Silver Screen Saucers

New pics: 'Men in Black 3', 'Battleship' & 'Avengers'

2012-03-02T09:36:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Josh Brolin and Will Smith in the time-travel-themed Men in Black 3 (in cinemas 25 May)...

New MIB 3 poster...

Screen captures from the new Avengers Assemble trailer (it used to be titled The Avengers, but it seems studio bosses are now concerned audiences will confuse the movie with the British spy-fi TV series of the 1960s and its flop 1998 spin-off movie... seriously!). These pics reveal a flying-alien-robot-thingy in hot pursuit of Iron Man...

And here are some Avengers (sorry, Avengers Assemble) pics revealing further detail on the aliens themselves (the race of which has yet to be announced)...

Also from the Avengers, a crashed alien craft with injured/dead pilot (in mo-cap suit). These pics were snapped last year while the movie was still in production...

Finally, here are the new international posters for the US Navy's (sorry, Universal's) Battleship (the last one shows one of the movie's aliens in full battle armour. The aliens themselves are biological beings - perhaps reptilian, judging from clues in the trailer)...

Disney to make alien abduction “comedy”

2012-03-01T12:41:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

As any UFO researcher knows, the abduction phenomenon is in no way traumatic, disturbing or profound to those whose lives it touches, or even to outside observers, but rather a source of great mirth and slapstick hilarity.

Recognising this, the best minds at Disney have decided to move forward with what Variety describes as a “long-gestating sci-fi family comedy” called The Pet, about “a man who’s abducted by aliens, taken to their planet and turned into a family pet.”

The script for the live-action movie was originally penned by Matt Lieberman (Short Circuit), but was recently rewritten by Tim Dowling (This Means War). Walt Disney Pictures and producer Scott Rudin have chosen Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) to direct.

This won’t be the first time Disney has explored the abduction phenomenon. It did so notably in 1986 with Flight of the Navigator, which was a thoughtful and emotional film, albeit fairly light-hearted. It did so again in 2006 in collaboration with Pixar with the short film Lifted, which encourages the viewer to sympathise with the alien abductor, rather than the human abductee; and yet again in 2011 with Mars Need’s Moms, in which emotionally stunted Martians abduct Earth moms in order to extract their maternal instincts for the benefit of their own babies.

Disney’s The Pet is still awaiting a release date. Sometime in 2013 seems likely.

UFOs and Disney: Behind the Magic Kingdom

Disney to open 'Avatar Land' theme park attraction

Another day, another Triffid

2012-02-29T23:10:00.003Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Poster for the 1962 British production of The Day of the Triffids

Ghost House Pictures announced today that John Wyndam’s classic sci-fi horror novel The Day of the Triffids is headed for the big screen – again.

Wyndam’s 1951 angry vegetable novel was previously adapted for cinema in 1962 when a British production of the title placed the blame for Earth’s Triffid invasion not with the Red Menace (as in the paranoid source material), but with alien spores that arrived in a meteor shower. It seems highly likely that the new Triffids movie will also opt for an otherworldly explanation for people’s gardens gaining sentience.

The movie will be produced by Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures, The Mark Gordon Company, and Preger Entertainment, LLC. The script is being penned by Neil Cross – creator and writer of the acclaimed BBC TV show, Luther. Cross was also recently named one of Variety's ‘10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2012.’

There is no word yet on a likely release date for the movie, but it seems doubtful the Triffids will arrive any time before the end of 2013.

Lady Gaga to cameo in 'Men in Black 3'

2012-02-29T17:08:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Lady Gaga is to make an appearance in the upcoming UFO movie 'threequel' Men in Black 3, according to the the star of the franchise, Will Smith...

Gaga's acting skills will not be stretched too far, however, as, undoubtedly the songstress will be playing an alien. Incidentally, anyone wanting to learn more about Lady Gaga's apparent links to the conspiratorial, esoteric, and occult should head on over to The Vigilant Citizen, where you'll find a number of in-depth analyses of her highly symbolic music videos, public performances and fashion statements.

Men in Black 3 is due for release May 25. View the trailer here...

'Prometheus' goes viral with Weyland Corp video

2012-02-28T23:09:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Ridley Scott’s hotly-anticipated Alien prequel Prometheus has just gone viral with a video promotion featuring Guy Pearce in the role of slightly crazed entrepreneur Peter Weyland.

The video (below) shows Weyland speaking at the 2023 TED Conference (an annual convention dedicated to human innovation currently being staged in Long Beach, California). A separate viral website for Weyland Industries has also launched.

Peter Weyland's official bio reads as follows:

Sir Peter Weyland was born in Mumbai, India at the turn of the Millennium. The progeny of two brilliant parents; His mother, an Oxford Educated Professor of Comparative Mythology, his father, a self-taught software Engineer, it was clear from an early age that Sir Peter's capabilities would only be eclipsed by his ambition to realize them. By the age of fourteen, he had already registered a dozen patents in a wide range of fields from biotech to robotics, but it would be his dynamic break-throughs in generating synthetic atmosphere above the polar ice cap that gained him worldwide recognition and spawned an empire.

In less than a decade, Weyland Corporation became a worldwide leader in emerging technologies and launched the first privatized industrial mission to leave the planet Earth. “There are other worlds than this one,” Sir Peter boldly declared, “And if there is no air to breathe, we will simply have to make it.”

Peter Weyland has been a magnet for controversy since he announced his intent to build the first convincingly humanoid robotic system by the end of the decade.

Whether challenging the ethical boundaries of medicine with nanotechnology or going toe to toe with the Vatican itself on the issue of gene-therapy sterilization, Sir Peter prides himself on his motto, “If we can, we must.” After a three year media blackout, Weyland has finally emerged to reveal where he’s heading next. Wherever that may be, we will most certainly want to follow.

Prometheus hits cinemas June 8.

'Alien' prequel features "new world, new ideas, new monsters"

2012-02-27T18:20:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Director Ridley Scott has revealed more about Guy Pearce's role in Prometheus, the upcoming Ancient-Astronaut-inspired prequel to Scott’s own sci-fi classic, Alien.

Scott told Hungarian news outlet, Mozinezo:

"When the first Alien movie and Blade Runner were made, I thought that in the near future the world will be owned by large companies. This is why we have the Tyrell Corporation in Blade Runner, and Weyland-Yutani in Alien. They sent the Nostromo spaceship.

The Prometheus is owned by an entrepreneur called Peter Weyland, and is played by Guy Pearce. That’s the connection between the two films, and nothing more. Prometheus is a new film, a new world, and is full of new ideas. And of course new monsters as well."*

But Scott is a big fat liar – his pants assuredly on fire – because the character of Peter Weyland is most certainly not the only connection between Alien and Prometheus, as was revealed recently by a tantalising image from the upcoming movie published in The Los Angeles Times.

Prometheus hits cinemas June 8, 2012. View the trailer here...

*English translation of Hungarian article courtesy of AlienPrequelNews.com.

Silver Screen Saucers: 1 today and more to come

2012-02-22T16:57:00.001Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Today, February 22, 2012, marks the first anniversary of Silver Screen Saucers.

I set up this blog twelve months ago as an easily accessible research archive. The idea was that it would assist me in my ongoing doctoral studies and encourage any visitors to the site to more thoughtfully consider the cultural and political interplay between Hollywood and the UFO phenomenon.

200 blog posts later (including 10 exclusive guest articles by some of the world’s leading UFO researchers) and Silver Screen Saucers has chalked up nearly 200,000 page views. Not a jaw-dropping figure, by any means, but not too bad for a little blog dealing with a niche topic.

On February 24, Hollywood producer, author and Silver Screen Saucers Consulting Editor, Bryce Zabel, will be speaking at the International UFO Congress in Arizona. During his talk, Bryce will be formally announcing our partnership for an exciting new project – or rather projects. I’ll be following up on Bryce’s announcement two days later in a February 26 radio interview for The Conspiracy Show with Richard Syrett.

Throughout the development of these new projects, the Silver Screen Saucers blog is set to continue, and hopefully my regular blog maintenance duties will not be impeded by my newly increased workload. In any event, Silver Screen Saucers will continue to provide visitors with important news updates, incisive commentary, and detailed articles on Hollywood’s UFO movies through 2012 and beyond.

A big thank you to all those who continue to visit the site.

UFO movie news round-up (19 Feb. 2012)

2012-02-19T20:26:00.002Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Altered Carbon

Mythology Entertainment has acquired feature rights to Richard Morgan's sci-fi novel Altered Carbon, according to Variety.

Laeta Kalogridis (Avatar) will adapt the novel in collaboration with David Goodman (The Event). The book is described as follows:

“Four hundred years from now mankind is strung out across a region of interstellar space inherited from an ancient civilization discovered on Mars. The colonies are linked together by the occasional sublight colony ship voyages and hyperspatial data-casting. Human consciousness is digitally freighted between the stars and downloaded into bodies as a matter of course.

