It seems fairly obvious to anyone with a functioning brain that Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming film 'The Master' is, in part, based on Scientology and its creator, L. Ron Hubbard. Unfortunately for Anderson, Scientologists are unhappy with this portrayal and they're railing against the film.

While Anderson and actor Philip Seymour Hoffman have insisted in recent interviews that the film is not based on Scientology, the church isn't having it. They see the obvious parallels -- just like the rest of us (look at this side-by-side comparison here) -- and they're not happy about it.

The New York Post's Page Six reports that the church has become increasingly vocal in its opposition to the film in recent weeks, prompting Harvey Weinstein to increase security at the Weinstein Company. They've been receiving bizarre phone calls and an influx of mail, which seems reasonable -- if a little disconcerting.

The church has also been running pro-Scientology ads where ads for 'The Master' have been regularly appearing. None of these responses seem particularly threatening or ominous in tone, but Weinstein insists on remaining cautious.

'The Master' stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a science-fiction author who creates his own religion with his wife (Amy Adams). The pair of them take in a wayward man (Joaquin Phoenix) in an attempt to groom him for their religion; instead, the man creates friction between the couple and rattles the foundation of their new church.

More From ScreenCrush