Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction?

This isn't a "review" per se.  I just wanted to talk about this thing.  Y'know, people tend to romanticize the 80's for its innate wackiness.  And if you grew up during that decade, I get how that would be your truth.  But dude, the 90's.  You want wacky?  No one blinked when ostensibly real autopsy footage was aired on network television (in a primetime slot, no less).  Moreover, it pulled great ratings!  This would never fly in the modern zeitgeist.  UFO sightings make headlines once in a blood moon, but Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? would never find an audience in 2024, assuming it was made at all.

Eventually released on home video by Vidmark Entertainment (as if it wasn't weird enough), Autopsy is a 45-minute pseudo-documentary with a smattering of bold claims up its sleeve.  In addition to eyewitness testimonies, it purports to show the autopsy of an extraterrestrial corpse administered in 1947.  A private investigator is hired to track down the cameraman, although I don't think I need to spoil that one for you.

I love how this special pats itself on the back.  I'm paraphrasing, but we are told by a panel of experts that "if the video is a hoax, it's incredibly well-done."  The audacity!  To be fair, it is incredibly well-done, so I can't say that anyone here is exaggerating.  Stan Winston shows up at one point.  He later claimed that his comments were taken out of context, that he very clearly stated his opinion that the video was, indeed, a hoax.

And yep, it was a hoax, but in 1995, viewers weren't entirely sure.  Some of the interviews are one hundred percent candid.  For example, Frankie Rowe comes across as genuine and somewhat damaged by her experiences.  It's patently obvious that she isn't acting, which only makes Autopsy more engrossing.  The stonefaced delivery of host Jonathan Frakes (he of Star Trek fame) plays a role in substantiating the eerie atmosphere.  I'm not saying that I believe every word that Autopsy launches our way; what I am saying is that it's a cool, creepy nostalgia trip.  I remember watching it as a kid in between episodes of The Simpsons and The X-Files.

I've said this before, but I'm borderline obsessed with mid-90's pop culture, especially 1995.  Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? scratches that itch for me in a major way.  Even if you approach it as pure bubblegum entertainment, it's worth watching at least once.  Remember, we are not alone!

Blood Capsule #240

This review was requested via Patreon.  If you'd like to request a review (and please do show mercy on me), click HERE.

THE DRILLER KILLER (1979)

In theory, I liked this movie.  In execution, it was a polyp gestating on the lining of my colon.  I realize that there isn't much gray area between those two, um, circumstances, but The Driller Killer is a grindhouse feature that you will either love or hate.  It could loosely be called a character study.  The character it studies is an unhinged artist named Reno living in the slummy paunch of New York.  Played by then-fledgling director Abel Ferrara, Reno has a number of issues that vary in terms of human interest.  His girlfriend entertains the advances of an ex, his art dealer employer rebukes his work, and to top it all off, the punk band upstairs won't stop practicing.  A word on the punk band...they are called The Roosters, and they suck.  I suppose that you need an ear for crude, drugged out rock to appreciate them, but we have to sit through way, way too much of their music.

What about the drill-killing, you ask?  It takes awhile for Reno to brandish his weapon of choice.  Yes, there is plenty of blood, but aside from the last ten minutes, the deaths are passionately humdrum.  Hmm, Passionately Humdrum would make for a great band name.  It's better than The Roosters anyway.  Yeah, I didn't get much out of The Driller Killer.  It does have its fans.  I can see the appeal, especially if you pair it up with Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case for a sleazy double feature.  Again, in theory?  It's okay.  Honestly, I'd be in favor of a remake.  Recommended to fans of recreational rotary tools.

Mortis in WWE?

So check this out...I found Mortis dark matches from 2003.  What's more, he's purple!  How awesome is that???  I can't believe that Vinnie Mac never gave this gimmick a fair shot on the main roster.  You have to think that just a few years later, Mortis would have fit perfectly on WWE's ECW.  If you want a random "lol" moment, the first match in this video is against Austin Aries.