But some things never change. So when ex-envoy, now-convict Takeshi Kovacs has his consciousness and skills downloaded into the body of a nicotine-addicted ex-thug and presented with a catch-22 offer, he really shouldnt be surprised. Contracted by a billionaire to discover who murdered his last body, Kovacs is drawn into a terrifying conspiracy that stretches across known space and to the very top of society.”

Darkover

The planet Darkover and its moons

ComingSoon.net reports that producers Ilene Kahn Power and Elizabeth Stanley have secured the rights to Marion Zimmer Bradley's acclaimed Darkover novels and are currently developing a “multi-platform television series” around the saga.

According to Stanley, "Bradley's Darkover novels and short stories chronicle the development of a remarkable civilization – technology poor but rich in its ability to harness the psi powers of the human brain (such as telepathy and telekinesis)."

In the novels, Darkover is the only habitable of seven planets orbiting a fictional red giant star called Cottman. When humans arrive on the ancient planet they find it is already home to a variety of sentient life forms. Among these are the Chieri – a race of tall, six-fingered, long-haired, telepathic beings with life-spans of tens of thousands of years.

Transformers 4

Transformers producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura has told MTV that Paramount has secured Michael Bay to direct at least one more film for the franchise.

Di Bonaventura also revealed that the new film is to be a reboot, following a completely new set of human characters – an assertion seemingly supported by Transformers star Josh Duhamel, who told E! Online, "I don't think anybody's doing it. I know Shia [LaBoeuf]'s not doing it. I don't think Tyrese or Rosie [Huntington-Whiteley] or anybody else is doing it,” adding, “I haven't heard anything about it. They haven't called me."

Transformers 4 is set for release on June 27, 2014.

Oblivion

The graphic novel Oblivion is being adapted for the big screen

Deadline reports that Morgan Freeman has joined cast of Oblivion (which until now has gone by the title of Horizons). He'll be joining Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough and Olga Kurylenko in the Universal pictures release.

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Oblivion is about “a man [Cruise] who lives in the clouds above Earth and heads to its surface to repair drones that essentially keep the planet safe from an alien race that has all but wiped out humanity.”

Michael Arndt is currently rewriting a script by William Monahan and Karl Gajdusek. The movie is scheduled for a July 19, 2013 release.

John Carter sequel

Though it has not even been released yet, Disney's $300 million Mars-based adventure John Carter may already be spawning a sequel. Speaking with ComingSoon.net, John Carter producer Jim Morris, revealed that the movie’s director Andrew Stanton and his co-writer Michael Chabon are already in discussions to plan and write a sequel, which would tentatively be called John Carter: The Gods of Mars, based on the second of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series of novels.

Whether or not Disney will green-light the sequel, though, is entirely dependent on the success of the first movie, which hits cinemas March 9.

On the subject of John Carter, here’s a new video promo for the movie, followed by new clip...

The Europa Report

The marketing campaign for upcoming sci-fi movie The Europa Report – in which astronauts seek out life on Jupiter’s frigid moon of Europa – has gone viral.

Check out the website for faux aerospace corporation Europa Ventures, where you’ll find a ‘live’ video feed showing astronauts onboard the spacecraft Europa 1. The site’s intro text reads:

“For decades, scientists have theorized the existence of liquid water oceans on Jupiter's moon, Europa. We've recently discovered new, captivating evidence that these sub-surface oceans do exist and could support life.

We've sent six astronauts from space programs throughout the world on a three year journey to Europa to explore its oceans and confirm these findings.

We're proud to be at the forefront of the effort to prove the existence of extra-terrestrial life within our solar system, within our lifetimes.”

‘Battleship’ movie: “Real Heroes,” reel propaganda

2012-02-15T22:50:00.004Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

A new behind-the-scenes featurette for the upcoming alien invasion movie Battleship has just surfaced online. Titled “Real Heroes,” the three minute video is not so much a promo for the movie as it is a shameless recruitment ad for the US Navy, which, in lending its full support to the production, has been granted contractual power to significantly influence the content of this two-hundred-million dollar bucket of popcorn and how it is sold to the masses.

“I have a good relationship with the Department of Defense and they know that I love soldiers and I respect the warrior spirit of any soldier, anywhere in the world,” says director Peter Berg. “As a result, they’ve opened up their doors to us in fairly unprecedented ways.”

The last time the DoD opened its doors to Hollywood in “unprecedented ways” was for the production of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The end result was both UFOlogically fascinating and – unsurprisingly for a Hollywood-DoD collaboration – nauseatingly propagandist.

“It’s been a long time since the world has seen what we do over here in America with our military and just how strong we are,” Berg enthuses in the ~~propaganda short~~ featurette.

Thank goodness, then, that Berg has stepped up to the plate with Battleship. For what better way to project American power than to kick some extraterrestrial heinie while flying the stars and stripes (and believe me, they’ll be flying) on the international stage?

Battleship docks at cinemas this May.

Transformers 3: Silver Screen Saucers review

'Battle Los Angeles' bombs with critics

Hollywood propaganda post-9/11

A History of Government Management of UFO Perceptions through Film and Television

Life on Europa in new sci-fi movie

2012-02-11T18:53:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

The first image from the upcoming sci-fi movie The Europa Report has been posted online by ComingSoon.net, courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. It shows South African actor Sharlto Copley (The A-Team, District 9) as an astronaut orbiting Jupiter...

The Europa Report, which co-stars Michael Nyqvist, Daniel Wu, Anamaria Marinca, Christian Camargo and Karolina Wydra is due for release later this year. According to ComingSoon.net, the movie is about “a group of astronauts [who] make the arduous journey to Jupiter's frigid, glacial moon Europa in search of extraterrestrial life. The only thing more intimidating and unpredictable than the trip itself is what the team will encounter upon arrival...”

Aliens in 'The Avengers' revealed?

2012-02-11T16:11:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

In the March 2012 British print edition of Empire magazine The Avengers producer Kevin Feige swats down longstanding rumours that the movie’s yet-to-be-revealed bad guys are the Skrulls – a green, knobbly-chinned race of alien shapeshifters.

“It’s not Skrulls,” Feige tells Empire, “I’ve been clear about that. Beyond that, we want to hide it. The identity of the alien race is not impactful. It exists in the comic books, but we’re not setting-up the Kree-Skrull war or anything like that.”

The Kree are a blue-skinned, humanoid race of aliens who for eons have been at war with the Skrulls and who have tangled with The Avengers in Marvel’s past – “so it could be them,” Empire speculates.

Empire’s guess work doesn’t end there, however: “It could also be the Shi'ar, a race commonly associated with The X-Men, but rights issues might make that difficult. And then there’s the bigger question: is Loki [Thor’s brother] the only major villain in the movie?” The mag then considers whether the “galactic powerhouse” Thanos might also make an appearance.

Despite Kevin Feige’s denial, it now appears that the Skrulls may indeed feature in The Avengers. While at Toy Fair 2012 this week, MTV Geek photographed the soon-to-be-released Avengers board game, which is based on the movie, revealing play figures it notes are “the spitting image of the shape-shifting Skrulls!”

Whether they be Skrulls, Kree or Shi’ar, aliens will most definitely be menacing the Earth in The Avengers – this much is clear from the latest trailer for the movie. We’ll know for sure this April when The Avengers finally hits the big screen.

UFO movie news round-up (9 Feb. 2012)

2012-02-09T18:11:00.004Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Aliens and apocalypse at the Super Bowl

Last weekend’s Super Bowl played out against a backdrop of aliens and apocalypse with TV spots and trailers for Hollywood movies and even car commercials tapping into the ET/2012 vibe. With 111.3 million US viewers, it was the most-watched broadcast in the history of United States television.

Here’s what viewers were bashed over the head with during their commercial breaks...

New Battleship trailer...

The Avengers - new trailer...

Transformers: The Ride - 3-D...

Chevy Volt alien commercial...

Chevy Volt 2012 commercial...

New John Carter trailer...

More John Carter

On the subject of John Carter, even more new footage from the movie was featured recently in a Disney Channel featurette, and yet more new John Carter stills have also been released...

Prometheus

A new image from Ridley Scott's upcoming Alien prequel Prometheus...

Vampires and zombies vs. aliens

Finally, Sony Pictures has hired Robbie Pickering to direct Oren Uziel’s The Kitchen Sink, which Deadline.com describes as a “genre collision about the unlikely alliance between a high school-aged vampire, zombie and human as they try to save their town from invading aliens.” More information about this movie will be posted here at Silver Screen Saucers as it becomes available.

