SKU: 62630593508

Secret Societies of America's Elite: From the Knights Templar to Skull and Bones

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Secret Societies of America's Elite: From the Knights Templar to Skull and BonesAn expose of the dark and critical role secret societies play within the ruling families in America and their influence on American democracy, current events, and world history. Reveals the enormous influence secret societies still have on contemporary American life. Shows how the secret Masonic cells that smuggled in the democratic ideals inspiring the American Revolution also enabled the future elite of the new society to build huge fortunes. Elite

An expose of the dark and critical role secret societies play within the ruling families in America and their influence on American democracy, current events, and world history.

- Reveals the enormous influence secret societies still have on contemporary American life.

- Shows how the secret Masonic cells that smuggled in the democratic ideals inspiring the American Revolution also enabled the future elite of the new society to build huge fortunes.

Elite and secret societies have always been a major force in the history of Western civilization. The alliances formed in secret societies such as the Knights Templar, the Knights of Christ, and the Freemasons transcended patriotism and religious beliefs and had a powerful influence on the establishment of the United States of America. While these secret associations of merchants, smugglers, occultists, gamblers, spies, and slavers succeeded in freeing the United States from foreign domination, the dark side is that the elite used their secret connections to further their own wealth and power. These secret cells did not hesitate to sponsor the assassination of a president and even attempted to break up the union on several occasions when it was deemed expedient.

From the Sons of Liberty and the Essex Junto to the Ku Klux Klan, secret societies have played critical roles in building the fortunes of America's elite. Now Steven Sora reveals in alarming detail how secretive societies continue to wield power even today as organizations such as Yale's Skull & Bones unite America's modern ruling families as strongly as Masonic Lodges once connected the Astors, Livingstons, and Roosevelts. Their immense power and wealth allow this elite to control America to an even greater degree than the Templars once dominated Europe.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Destiny Books
Published: 02/24/2003
ISBN: 9780892819591
Pages: 336
Weight: 1.23lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.08w x 0.88d

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 02/10/2003 pg. 177
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SKU: 62630593508

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4.9 ★★★★★
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Joel Bradford
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 4
Beautiful, glorious, and depressing but not without levity
Probably Gilliams most serious film, a story of a dreamer in a dystopian bureaucratic future, plagued by monotony and endless paperwork, our protagonist (played by Jonathan Pryce) isn't sure what he wants in his life, but he knows he wants something different. When the Department of Information Retrieval disappears the wrong person (played by Robert De Niro), our hero goes to reimburse the widow and discovers a woman living in the same building who looks like the woman out of his dreams (played by Kim Greist). Really stellar performances by Pryce, and a gaggle of supporting actors such as Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Kathrine Helmond, and Bob Hoskins. Greists performance is probably the weakest, but she does enough for the role that the critique of it amounts to a nit pick really. While this film is considered a cult classic, I would qualify it even less and say its just a classic, full of symbolism with a increasingly repressive tone throughout balanced by Gilliams puncturing, dark humor.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2024
M
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Mr. Watkins
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Classic Terry Gilliam- Watch It!
One of the best Terry Gilliam movies out there. Made in the 1980's, the cast is superb, and it holds up well 40 years on. WAtch it- it's a trip!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2026
M
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***moviemaker***
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
BLU RAY is the 132 minute Original U.S. Theatrical Cut FINALLY!!!!
] On this Blu-ray for the first time ever we get the ORIGINAL 132 minute version of the film as was shown in U.S. theaters. (Note: This is NOT the "Love Conquers All" Sheinberg/TV Edit.) All the DVD releases before this have been the European Version/Director's Cut of the film. Even the original Universal DVD release that said Theatrical Cut on the box actually had the European Version/Director's Cut. Unfortunately, Universal didn't really spend any time cleaning up the negative for Hi-Definition (there is very noticeable instances of dirt and debris on the negative) but it still beats the image quality found on the Universal SD DVD, and they do include an amazing DTS-HD Master 5.1. We'll just have to wait for the Criterion Blu-ray of Brazil for image perfection but serious fans of Brazil will want to get this Blu-ray edition just to have this version of the film as it was originally seen in theaters in 1985. I actually find this 132-minute version is in many ways a superior cut of the film. Here are the differences in detail: *In the 132-minute version you cut from Sam in bed with Jill, police sack goes over head, then CUT TO Pull off police sack to reveal Sam in Torture Chamber/Interrogation chair. This one cut is simply brilliant and very powerful. In the Criterion Version you have the added scene of Mr. Helpman as Father Christmas (completely out of charcater from the rest of the film) and the whole interrogation scene of Sam hanging from the rack inside the police/mail pouch which becomes narratively redundant and dilutes the impact of the final scene. *To end it with cooling tower/interrogation room fade to clouds was a great Gilliam wink of subversion and irreverence to the cliche Hollywood Ending. As opposed to the European cut of just credits over cooling tower/interrogation room. *The Samurai Scene is divided into 3 separate scenes in the 132-minute version versus 1 LONG scene in the European cut. And you know what? Like most things, it works better in 3's. *The 132-minute version cuts straight to the Dinner Scene with Ida (his mother) ordering numero deux, trois, etc. while the European version has the entrance to the restaurant of going through the metal detector which really doesn't add anything and is again a bit redundant when the bomb does eventually go off in the restaurant. With the scene, you're signaling to the audience we are looking for a bomb, so we expect a bomb. Without the added scene, the bombing is unexpected and it actually shocks you so you're both horrified and laughing. The unexpectedness also works as it builds upon the bomb motif from the first explosion at the beginning of Brazil during the Ducts advert. *And finally I just love that the 132-minute version opens on those clouds (outtakes from The Never-Ending Story) then goes to the Central Services advert about Ducts: "Are your ducts old-fashioned, out-of-date... " Now the Criterion version also has the clouds opening (The Original European Cut didn't) but it's funny because the Studio asked Gilliam to start off with the clouds for the US Cut and he actually prefers it as quoted in his Director's commentary. Hilarious. Little changes that add up to a tighter and overall, better film.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2011
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W.P.
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
Great cast; well directed
Great movie; lives up to its reviews
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Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2026
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Basket Case
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
An ageless classic !
I hadn't re-watched this movie since the first time I saw it, when it came out in 1985. Back then, it had stricken the public with its fatalistic and pessimistic view of an overwhelming bureacracy, a suggested characteristic of fully-centralised power in a controlled society in the future. Today, we can still admire some of its validity and premonitory qualities (and the sarcastic humour !). The dream-like scenes and symbols used in the film are also ageless. Ever-growing computer systems govern today the relationships we hold with banks, government departments, utilities, phone companies, etc. Who hasn't experienced the frustration of dealing with their 'machines' and/or incompetent & robotic bureaucrats when problems or errors arise in their service? 'Brazil' will seem so familiar! The omni-presence of screens in our lives, everywhere and incessantly offering us products or services, or used to control our movements and behaviour, is also a well-guessed futuristic scenario by Gilliam & co. And what to say about the 'terrorism' and the 'permanent state of fear' portrayed back then? Sounds familiar today? I recommend this movie to anyone interested in the threats of an unbridled, arrogant and all-powerful bureaucracy in human society. The film can be a bit 'heavy' at times, though. Not everyone's cup of tea. Watch it first, before sharing with friends or family.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2012

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