Colour, possibly made for TV in the 1970s or 80s. In English. The one scene I remember was when the cult leader, a small, skinny elderly but healthy guy with no hair and dark eyebrows, dressed in white, visits the cult chapter personally, and all the young people there are enthralled. There were black and white banners simply with his picture on all round the room. I think it centred around the family if a young person who had been drawn into the cult trying to get them out, and if I recall was done in an almost documentary 16mm style more akin to Canadian output than US. It’s not Split Image or Ticket To Heaven, which don’t have the same cult leader.
“Blinded by the Light”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinded_by_the_Light_%28film%29
I reckon this must be right – bald, dark eyebrows, b&w poster etc, even though the face of the cult leader looks different to how I remember it. Unfortunately I suspect that the film itself is not the life-changing work of art I recall from my youth. Thanks jennagain!
well I remember it scared me quite a bit as a child — and definitely made me want to avoid joining a cult. so *that’s* pretty life-changing. hehe glad I could help. 🙂
Marking this one “solved” (really! I mean it this time!)