'Iron Sky': new trailer and poster

2012-02-08T20:02:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Behold! The new poster and trailer for Iron Sky...

A Finnish-German-Australian co-production, filmed mainly in English, with a budget of about 7.5 million euros, Iron Sky is described by its producers as "a dark science fiction comedy."

Here's the official synopsis:

“In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space program evaded destruction by fleeing to the Dark Side of the Moon. During 70 years of utter secrecy, the Nazis construct a gigantic space fortress with a massive armada of flying saucers.

When American astronaut James Washington (Christopher Kirby) puts down his Lunar Lander a bit too close to the secret Nazi base, the Moon Führer (Udo Kier) decides the glorious moment of retaking the Earth has arrived sooner than expected. Washington claims the mission is just a publicity stunt for the President of the United States (Stephanie Paul), but what else could the man be but a scout for the imminent attack by Earth forces? The Fourth Reich must act!

Two Nazi officers, ruthless Klaus Adler (Götz Otto) and idealistic Renate Richter (Julia Dietze), travel to Earth to prepare the invasion. In the end when the Moon Nazi UFO armada darkens the skies, ready to strike at the unprepared Earth, every man, woman and nation alike, must re-evaluate their priorities.”

Directed by Timo Vuorensola, Iron Sky is produced by Blind Spot Pictures and Energia Productions in Finland, and co-produced by 27 Films in Germany and New Holland Pictures in Australia.

Iron Sky premieres at the Berlin International Film Festival in February and opens in Finnish and German theatres in April 2012. Release in other countries will follow soon after.

The theatrical release of Iron Sky will represent a major step forward for the fledgling 'participatory cinema' movement, which seeks to develop, produce and distribute movies in collaboration with an international online community of film enthusiasts. Other UFO/ET and esoteric participatory movies currently in the works include Apollo Minus Project and Light Masters, the trailers for which you can view right here...

New 'John Carter' concept art

2012-02-01T11:37:00.005Z

Silver Screen Saucers

New concept art for Disney's John Carter (these images are by Ryan Church, Michael Kutshe, David Krenz, and Mayes C. Rubeo).

These images date from 2009, back when John Carter went by its original title of John Carter of Mars. One wonders if Disney's decision to drop the "of Mars" had anything to do with Hollywood's Martian Curse, the wretched power of which has for decades kept audiences well away from Mars-themed movies. Certainly Disney will still be smarting from the epic failure that was Mars Needs Moms (2011). Pandora Needs Moms may have fared better (there's your fourth Avatar instalment right there, James Cameron!).

For more John Carter concept art, head on over to ItsArtMag.com.

Area 51 movie “a work in progress”, plus more alien-themed ‘found footage’ movies on the horizon?

2012-01-31T00:18:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Found footage, missing movie: there's still no
sign of Oren Peli's Area 51.

Horror movie news site ShockTillYouDrop.com (STYD) posted an article last week highlighting the continuing popularity of ‘found footage’ movies and previewing some future entries in the sub-genre.

Most of the upcoming movies mentioned in the STYD article have paranormal themes (ghosts, demons, etc.), but, judging by the brief story outlines provided, a handful of the titles may turn out to feature aliens. Indeed, one of them – Area 51– definitely does (no great surprise there).

Regular visitors to Silver Screen Saucers will know that Area 51 has gone through a bumpy – or, at least, staggered – production process. In June of last year, the film’s producer, Jason Blum, told STYD, "I anticipate the movie will be mostly done in three or four months." Obviously, that was seven months ago, and still no sign of it.

Here’s what STYD has to say about Area 51:

“Oren Peli’s sophomore directorial effort has been in the can since November 2009. Sort of. While Peli, who has been wearing his producer cap since Paranormal Activity, will remain mum on anything related to Area 51 that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning out whisperings of re-shoots that continue to this day. Producer Jason Blum told us in an interview that it was a work in progress. With so many projects in development from Blum/Peli, they can afford to take their time. However, will similarly-themed Area 51 films being made take the wind out of this film’s sails by the time it comes out?

The film itself, when it reaches the screen, follows a trio of kids who trespass on the eponymous government base and encounter an alien menace that has been set loose.

Status: Completion and release date unknown. Paramount is distributing.”

You’ll notice that STYD mentions “similarly-themed Area 51 films”, implying that others may be in the works. If there are, I’m not aware of them. Unless, of course, STYD is thinking of the upcoming Area 51 TV series based on the controversial book by Annie Jacobsen?

In addition to Area 51, there are also three other upcoming ‘found footage’ movies in which ETs might put in an appearance.

Here they are as described by STYD:

Bermuda

“Here, the found footage consists of the final days of a documentary film crew that ventures into the Bermuda Triangle. Again, a no-brainer, I suppose. “Found footage” is going to permeate every possible thematic angle; it was only a matter of time before the Bermuda Triangle came into play.

Status: In development at WWE Studios with a script by Bobby Lee Darby and Nathan Brookes."

Evidence

“About a camping expedition that goes wrong when the main characters encounter a bevy of weirdness out in the woods, including a creature that runs around on four legs, government experiments and more.”

Status: Complete. Seeking U.S. distribution."

You can read an early - and very positive - review of Evidence over at DreadCentral.com, where you'll also find clips of the movie. You can view the trailer right here...

The Warning

“UK found footage thrills from director Dominic Burns.

The plot goes like this: In December 2011 a strange futuristic-looking artifact was uncovered in an uncharted Mayan temple in Mexico – examination of the artifact revealed binary coded information which appeared to be encoded footage. The content was unlocked by students at Chicago state university and appeared to be several hours of video footage heralding the end of the world… time stamped in the near future. Investigation of those featured in the footage produced several names and the authorities attempted to question those involved about the validity of the footage. But all of the people featured in this footage have disappeared.

Status: In production.”

So, we have one film (Bermuda) in development; one film (The Warning) in production; one film (Evidence) complete and seeking distribution; and one film (the hotly anticipated Area 51) pretty much in the can but clearly not yet ticking enough boxes on distributor Paramount’s checklist of audience-friendly qualities to justify its theatrical release at this time.

Will Area 51 see the light of day in 2012? Maybe, but don’t hold your breath. Still, it will hit the big screen sooner or later, and with that in mind, let’s just hope it’s more compelling than Hollywood’s last alien-themed ‘found footage’ movie, Apollo 18 (note to screenwriter: rocks not scary... even with legs).

Robin Williams will do 'Absolutely Anything' for Monty Python team in new alien movie

2012-01-26T19:25:00.002Z

Silver Screen Saucers

The surviving members of the Monty Python team are to reunite for the first time in 15 years to bring to the big screen a sci-fi comedy combining CG and live action. The film – titled Absolutely Anything – will also feature dogs, aliens and Robin Williams.

According to Variety, the film is about:

“A group of aliens [voiced by Terry Gilliam, John Cleese and Michael Palin] who endow an earthling [played by Robin Williams] with the power to do "absolutely anything" to see what a mess he'll make of things—which is precisely what happens. There's also a talking dog named Dennis who seems to understand more about the mayhem that ensues than anyone else does."

Absolutely Anything is to be directed by The Life of Brian's Terry Jones from a script he's been developing for 20 years. Eric Idle is not yet on board, but the other Pythons are currently trying to sway him.

Above: Robin Williams as the alien Mork in the TV show Mork and Mindy. Right: The original Monty Python team.

Thanks to Red Pill Junkie for bringing this story to my attention.

Large Hadron Collider to feature in MIB III?

2012-01-26T12:06:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

The viral marketing campaign for Men in Black 3 is intensifying in anticipation the movie’s May 25 release date. Late last year, a mock conspiracy theory blog popped up run by a UFO-obsessed 14-year-old boy calling himself "BugEyes126.” He’s been posting paranoid little rants since December 2011.

Last week, he posted a sketch of a particle accelerator, along with the following note:

“I was doodling in science class yesterday, this image that I just couldn't get out of my head. Wasn't sure if it was something I've seen before or maybe just from a dream I had. My lab partner saw it in my notebook and said it kind of looked like some large particle accelerator?

So I looked it up, and these “colliders” can cost over 6 billion dollars! Yeah, billions spent to build this just to “see what would happen”. Not sure I buy it.

Using it to secretly transport aliens to and from distant plants seems more likely… Not that I think the Men In Black Suits have anything to do with this. They wouldn't use this for interplanetary transport of ETs. It's just a giant school science project! Right?”

Sketch posted on the MIB III viral blog

Is this a hint from the makers of MIB III that a particle accelerator will play a role in the movie’s story? If so, judging by the sketch, it will be none other than the Large Hadron Collider, which has already been the subject of much conspiratorial chatter around the world.

