The Best Movies You Probably Haven't Seen

It's been awhile since I did one of these, but as it's become the term most searched to find my site, I thought it was about time I did another one. Never let it be said I don't give the people what they want. Well sometimes. Rarely. There's a first time for everything, right?


Now Showing:

Alien Autopsy (2006)

Directed By:
Johnny Campbell (Doctor Who, Peak Practice)

Written By: 
William Davies (How To Train Your Dragon, Johnny English)

Starring: 
Declan Donnelly (Ant & Dec's Push the Button, Love Actually), Anthony McPartlin (Ant & Dec's Push the Button, Love Actually), Bill Pullman (Independence Day, The Serpent and the Rainbow), Harry Dean Stanton (Alien, The Green Mile)

The Gist:
A humorous take on the famous alien autopsy video hoax, it tells the story of how Ray Santilli (Declan Donnelly) and Gary Shoefield (Anthony McPartlin) came into possession of a reel of film showing what took place at Roswell. After securing a shady and dangerous backer for the cost of the film, they find that the film has worn away leaving them with a blank reel. In order to save their skin they set out to remake it with the help of their friends.

Why You Should Watch It:
This based on a true story (true according to the accounts of Santilli) is a hilarious look at what went into making the famous film. It's heavily padded with outrageous ideas and very colorful characters. If nothing else, it makes for a good blueprint on how to create a hoax.

Why You Probably Haven't Seen It:
In this case, I'm speaking largely to those outside of the UK as it charted decently in the British box office. This side of the pond though it did a couple film festivals before being relegated to a DVD release.

Scene To Savor:
By far the actual filming of the fake alien being dissected. It is all at once disturbing and hilarious.

Comments:
It's far from being a perfect movie. The script is sketchy at times with the writing going from clever to dim and back again in a roller coaster fashion. The comedy duo Ant & Dec in the leads, do help with their performances carrying through the lesser parts of the film. The weakest part for me is the way it tells the story in flashbacks like they're setting up a documentary with Bill Pullman's character. I would have preferred a straightforward telling and cut that part completely. Still if you don't go into it expecting a home run, you end up with a really decent and interesting comedy.

Overall on the scale of missed gems: 3 out of 5