solid research, rather than sensationalize an already controversial subject, it offers lots of good background on both the science and radical spirituality of a significant figure in the history of modern rocketry. Jack Parsons Jet Propelled Antichrist is also packed with rare photographs, original footage and images, interviews and fascinating ritual sequences.