The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, near Geneva

BugEyes126 also posted another blog entry earlier this month. It reads as follows:

“I keep finding this formula online, and I have a hunch it has something to do with the Men In Black Suits.

Any idea what this is or what it could mean? Can anyone help me decipher what this is all about?”

Sorry, BugEyes, I can’t help you. I never liked equations. Any scientists / mathematicians out there?

2012 Maya / ET documentary backed by major Hollywood players... and Vatican?

2012-01-25T17:41:00.012Z

UPDATED: 26 Jan. 2012

Oh dear. It looks like "producer" Raul Julia-Levy's dreams of "shaking the world" with his much-hyped documentary may never be realised. Because Raul Julia-Levy may not be Raul Julia-Levy at all, but rather a con man by the name of Salvador Alba Fuentes. For details, see:

Six Degrees of Raul Julia (NY Times, 2005)

Raul Julia To Be Dug Up for DNA Test (Contact Music, 2006)

Spank My BabyDol and Call Me Julia (The Darwin Exception, 2007)

Raul Julia Levy in Hollywood (2009 YouTube interview with the man himself. If this guy is the real deal then I'm a Reptoid!)

RG.
___________________________________________________________

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Los Angeles-based producer Raul Julia-Levy has told The Hollywood Reporter that his upcoming 3D documentary, Revelations of the Mayans 2012 and Beyond, will reveal “the most important archaeological finding in the history of mankind” and prove beyond doubt that the Maya had contact with extraterrestrials.

Announced in August last year, the much-hyped documentary is a collaboration between archaeologists, scientists and the governments of Mexico and Guatemala and allegedly draws on previously classified government documentation dealing with the Maya and 2012.

Unsurprisingly, the documentary has become the subject of fervent speculation and debate in the UFO and New Age communities. But many commentators are viewing with suspicion the fine print of Julia-Levy’s description of the project, suggesting that the documentary may turn out to be little more than a savvy marketing campaign for the tourism ministries of the Mexican and Guatemalan governments.

In October 2011, Antonio Huneeus, writing for OpenMinds.TV opined:

“It seems to me that this story has much more to do with PR hype by the film producers and by Mexican authorities wishing to promote tourism in the wake of mounting expectations about the end of the Mayan calendar in December 2012, than to a real program of disclosure. What we know for sure is that the documentary... is sponsored by the Mexican Ministry of Tourism’s Mundo Maya (Mayan World) Program, although its financing comes from American sources”.

Image provided to the The Wrap by
Raul Julia-Levy. See here for info.

Just who these “American sources” are is still a mystery, though producer Julia-Levy has insisted to The Hollywood Reporter that the documentary’s financial backers and distributors are “major” Hollywood players. He also claims his documentary will feature an underwater Maya city, a millennia-old landing pad once used for spacecraft, and evidence of ancient human contact with extraterrestrials.

Julia-Levy describes the alleged underwater city as “a city that was built under water, and not a sunken city,” and claims it was found at the bottom of a lake in Guatemala. He says footage of the underwater city will feature in the documentary. Additionally, the producer claims his film will reveal “a 3,000-year-old spacecraft landing pad that was allegedly built atop a rock structure capable of holding electromagnetic energy.”

Raul Julia-Levy told Pijama Surf that this image represents a teleportation machine, a time machine or some kind of technological artifact, this according to a report he received from Guatemalan archaeologists.

If all this weren’t intriguing enough, in a new twist, Julia-Levy claimed last week that he was recently contacted by the Vatican. In a telephone conversation with the Pijama Surf website, Julia-Levy said he had received official communication from the Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, who has requested a meeting with him about the documentary.

Julia Levy told Pijama Surf that, although excited by the Vatican’s interest, he is proceeding with caution due to what he views as the Catholic Church’s historical secrecy surrounding the UFO issue. Nevertheless, he believes the Vatican is acting in a spirit of cooperation and hinted that it may even furnish his production with information from its own murky UFO files.

Images provided to Pijama Surf by Julia-Levy.

Revelations is set to begin production in February in the jungles of Campeche, Mexico, at the Maya ruins of Calakmul. It is at this site, claims Julia-Levy, that the documentary’s most shocking secret will be revealed. Just what this secret is, he won’t say, but he claims it is nothing less than "the most important archaeological finding in the history of mankind,” adding “It's going to open the eyes of humanity and elevate the consciousness of every human being on the planet. I guarantee it."

An official announcement of the project is due in the coming weeks and a provisional release date has been set for August. Originally, the acclaimed Mexican director Juan Carlos Rulfo (Those who Remain) was onboard to helm, but conflicting schedules with his other film projects recently forced him to pull out. He has yet to be replaced.

Image of a Mayan inscription interpreted as an alien by Guatemalan archaeologists, according to Raul Julia-Levy.

So, is Revelations a major step towards Disclosure, or merely an ambitious attempt at boosting Mexican and Guatemalan tourism in the historic year of 2012?

For now, all we have is the word of Raul Julia-Levy. He insists that his documentary shows a deep respect for Maya culture and that its impact will be global:

“The problem with most of the productions going on now that are related to the Maya theme is that they're doing them in an erroneous and irresponsible manner... This documentary is going to shake the world.”

UFO movie news round-up (24 Jan. 2012)

2012-01-24T15:12:00.004Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Atlantis Rising

Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and Mark Canton of Platinum Studios Inc. announced last week that they are developing the comic book mini-series Atlantis Rising for a new, ongoing film franchise.

Atlanteans as they appear in the comic book series Atlantis Rising

According to ComingSoon.net, “The film is set against an undersea civilization that began over 10,000 years ago, and whose presence is unknown to the surface population.” Producer Mark Canton says of the production:

"Atlantis Rising has the franchise potential of Men in Black, which I green lit for Scott while at Sony's Columbia Tristar Motion Picture Companies... I'm looking forward to bringing it to the screen with Platinum as a dynamic, state of the art action thriller."

To which Scott Mitchell Rosenberg adds: "Atlantis Rising is a provocative sci-fi thriller that at its core brings up the question: whose planet is this? We hope to duplicate... the enormous success of the Men in Black franchise."

As yet, there is no indication as to whether nor not the movie’s Atlanteans will be of extraterrestrial lineage or have any connection to ETs at all. Regardless, the movie will be interesting for its depiction of the meeting of two civilizations and the potential societal impact of such a meeting on both sides. It’s an idea that no doubt will strike a chord with all who take an interest in the UFO phenomenon.

Incidentally, if the “Atlantis Rising” title rings a bell, that’s because UFO writer Brad Steiger used it for his 1973 book exploring lost civilizations and ancient alien contact.

Alien At Large

Scott Mitchell Rosenberg has a thing for aliens, it seems. Not content with playing a major part in bringing Men in Black to the screen and writing the Cowboys and Aliens comic book and producing its movie adaptation, Rosenberg is also currently developing the sci-fi comedy, Alien At Large.

ComingSoon.net reports that Alien At Large is being adapted from the graphic novel by Bob Keenan, which “tells the story of Earth's first interstellar ambassador, who is not the brightest star in the galaxy. Although he means well, he has the uncanny ability to turn a harmless situation into utter catastrophe. Yet his bumbling might just save our planet, as his arrival unwittingly disrupts a nefarious alien conspiracy.”

The Host

Deadline.com reports that Diane Kruger is currently in negotiations to star alongside Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons and Jake Abel in The Host, a big screen adaptation of the Stephenie Meyer alien invasion novel.

According to Deadline:

“The film takes place at a time when a parasitic alien species called The Souls has just about wiped out the human population. [Kruger] will play The Seeker, who is charged with overseeing the conversion of a young rebel soldier (Ronan) whose consciousness has been infiltrated by Wanderer, a soul that has taken control of bodies and minds but who is daunted by the young human’s spirit — and obsessed with the memories of her boyfriend and her brother — and sets out to track them down. The Seeker pursues her, knowing that the conversion of the rebel will lead to the discovery and eradication of the rebel movement.”

Although based on just one book by Stephanie Meyers, the movie – directed by Andrew Niccol – is being set up as a trilogy. For more info on The Host, see here.

Aliens vs. Wizards

Russell T. Davies

British screenwriter Russell T. Davies of Doctor Who fame is teaming-up with the BBC and FremantleMedia Enterprises to bring to the small screen a 12-part series aimed at children.

According to Variety, Aliens vs. Wizards “depicts the clash between young wizard, Tom Clarke, and aggressive aliens, the Nekross.” The show will be broadcast on CBBC in the UK as well as on stations in “all other” international territories.

Davies said: "We're joining genres -- the show's a wild, funny, thrilling and sometimes scary collision of magic and science fiction."

Aliens vs. Wizards will hit the small screen later this year.

New John Carter pictures

Finally, Disney has released several new images from the upcoming Mars-based epic, John Carter (for JC pics, see here)...

