Documentary filmmaker Chris Smith, known for American Movie and Netflix projects on Jim Carrey, Andy Kaufman, Devo, Wham!, and the Fyre Festival, turns his lens to a lesser-known cult in the new HBO miniseries Bring Me the Beauties. The series chronicles the rise and fall of Eternal Values, a group founded in the 1980s by the eccentric Frederick von Mierers, which primarily consisted of models.
Uncovering a Hidden Story
Smith first learned about the cult through Hoyt Richards, often called the first male supermodel and a former member. "What was odd about this story is that there was very little about it online," Smith said. After meeting Richards on another project, Smith became increasingly curious about his life. Richards became the backbone of the series, sitting for hours of interviews, but doubted others would participate. "Hoyt said to us, one of the challenges is that you won't find anyone else who will speak to you about it. But we always like a challenge and we're also really patient. So it took years to make inroads and relationships to get people to speak to us on camera." Smith found that participants were "incredibly thoughtful, insightful, articulate people" who discussed their experiences in thought-provoking ways.
Details of Eternal Values
The group's practices ranged from new-age spirituality, typical of the 1980s, to more menacing elements, especially after von Mierers' death in the 1990s when the organization tried to control Richards' life. The series draws parallels to active organizations, including religions and political groups, with a brief reference to Scientology. Smith noted how von Mierers was ahead of his time in promoting peak performance, saying, "He was incredibly handsome, very fit, always looked like he had this radiant glow to him. It would be interesting to see him in the age of social media." The series also touches on modern influencer-related trends like wellness and "looksmaxxing."
Archival Footage and 1980s New York
Bring Me the Beauties uses archival footage that evokes a retro, lower-resolution feel, including clips from a public access show von Mierers hosted. "I'm not aware personally of that many cults that had a public access show," Smith laughed. "I felt like a character of the story was New York in the 80s and 90s." The team deliberately chose archival material to transport viewers back in time, similar to Smith's work on the Wham! documentary where he degraded upgraded masters to match the original video quality.
Storytelling and Structure
The series is structured in three episodes: the hope and promise of the group, its downfall, and the aftermath. Smith explained, "It's one of the most sprawling stories of anything I've worked on. There was so much to cover. At some point we realized there was enough story to make four episodes, but we were able to communicate the experience better with three." The treatment of Eternal Values is not completely damning; instead, it offers a prismatic look at how one person's self-help can be another's cult. "For me, it was a genuine desire to understand all points of view. Life is rarely black and white," Smith said. "Everyone we spoke to seemed to have a slightly different take on it. You can look at a story like this with one point of view, but you look at it from another person's point of view and they felt what they learned and experienced was positive."
Broader Implications
The series fits into Smith's larger career project of exploring interesting subjects and their connections to others. "For me personally, movies shaped the person I became. So I always look at movies as having the ability to hold up a mirror to people's own lives," he said. "If you think you're looking from the outside and judging it, you may have cult-like relationships that you're not even aware of. We all can be susceptible to these things to different degrees." Bring Me the Beauties begins on HBO in the US on June 1 and on Max in the UK and Australia on June 2.
