 Its international take was very small, which Laughlin suggested was due to U.S. government agencies conspiring to get the film "banned in almost every country in the world" to hide its "scorching exposés" from foreign audiences, though he indicated he had no evidence.The film was a commercial success upon its release in theaters, but met with a harsh reaction from movie critics.Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" called it "three hours of naiveté merchandised and marketed with the not-so-innocent vengeance that I associate with religious movements that take leases on places like the Houston Astrodome."