Man in Black to play legendary UFO insider in new movie... but no UFOs on the radar

2012-01-19T12:27:00.003Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Men in Black star Tommy Lee Jones has secured the part of General Douglas MacArthur in the upcoming historical drama, Emperor, which ComingSoon.net describes as “an epic story of love and understanding set amidst the tensions and uncertainties of the days immediately following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II.” MacArthur – as the de facto ruler of post-War Japan in his role as Supreme Commander of the occupying forces – will be a major character in the story.

Emperor is based on a screenplay by David Klass (Walking Tall, Desperate Measures) and Vera Blasi (Woman on Top). It stars Matthew Fox as General Bonner Fellers, “one of MacArthur’s leading Japanese experts, who, at the end of World War II, is charged with reaching a decision of historical importance: should Emperor Hirohito be tried and hanged as a war criminal?”

ComingSoon.net continues:

“Interwoven with this nail-biting political thriller is the story of Fellers’ love affair with Aya, a Japanese exchange student he had met years previously in the U.S. Memories of Aya and his quest to find her in the ravaged post-war landscape help Fellers to discover both his wisdom and his humanity and enable him to come to the momentous decision that changed the course of history and the future of two nations.”

Politically fascinating material, for sure, and more than worthy of the silver screen treatment. Also fascinating are General MacArthur’s alleged ties to the UFO issue and public statements he made about what he perceived to be a potential threat to Earth from extraterrestrials. In a speech to cadets of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in May, 1962, MacArthur said:

“We deal now, not with things of this world alone, but with the illimitable distances and as yet unfathomed mysteries of the universe. We are reaching out for a new and boundless frontier. We speak in strange terms, of harnessing the cosmic energy... of ultimate conflict between a united human race and the sinister forces of some other planetary galaxy.”

The General made a similar statement to the Mayor of Naples, Achille Lauro, in 1955. In an October 7 meeting between the two men that took place in New York, MacArthur told Lauro that the nations of Earth would one day be forced to “make a common front against attack by people from other planets.”

MacArthur and President Truman, Wake Island, Oct. 15, 1950

What inspired such seemingly bizarre comments from MacArthur may never be known for sure, but certain ‘whistleblowers’ have suggested that the General was intimately involved with the UFO/ET issue, both during and after the War.

Disclosure Project witness Buck Sergeant Leonard Pretko (USAF retired), for example, is on record with his story of how, in the early 1950s, one of MacArthur’s personal security guards told him that “General Douglas MacArthur was very familiar with the Roswell incident, the crash material, and also the bodies because he himself has seen them.”

Another Disclosure Project witness, Sergeant Clifford Stone – who claims to be a deep insider on the UFO/ET issue – goes even further. Stone says that MacArthur was in charge of the Army’s Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit (IPU), which is thought to have been established sometime during the early-to-mid-1940s.

In September 2000, Stone told Disclosure Project Director Steven Greer that the IPU “continued all the way through to present day. Names have changed and records still haven’t surfaced.” Stone, also said that the IPU bore fruit:

“It came to conclusions that were not popular, i.e. interplanetary spacecraft. And they [the IPU] continued to do exactly what they do today and that is to be part of a multi-intelligence operation in the recovery of objects of unknown origin, particularly those that are of non-Earthly origin.”

Stone went on to tell Greer that the IPU’s purpose is to “get raw field intelligence data, and process that data into some type of useful intelligence product to disseminate to the field – to those people who have a need to know.”

“MacArthur definitely had physical evidence,” said Stone. “From the documentation I saw [while working this issue in the Army], I was not able to ascertain exactly what that evidence consisted of, but it was there.”

The IPU is intriguing. Still shrouded in mystery, the existence of the unit was not formally acknowledged until 1984 (approximately forty years after its formation) when UFO researcher William Steinman made an enquiry about the IPU with the Army Directorate of Counterintelligence. In response to Steinman’s enquiry, Lieutenant Colonel Lance Corine explained that:

“The unit was formed as an in-house project purely as an interest item for the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence. It was never a ‘unit’ in the military sense, nor was it ever formally organized or reportable, it had no investigative function, mission or authority and may not even have had any formal records at all. It is only through institutional memory that any recollection exists of this unit.”

Three years later, in 1987, UFO researcher Timothy Good made a similar enquiry with the same office. The response was brief and clearly intended as the Army’s final word on the subject – but it was also encrusted with a twinkly UFOlogical nugget: the IPU’s files, it turned out, had long ago been handed over to Project Blue Book – the US Air Force’s long-running UFO investigations program that was disbanded in 1969.

Colonel Anthony Gallo Jr, Director of Counterintelligence, informed Good that the IPU “was disestablished during the late 1950’s and never reactivated. All records pertaining to this unit were turned over to the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations in conjunction with operation ‘BLUEBOOK’.”

Letter to Timothy Good confirming that the IPU's files were turned over to Blue Book

That the Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit was associated with the UFO issue is hugely significant in light of the unit’s name: this was not a unit concerned with the discussion or investigation of advanced German or Soviet technology; it was not concerned with flocks of geese, weather balloons, swamp gas or other unusual atmospheric phenomena as explanations for UFOs. No, the IPU’s UFO concerns were“interplanetary” in nature...

in·ter·plan·e·tar·y:

adj.

Existing or occurring between planets

Some UFO researchers believe that the IPU was established in response to the Battle of Los Angeles, in which flying elliptical objects – still unidentified to this day – were sighted over LA on the morning of February 25, 1942. The unknown objects were greeted by heavy but seemingly ineffectual artillery fire from the US Army. Six civilians were killed during the “raid.”

It is notable that, to date, no documentation from the IPU whatsoever has been officially released. However, a number of leaked documents – the authenticity of which is debatable – paint a truly eye-popping picture of the IPU’s activities during the 1940s. In one document, dated March 5, 1942 – just nine days after the Battle of Los Angeles – General George C. Marshall states in a Top Secret memo to the President:

“This Headquarters has come to the determination that the mystery airplanes are in fact not earthly and according to secret intelligence sources they are in all probability of interplanetary origin."

Marshall continues: "As a consequence I have issued orders to Army G2 that a special intelligence unit be created to further investigate the phenomenon...” Thus was established the Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit, which, so the story goes, would soon be headed-up by General MacArthur in close cooperation with General Marshall himself.

IPU field order instructing the officer in charge (OIC) to lead a counterintelligence team (including a scientist and medical doctor) to the Roswell crash site and to provide a report by 28 July. This leaked document is dated 4 July, 1947.

Admittedly, rumours of MacArthur’s involvement with the IPU have never been fully substantiated, but then neither have rumours about J. Edgar Hoover’s romantic feelings for his FBI number-two man, Clyde Tolson. Clint Eastwood nevertheless saw fit to explore these rumours in his recent biopic of the FBI head honcho, J. Edgar – a movie in which the UFO issue receives not one mention, despite reams of official FBI documentation detailing Hoover’s forty-year preoccupation with flying saucers.

I am certainly not suggesting that all biopics of historical figures whose lives have intertwined with the UFO mystery should devote screen time to the issue (though, in a post-disclosure world, this may well become the norm), but how refreshing it would be for just one Hollywood screenwriter, just once, to draw inspiration from beyond the established historical meta-narrative and to transcend generic conventions when penning biopics of heavyweight political, military, and intelligence figures. John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, James Jesus Angleton, Margaret Thatcher – all have had varying degrees of knowledge about the UFO issue, and all have been the subject of award-winning Hollywood movies in which the term “UFO” is not once uttered.

The upcoming Emperor may tick all the boxes required to receive an Oscar (and no doubt Tommy Lee Jones is already making space on his awards shelf), but ask yourself: what would you rather the focus be in a movie about MacArthur – a predictable cross-cultural romance as promised by the synopsis, or, instead, a legendary military leader in a war-torn land, deeply concerned, not only by weighty post-War terrestrial matters, but also by “interplanetary” events quietly but dramatically impacting our world (details of which are known only to the most highly polished of officialdom’s top brass), all the while trying desperately not to drop the ball for fear that enemy nations will exploit these otherworldly phenomena to their military advantage...

Now that’s a movie I’d pay to see. Sadly, I think I’ll be waiting a while to see it.

No Saucers in this Hoover: J. Edgar biopic will side-step UFO issue

‘Total Recall’ remake erases Mars/ET storyline

2012-01-16T22:35:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Colin Farrell in the 2012 remake of Total Recall.

