Alien Autopsy (2006) November 28, 2006
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , trackbackDirected by: Jonny Campbell
Apparently UK television stars Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were offered numberous movie roles prior to this, but turned them down. Interestingly, a story about the faked alien autopsy of 1995 that captured huge media and public interest, convinced them to test the water. The question everyone wanted to know was: could they pull it off?
First the plot. Dec plays Ray Santilli, a wheeler & dealer who is desperate to take a trip stateside so he can buy Elvis memorabilia to sell back in the UK. He drags his slightly more conservative friend Gary Shoefield (Ant) along too. During the trip Ray is shown a film that changes his outlook on life – a real alien autopsy, filmed just after the supposed Roswell landings in 1947. He borrows money to buy the film, but by the time the duo reaches UK shores it has disintegrated into almost nothing. Ray and Gary are now in a bad situation, and with a dangerous loan shark wanting to see the mysterious movie he gave up $30,000 for, the two friends do the only thing they can think of: start filming a fake autopsy in their living room.
Now it may sound like a crazy story, but it’s actually based on a true one. Or so the real Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield would like us to think. How much of the America story actually happened we may never know, but these two did fake an alien autopsy in 1995, and subsequently sold it to a host of television networks around the world. Only recently have they ‘come clean’ on this fact, although Ray sticks to the story that he saw the real footage in Florida.
Aside from the mystery surrounding the story, the movie itself is surprisingly good. It’s by no means perfect, but I was certainly entertained throughout the 95-minute duration. The story is told nicely, as the boys recount their story to a documentary filmmaker (played by Bill Pullman). The direction and script are nothing special, the only real highlights being Ant and Dec’s chemistry, which after years of working together they have down to a tee.
And that brings us to the most discussed aspect of the film: are Ant and Dec any good? Well, for the most part, yes. It’s difficult to forget that they are the lovable TV duo we’re used to seeing on a Saturday night, but after what feels like a shaky start, they quickly get into their characters. Hollywood stardom might not be calling yet, but they certainly won’t be any worse off for having made this.
In the end, Alien Autopsy is a decent British comedy, and it’s nice to be able to say that once in a while. It does need to be funnier (it’s no Shaun of the Dead), but the strangeness inherent in the story helps make up for that. Just don’t do what I almost did, and discount it as nonsense because it’s a low budget British movie with those two guys from the telly. There’s much more to enjoy here than it would first appear.
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