Movie Review by Neils Hesse
Starring: Ant McPartlin, Declan Donnelly, Bill Pullman, Harry Dean Stanton
Director: Jonny Campbell
In 1995 the world was equally shocked and amazed by a film of what seemed to be an actual alien autopsy, so who was behind this shock mass screening for all the world to see? Well, it was actually two blokes from good old England.
It all starts with Ray Santilli (Declan Donnelly) and his mate Gary Shoefield (Ant McPartlin) who are on a trip to America to buy Elvis Presley memorabilia. Ray meets an old timer, portrayed perfectly by Harry Dean Stanton, who offers to sell him film footage that he claims will change life as mankind knows it forever! Ray watches the tape and eagerly enlists financial backing from a shady businessman, hilariously played by former James Bond henchman Voros (Götz Otto). But then disaster strikes as the film has become eroded over the years, so Ray decides to make a remake of the original film with the help of numerous friends, with shockingly hilarious and worrying results!
Jonny Campbell manages to make this film entertaining enough for the whole family to watch. It isn’t an outright comedy nor is it a particularly serious film. ALIEN AUTOPSY proves to be a good vehicle for the antics of British television’s dynamic duo Ant and Dec. While their acting skills are not exactly Oscar quality, to give them their due, they are quite adequate in their roles here. The cameos by Bill Pullman, Harry Dean Stanton, Götz Otto, and in particular Orson Bean are all excellently done.
ALIEN AUTOPSY is an inoffensive, family friendly and entertaining British movie that is worth a look!