Sony Pictures has released the synopsis for the remake of Total Recall, which hits cinemas August 3 this year. It reads as follows:

"'Total Recall' is an action thriller about reality and memory, inspired anew by the famous short story 'We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, by Philip K. Dick. Welcome to Rekall, the company that can turn your dreams into real memories. For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell), even though he's got a beautiful wife (Kate Beckinsale) who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life - real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man. Finding himself on the run from the police controlled by Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston), the leader of the free world, Quaid teams up with a rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) to find the head of the underground resistance (Bill Nighy) and stop Cohaagen. The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of his world hangs in the balance as Quaid discovers his true identity, his true love, and his true fate."

The original Total Recall (1990), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

No mention in there, you’ll notice, of The Red Planet. That’s because, as noted late last year by The Hollywood Reporter, the Total Recall remake has ditched the Martian storyline of the 1990 original (and of the Philip K. Dick source material). Instead, the new story involves competing nation states Euromerica and New Shanghai, with protagonist Doug Quaid (Farrell) as a factory worker in the latter “who begins to believe he is a spy, although he doesn't know for which side.”

The original movie, based on the Philip K. Dick story, We Can Remember It for You Wholesale, followed Quaid’s character – a secret agent (or is he?) – as he journeys to a Martian colony (or does he?) and fights to overthrow its tyrannical leader who controls the production of air. While on Mars, Quaid uncovers ancient alien technology that ultimately serves to liberate the colony and terraform the harsh Martian landscape into a new, breathable frontier for humanity.

Though disappointing to this blogger, the filmmakers’ decision to do away with Total Recall’s Martian angle might actually serve the movie well in terms of ticket sales. Historically, Hollywood’s Mars-based movies have bombed at the box-office – a mystery I contemplated recently in my article Hollywood and the Curse of Mars.

Total Recall 2012 is directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld, Die Hard 4.0) with a screenplay by Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback.

'Battleship' and 'Men in Black 3': new images

2012-01-16T15:05:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

New image and new poster from the upcoming alien invasion movie Battleship (in cinemas April 2012)...

Battleship has 'benefited' from the full cooperation of the US Navy.

New image from Men in Black 3 (in cinemas May 2012)...

The time-travel themed Men in Black 3.

'Prometheus' ET space jockey suits revealed

2012-01-15T13:19:00.001Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

The Los Angeles Times has a new image from Ridley Scott’s hotly anticipated Alien prequel, Prometheus, a Photoshop-enhanced version of which reveals two towering space suits clearly belonging to the ‘Space Jockey’ race of extraterrestrial featured in Scott’s original Alien outing.

Original image (Los Angeles Times)

How do we know they’re just space suits and not the ETs themselves? Because Scott says so. In an interview with Filmophilia (now removed from the website due to legal concerns), the director asks, rhetorically, “who is that, inside that [Space Jockey] suit? That wasn’t a skeleton, that was a suit. And if you open up the suit, what do you get inside it? And why were they going, where were they going?"

Enhanced image (ComingSoon.net)

In the aforementioned LA Times piece, the writer of Prometheus, Damon Lindelof, says that the Ancient Astronaut-inspired movie is “definitely epic in its scope.”

“One of the filmmakers that we ended up talking about to a fair degree of redundancy was David Lean, who directed ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’” Lindelof said. “We wanted to make the movie feel big by having the characters be small in big spaces. That connected to the larger themes we were talking about — that we’re all just these little gnats crawling around on our little planet.”

Prometheus is released in June of this year.

UFO movie news round-up (13 Jan. 2012)

2012-01-13T12:52:00.003Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Marvel Studios has ordered a rewrite of Don Payne’s script for Thor 2. According to Deadline.com, the latest (and presumably final) draft will be penned by Hollywood heavyweight Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan, Falling Skies). The first Thor movie – released last year – touched on various UFOlogical themes and ideas, including Ancient Astronaut theory, ETs using wormhole technology, and Men-in-Black-type agents (SHIELD) keeping tabs on other-worldly phenomena. Expect more of the same in the sequel. The movie will go into production later this year for release in 2013.

Elsewhere in cyberspace, the web site Cinemart is currently displaying two new photographs allegedly from behind the scenes of Ridley Scott's upcoming, Prometheus – and, if authentic, they reveal a clear link to the movie’s 1979 prequel, Alien.

For both phots and the full story behind them, head on over to Cinemart.

A trailer for an upcoming arthouse film has sparked discussion in the UFO community. The Legend of Kaspar Hauser concerns a mysterious young man who suddenly appears in Nuremberg in 1828, barely able to walk or speak, and his integration into society. The trailer simply shows a man from behind (presumably the film's star, Vincent Gallo) standing in a desert landscape directing UFOs overhead through... some sort of... expressive dance?

In other news, Disney has released its international poster for the upcoming Mars-based epic, John Carter...

And last, but by no means least, Brad Hansen of Craveonline.com has created an ingenious movie trailer mash-up of Disney-Pixar’s enchanting WALL-E and Ridley Scott’s terrifying Prometheus. The result? WALL-ETHEUS...

Bryce Zabel joins Silver Screen Saucers

2012-01-10T21:52:00.003Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Silver Screen Saucers welcomes Bryce Zabel.

I am delighted to announce that, as of today, award-winning Hollywood writer/producer Bryce Zabel has joined Silver Screen Saucers in the role of Consulting Editor.

As many readers will no doubt be aware, Bryce is the co-creator of the NBC television series Dark Skies (1996-1997), which presents an alternate, covert history of the second half of the 20th Century as shaped by UFO/ET related events.

From 2001 to 2003, Bryce served as the Chairman of the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has collaborated with the likes of Steven Spielberg (on the UFO mini-series Taken), Stan Lee and David Kelly. In 2008, he received the Writers Guild of America Award for his Hallmark mini-series, Pandemic.

In 2010, Bryce teamed up with Richard Dolan to co-author the groundbreaking book A.D. After Disclosure, which explores the potential impact of UFO Disclosure on government, science, religion, media, culture, law, education, and politics. The book is being released in a new, revised edition by Career Press in May 2012.

In his role as Silver Screen Saucers Consulting Editor, Bryce will contribute occasional articles and commentary pieces to the site, sharing with the reader his valuable insider’s perspective on Hollywood’s UFO-themed entertainment products.

Silver Screen Saucers will be considerably enriched by Bryce's involvement, making the site all the more essential, both as a unique, easily accessible resource for the serious UFO researcher and as a one-stop-shop for the info-hungry UFO movie fan.

For more information about Bryce Zabel, check out his web sites: BryceZabel.com, MovieSmackdown.com, and AfterDisclosure.com.

Dulce base movie ‘Umbra’ in production shake-up

2012-01-06T23:31:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

The upcoming sci-fi conspiracy thriller Umbra – a leaked draft script for which makes strong references to the deep-underground biogenetic research facility alleged to exist in Dulce, New Mexico – is currently undergoing a major production shake-up.

The director originally attached to the production – Roger (Species) Donaldson – was replaced by A-Team helmer Joe Carnahan last year. Carnahan was also in the process of rewriting the original (leaked) version of the script.

Now, according to Deadline.com, Carnahan has dropped out of the Umbra project altogether and has been replaced by veteran director Martin Campbell (The Mask of Zorro, Casino Royale, Green Lantern). The script, meanwhile, is undergoing yet another rewrite – this time at the Oscar-winning hands of Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby). Haggis caused a storm in 2009 when he quit the Church of Scientology after more than three decades of membership ("I was in a cult for thirty-four years. Everyone else could see it. I don’t know why I couldn’t").

Archuleta Mesa, New Mexico, location of alleged Dulce base.

Just how far Campbell and Haggis’ Umbra movie will veer from the original script (which features numerous references to the darker chapters of UFOlogical history, including the alleged human/alien fire fight at Dulce described by ‘whistleblower’ Phil Schneider) remains to be seen.

Umbra will begin shooting in the spring and will hit cinemas sometime in 2013.

For a (potentially plot-spoiling) summary of the UFOlogical content of the original leaked Umbra script, see here.

For the full script itself, see here.

What is 'UMBRA'?

Bradley Cooper to star in Dulce Base movie 'Umbra'?

Spielberg's 'E.T.' survives kidnap ordeal

2012-01-03T14:41:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

A life-sized replica of Steven Spielberg’s iconic movie alien E.T. has “come home” to its owner four months after being stolen from its Hampshire UK residence.

The unique, handcrafted E.T. replica belonging to pensioner Margaret Wells, 76, was spotted floating in the sea off the coast of Old Porstmouth, Hampshire, by a local walker, just five miles from where it was taken. Fearing it to be a human body, the walker immediately notified the police.

According to The Daily Mail: “police and coastguard attending the scene quickly realised it was not a human, but the alien model... A Coastguard spokeswoman said: ‘It rolled up on the beach and gave somebody a bit of a fright.’”

Mrs Wells said of her beloved E.T.: “There's only one in the whole of England and that is mine.” The model is the work of Mrs Wells' daughter, Louise, who spent three months creating it while completing a stage make-up course.

