[film] The Mothman Prophecies

Hand Of Vecna's praise of the film is literally the first positive thing I've heard about it. From what I understand, it was supposed to be released last year, but was so bad it was shelved until now (that's according to one film critic).

As to it being "based on real events", well, that's complicated. The film is based on a book by the same name which supposedly depicts the events which occurred in this small town over a period of time (UFO & Mothman sighting, weird visitors, and a disaster which I won't mention). From what I've seen from reviews of the film, the main characters and their story are totally ficticious.

So, why didn't they base the film on the book?

Well, the guy who wrote the book is, um, well, nuts. Seriously. First, the author, John Keel (who claims to have experienced everything in his book) believes that UFOs and aliens aren't from outer space, but another dimension and were the inspiration for fairies and leprechauns. Okay, that's not new or overly weird. However, Keel derides and belittles anyone who believes the outer space ideas. Like one theory is more valid than the other.

And how does he know that aliens are from another dimension? He just does!:rolleyes:

And what about the people who claim to have spoken with aliens? Surely, if the aliens told them they were from space and Keel believes these people really spoke to these beings, then how can he deny that aliens are from space? Read on. "In their meetings with the entities, they are served up platters of propaganda along with rumors and nonsense which they accept and repeat as fact."

That's right. The aliens are lying to people! And why would they do that?

"(The aliens)...fail to understand who or what they are..."

Yes, those poor foolish aliens actually believe that they are from outer space! How dare they pit their superior intellect against the author's magical abitity to just know stuff!:rolleyes:

And, finally, here is the best quote from the book:

"Were our contactees being used by exterior intelligences to carry out crimes, even murder? The answer is a disturbing yes. If you review the history of political assassinations you will find that many were performed by so-called religious fanatics who were obeying the 'voice of God' or were in an obvious state of possession when they committed their crime. Even the ten co-conspirators in the assassination of President Lincoln were in this category."

That's right. Lincoln was killed on the orders of other dimensional leprechauns!:eek:

The whole book is loaded with self-aggrandizing (everyone knows who Keel is, even the aliens) and paranoia (His ramblings about how recieving a couple of damaged non-UFO related pieces of mail are all proof of an interdimensional conspiracy are both laughable and frightening. As are his hypothesis that the phone company has tapped his phone).

How in God's name a movie got made based on this crap is beyond me.

Then again, Hollywood gave us the D&D movie, Battlefield: Earth, the Batman sequels, and a Carrot Top movie, so...
 

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Being from WV, I've spent enough time in Point Pleasant that I'll believe just about anything having to do with Mothman...

Nutkin gets the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it.
 

Villano--you're suggesting Keel's a paranoid?

That's an understatement. The man's paranoia personified, a sort of insanity given walking form.

Though he writes a better book than most of the saucer nuts.

(P.S. To all concerned--it really WAS a weather balloon...)
 

I would have to disagree. While Keel is probably not 100% correct, he's not incorrect either. A much brighter author with a similar viewpoint is Jacques Vallee. His viewpoint inspired a X-files episode, the first one with the guy from Hollywood Squares on it, Charles Nelson Reily. He also inspired the french character in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, although like Keel, he doesn't believe in aliens, so it's somewhat ironic.

Anyway, believe what you want, but I used to be into that stuff myself, but I got out, because things were getting too weird...
 

Vallee also believes that many of the medieval demonological legends of succubi, etc., and much of Celtic faerie lore, were based on the same source as aliens.
 

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