The film was based on the book The Astrologer written by John Cameron, James Glickenhaus's future father-in-law.

[5] "I'd inherited some money," Glickenhaus told The New York Times, "and I took all of it and lost it making a movie called 'The Astrologer.'

[7] With no independent distributors interested in acquiring the film, Glickenhaus convinced some drive-in theaters in the South to screen it.

"[6] Glickenhaus deciding the overabundance of dialogue in The Astrologer compared to the level of action was the cause of its failure would inspire him to write The Exterminator[4] 21st Century Film Corporation eventually bought the rights to The Astrologer believing they could make it work and re-titled it The Suicide Cult in an effort to capitalize on the Jonestown massacre.

[8] Another commentator found, ’’The irony, however, is that this debut effort by James Glickenhaus is neither a horror or science fiction film: its a pure Christploitation, aka Godploitation, romp...”[9]