“The police rang and said somebody has found a body in the Solent and it belongs to you – it’s E.T.,” Mrs Wells said, “I always knew E.T. would come home... he has lost a finger and looks a bit roughed up. But he has a smile on his face.”

Yes, it’s a slow news day here at Silver Screen Saucers.

UFO movie news round-up (1 Jan. 2012)

2012-01-01T01:17:00.001Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Harrison Ford is to play the role of Colonel Hyram Graff in Ender's Game, a big screen adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s classic – and, until now, “unfilmable” – sci-fi novel about a future Earth under threat of invasion by a race of insectoid aliens known as 'Formics'. Set seventy years after an epic human/alien war, the story follows the character of Ender Wiggin, a young boy whose tactical genius offers hope for humanity in the face of a new Formic invasion.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ender's Game will also star Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Abigail Breslin and Ben Kingsly. Ben Hood (Rendition, X-Men: Origins) will helm the production, while Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (whose credits include Transformers and Cowboys and Aliens) will produce. Shooting begins in February and the movie will hit cinemas in March 2013.

In other news, Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor has been chosen by Marvel to direct the sequel to Thor. Plot details for Thor 2 are sketchy at present, but the first movie – which features in my ten most notable UFO movies of 2011 list – touched on various themes and ideas central to UFOlogy, including Ancient Astronauts, wormhole travel and shadowy government agents tasked with monitoring extraordinary phenomena. Incidentally, the character of Thor will also be appearing in the upcoming mega-movie The Avengers, in which he and other Marvel superheroes will be pitted against the alien menace Loki – Thor’s own brother. Thor 2 is due for release in 2013. The Avengers is released this April. View the trailer below...

Finally, the Moscow-set alien invasion movie The Darkest Hour has opened to poor reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly gave the movie a D+, noting: “You should be rooting for the humans, but you might as well be rooting for the blobs. Most likely, though, you’ll just be rooting for the credits.” Ouch. The Wrap was no less scathing in its review, calling The Darkest Hour an “aggressively idiotic movie”, saying of its thinly sketched characters: “if these dimwits represent the hope of humanity, bring on the alien overlords.” In the same vein, The Hollywood Reporter describes The Darkest Hour as “An alien invasion flick that evidently expects dramatic shots of a depopulated Red Square to make up for a flatlining screenplay and the absence of even a single compelling character." Ouch again. For many more wince-inducing reviews of The Darkest Hour, head on over to Rotten Tomatoes.

The Darkest Hour (2011): An "aggressively idiotic movie."

The ten most notable UFO movies of 2011

2011-12-29T23:11:00.010Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

UPDATED: 30 December 2011

Top row, left to right: Attack the Block, Paul, Mars Needs Moms, Thor, Super 8. Bottom row, left to right: Battle: Los Angeles, I Am Number Four, Cowboys and Aliens, Transformers 3, Apollo 18.

As we say goodbye to 2011 I thought it only appropriate that I put together a list of what, in my opinion, have been the best, worst, and most interesting UFO movies of the year. Please do feel free to compile your own lists in the comments section below.

For those new to Silver Screen Saucers, I define a "UFO movie" as:

Any movie that taps directly into any aspect of UFO mythology or notably draws inspiration from UFOlogical discourse, incorporating into its plot references to frequently debated UFOlogical phenomena (abductions, crop circles, etc.), events (Roswell, for example) and locales (such as Area 51), and/or specialised UFOlogical terminology (‘Close Encounter’, ‘missing time’, ‘Blue Book’, ‘Moon Dust’, ‘Majestic’, etc).

A UFO movie need not be about UFOs, per se, nor feature traditional UFOlogical iconography (such as flying saucers or little ‘Grey’ aliens with big black eyes), but will nevertheless often devote a respectable amount of its running time to the dramatisation of imagined human/alien interactions, usually – though not always – in the context of a ‘first contact’ scenario in which the extraterrestrials assume the role of visitor/invader. In other words, the UFO movie frequently is concerned with the possibilities inherent from a human perspective in earthly encounters with extraterrestrials.

Silver Screen Saucers' ten most notable UFO movies of 2011

Ranked according to quality (with star ratings out of five)

Ranked according to level of UFOlogical interest/significance

INVADING CINEMAS NEXT YEAR...

Five high-profile UFO movies due for release in 2012

Information and discussion about all of the above movies is accessible directly through the Silver Screen Saucers' search bar function at the top right of the page. For a comprehensive list of UFO movies due for release between 2012 and 2014, simply scroll down the Silver Screen Saucers sidebar.

Full official 'Prometheus' trailer

2011-12-22T18:16:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

'The Darkest Hour': new viral video

2011-12-22T01:08:00.000Z

Silver Screen Saucers

A faux news report has hit the web ahead of the Christmas Day release of the alien invasion thriller The Darkest Hour...

'Prometheus': trailer preview

2011-12-20T00:59:00.000Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Official 'Prometheus' poster unveiled

2011-12-15T00:43:00.000Z

Silver Screen Saucers

THE SEARCH FOR OUR BEGINNING COULD LEAD TO OUR END...

'Prometheus': high-res photos

Ridley Scott's 'Prometheus': news update

'Men in Black 3' trailer

2011-12-12T15:01:00.000Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Related:

Retro aliens for 'Men in Black 3'

MIB III back on track

New 'Battleship' trailer reveals aliens, widespread destruction

2011-12-10T11:14:00.000Z

Silver Screen Saucers

‘Battleship’ movie: ‘Top Gun’ meets ‘Aliens’ meets ‘Crimson Tide’

2011-12-09T12:08:00.002Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Upcoming board game adaptation promises “good old fashioned city destruction from flaming projectiles, alien ships and artificially induced earthquakes.”

Footage from Universal’s Battleship was previewed recently for a small gathering of journalists in Santa Monica, California. Among those present were ComingSoon.net's Scott Huver and Silas Lesnick. Here is some choice info from their interview with the movie’s director, Peter Berg...

Of Battleship’s inspiration / origin, Berg says:

"We were looking for a title and looking for something to do... 'Transformers' had come out and I was a huge fan of it, and I was starting to think about other brands and I was just thinking about 'Battleship,' as the son of a World War II historian and a naval fanatic - my father was all about ships and all about World War II battles... So, I went and talked to the guys at Hasbro. I said, 'I want to do a film about naval warfare, the modern navy.' They said, 'What's the story?' I said, 'I'm not sure what the story is, but I'll figure one out. But I'm your guy.' We were pitching it, for some reason they were like, 'Okay, you're our guy.' I was maybe the ONLY guy pitching it, or maybe the loudest guy, but I got it and started to kind of come up with a way of bringing in alien component to the film that I thought was credible."

Berg says that Universal wanted him to go into production as soon as possible:

"I was like, 'Right now?' I was planning on doing something else.' 'Right now. Can you do it?’ I'm a pretty competitive person and I was like, 'Of course I can do it.' They said, 'Are you sure?' I said, 'Of course I can do it.' They said, 'Anything that we can do for you we'll do. We'll help you as much as we can, or as little as you want us to.' I'm really happy with the way that it's coming together. I'm happy to bring you all on the ride."

Based on conversations with Battleship’s producer, Sarah Aubrey, ComingSoon.net explains that there are two major variations of aliens in the movie: “some are scientists and others are ‘Thugs,’ used as shock troops. As far as the design goes, think Halo's Master Chief, but larger and more mechanical.”

The journalists were also shown the new trailer for the movie (due for release in the very near future), which features “quite a bit of destruction on a Michael Bay scale, both at sea and on land... Overall, the new trailer does an excellent job at communicating a level of spectacle that fans may not have been expecting from the initial teaser, including land, sea and air combat as well as good old fashioned city destruction from flaming projectiles, alien ships and artificially induced earthquakes."

Berg also confirms that his movie has been produced with the full cooperation of the US Navy:

“We filmed a lot of real Navy ships, a lot of real sailors. We had Navy consultants all over our ships because they speak their own language, like, 'What would you do here? How would you ask for this information?' And they're real happy with that and I was really happy to be able to bring that kind of reality to it. Throughout it we maintain a real sense of this is how the Navy would react to this.”

Of his movie’s aliens, Berg says:

“Our aliens, again, are not so powerful that our weapons can't engage them. I mean, it takes a lot. They're hard to sink. We have to figure it out. Our radar can't see them. Their radar can't see us. We can't communicate with each other. We have some communication issues. But our weapons systems work. We have to figure out a way to make contact with the enemy without being able to see them by figuring out where we think they are which is a throwback to the game. But if we hit them properly with enough ordinance we can hurt them.

The aliens come from a planet that... has a similar geology, a similar environment, a similar temperature to ours. There's a resemblance. They're somewhat human. They're not machines. Most of them are actually quite intelligent. Most of the ones that come are more scientific. These are guys who are basically tasked with going and looking for other planets that might be of interest for a resource data point for them. So, these guys are super-intelligent. They're not that big. They're average height maybe, five-foot-eight, five-foot-nine. They're very worn. They've done this before. They've been to other planets. They've never encountered anything with quite as much resistance as us, but they've fought before and they're not inherently violent. If you meet him his interest is not to kill you. He's not really interested in you. He's just interested in the minerals and the resources of your planet. If you get in his way he'll kill you without prejudice, for the most part.”

Battleship hits cinemas May 18, 2012.

Read the rest of ComingSoon.net’s Battleship report here.

Related articles:

A History of Government Management of UFO Perceptions through Film and Television

Lights, Camera... Covert Action: The Deep Politics of Hollywood

Transformers 3: Silver Screen Saucers review

Body-snatching aliens to invade big screen in 2013

2011-12-06T20:02:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

ComingSoon.net reports that William Hurt is in talks to appear as the character of ‘Jeb’ in the upcoming adaptation of The Host – Stephanie Meyer’s 2008 science-fiction romance novel about alien entities (called “Souls”) who silently take over Earth by invading the minds of its inhabitants. The plot is officially described as follows:

“Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves – Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love."

The Host is to be directed by Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, Lord of War). It is scheduled for release March 29, 2013.

Spielberg's 'E.T.' came close to being a horror

2011-12-05T16:38:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

One of the world’s most beloved family films – E.T. The Extraterrestrial – was very nearly a nightmarish horror; this according to the film’s director Steven Spielberg, who recently told Entertainment Weekly of his 1982 classic:

"It was going to be called Night Skies, based on a piece of UFO mythology... where a farm family reported little spindly grey aliens attacking their farm, even riding cows in the farmyard. This farm family basically huddled together for survival... It's a story that's well-known in the world of ufology, and we based our script on that story."

Spielberg is, of course, referring to the Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter of 1955, which is regarded as one of the most significant and bizarre UFO cases on record. It is also one of the best-documented.

Spielberg tells Entertainment Weekly that he even went so far as to hire legendary effects designer Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London) to bring the impish Hopkinsville Kentucky aliens to life on the big screen, adding that E.T. only transformed into a family film when Harrison Ford's then-girlfriend Melissa Mathison came onboard to rewrite the screenplay. "Melissa didn't want to write it,” Spielberg says, “I needed Harrison and all of us to talk her into it."

Spielberg's Saucer Secrets

Reagan Wasn't Joking, and Spielberg Knows It

Tom Cruise to star in back-to-back ET invasion flicks

2011-12-03T16:05:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Sakurazaka's graphic novel

Variety reports that Tom Cruise has agreed to star in All You Need Is Kill – a big screen adaptation of Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s graphic novel about a soldier in a future war against extraterrestrials known as ‘Mimics’ who finds himself stuck in a Groundhog Day-style time loop and is forced to relive his last day over and over again after being killed. With each new resurrection the soldier’s skill improves, giving him the chance to change not only his own fate, but that of humanity.

All you Need is Kill will be directed by Doug Liman for Warner Bros. Cruise is expected to start work on the movie in late 2012, making it an alien-packed year for the star. In March, Cruise will begin work on Universal’s Horizons – a $100 million sci-fi epic directed by TRON: Legacy helmer, Joseph Kosinski, adapted from his forthcoming graphic novel, Oblivion.

Earlier this year, Variety said of Horizons:

"Cruise is set to star as Jack, a man who lives in the clouds above Earth and heads to its surface to repair drones that essentially keep the planet safe from an alien race that has all but wiped out humanity.

There are two key female characters -- Victoria, Jack's right-hand woman and lover who serves as his eyes and ears while he's on repair missions, and Julia, his fiancee on Earth before the alien invasion.”

Artwork from the forthcoming graphic novel Oblivion, on which the movie Horizons is to be based

Although All You Need Is Kill and Horizons share obvious narrative themes – and Tom Cruise as leading man – director Doug Liman has insisted that the two movies will be “completely different.”

Horizons is due for release in July of 2013; All You Need Is Kill will follow later in the same year or in early 2014.

The Need-to-Know Petition: A Message from Richard Dolan

2011-12-03T11:03:00.000Z

Silver Screen Saucers

SIGN THE PETITION

New 'John Carter' trailer - HD

2011-12-01T11:21:00.000Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Disney has released its new, full trailer for John Carter...

'Prometheus': high-res photos

2011-12-01T11:00:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

20th Century Fox has released high-resolution promotional shots for Ridley Scott's Alien prequel Prometheus. These come via ComingSoon.net...

Prometheus will be unleashed in cinemas June 8, 2012.

'The Darkest Hour' warning signs

2011-11-30T22:06:00.000Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Summit Entertainment has released four 'Warning Signs' as part of its marketing campaign for The Darkest Hour - a Moscow-set alien invasion thriller due for release in 3D and 2D on Christmas day...

The Darkest Hour stars Emile Hirsch, Olivia Thirlby, Max Minghella, Rachael Taylor and Joel Kinnaman and is directed by Chris Gorak.

Related posts:

'The Darkest Hour': story details, artwork revealed

'The Darkest Hour' featurette

'Men in Black 3' posters revealed

2011-11-29T22:16:00.003Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Columbia Pictures has provided ComingSoon.net with two posters for Men in Black 3. Towards the bottom of each poster is a disguised weblink - TheMenInBlackSuitsAreReal.com - which leads to a viral Facebook account run by 'BugEyes126', who has left the following message:

"I've uncovered that there's these Men in Black suits who monitor and police alien activity on earth. Up until now no one believes me, so I'm on a mission to prove that they're real and that's why I started this Facebook page. More soon."

Men in Black 3 opens in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on May 25. It is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and stars Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Jemaine Clement, Emma Thompson, Nicole Scherzinger, Alice Eve and Michael Stuhlbarg.

Related:

Retro aliens for 'Men in Black 3'

'MIB III' back on track

New 'John Carter' poster

2011-11-29T10:29:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Disney has released a new poster design for the hotly anticipated Mars-based adventure John Carter...

The Red Planet itself dominates in the new poster. A bold move on Disney's part... the studio knows only too well the sting of the Martian Curse.

Hollywood's top alien designer talks 'Prometheus', 'Super 8'

2011-11-28T21:22:00.001Z

Silver Screen Saucers

Above: alien from Super 8 (2011)

Hollywood creature designer Neville Page chatted recently with horror movie news site Shock Till You Drop about his experience of working with some of the industry’s top directors on projects such as Avatar, Super 8 and the forthcoming Prometheus.

Page – who also designed the aliens for Star Trek and Green Lantern – says:

Above: aliens from Green Lantern (2011)

“I see myself as an arm, hired to realize other peoples' visions. Yes, they hire me because I have a particular take on things and aesthetic. Working with someone like James Cameron, Ridley Scott or J.J. Abrams, they have an agenda, they have a vision they need my help realizing. So, the reason I say I try to have my style come through is because it's not about me, it's about taking whatever is in their heads and trying to bring it to light. It ends up being infused with your aesthetic propensities. You can't help to have it be of you. It's my job to make sure the character in their production doesn't look similar to something else in another production.”

To read the rest of the interview, head on over to Shock Till You Drop.

New 'John Carter' photos

2011-11-26T00:00:00.000Z

Silver Screen Saucers

SFX magazine has just published six new images from Disney's forthcoming sci-fi adventure John Carter...

The new trailer for John Carter will arrive next week and the movie itself is due for release March 9, 2012.

UFO movie news round-up (25 Nov. 2011)

2011-11-25T11:46:00.000Z

By Robbie Graham Silver Screen Saucers

Veteran producer Gale Anne Hurd has optioned Annie Jacobsen’s controversial book Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base for a potential TV series. According to Deadline the series “will follow two men working on the base who are thrust into danger when they uncover secrets that the government will protect at any cost.” Annie Jacobsen will work on the project as a consulting producer.

In other news, new images of Ridley Scott’s hotly anticipated Alien prequel Prometheus have emerged through Entertainment Weekly. One of the stars of the movie, Michael Fassbender, seemed to confirm to EW that the aliens featured in the existing franchise will indeed appear in Prometheus: “There’s definitely a link to Alien,”he said, “There’s creatures in it that you’ll recognize.”

Ridley Scott's Prometheus (2012)

For more new images from Prometheus, see here.

Finally, and again through Entertainment Weekly, Disney has released a new image from its forthcoming Mars-based epic John Carter, which shows the eponymous hero doing battle with one of the great White Apes of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic source material.

John Carter is due for release March 9, 2012.