"Alien Autopsy" Goofs - The
Master List
This list is based on the "complete footage", as seen
at the end of the Fox home video release.
Individually, these things might be explainable. But add them
up and... well, you decide.
Overall Impressions Because of the continuity
of the blood drops, stains, and other details of the corpse as the
autopsy progresses, it seems likely one alien corpse was used for
the entire sequence. (It
is possible to repaint drops of blood on a second body,
but there's nothing that really suggests a second body was
needed.)
The cameraman's style is, to say the least, awful. Even when
he has a clear field of view and plenty of time, he seldom
stands still for more than a few seconds.
However, he also seems to have an uncanny knack for triggering
his camera immediately before something interesting happens, and
to be pointing at the right place when it does. Also, notice the
number of times he frames his shots to allow room for something
that hasn't happened yet - but does as soon as the shot begins.
The Autopsy
The Body:
Before the examiners enter the scene, the camera runs around the
exam table, getting shots of the body.
The rolls of fat under the armpits, above the thighs, and under
the chin all seem to indicate gravity pulling toward the toes
rather than downward. The leg muscles seem to be tensed. All of
which suggests this body was created from a body cast of a
standing person.
The overall position of the body from the very first shot until
the very last is exactly the same - with no sign throughout that
it ever moves at all.
The initial exam scenes:
Seen in their entirety, the actions of the examiner prior to the
first incision are a treat to watch. Perhaps he's supposed to be
feeling for organs under the skin before he starts cutting. If so,
he can't be feeling much - not the way he's doing it!
How many ways can you pretend to handle a body without actually
handling it? Ask this guy - he knows them all.
Examining the face:
The doctor lays hands on the creature's face, and appears to be
looking in its mouth. Does he even attempt to open the jaw, or
pull the lips aside? Nope!
Closeup of the wounded knee:
The doctor bends the knee slightly - but only to the point where
a foam or urethane knee would be expected to start wrinkling.
Also, of all the joints this one is the most likely to bend at
all, since half of its material is missing. Perhaps this is why we
never see any attempt to manipulate the other joints.
Also notice the knee-bending scene takes place over two shots - a
close shot and a wide shot. The doctor bends the knee in the close
shot. Then, what appears to be an end-of-roll flare appears. At
least a few minutes must have passed while the cameraman changed
rolls and began filming again. And when filming resumes we find
the doctor still bending the knee! Must be one fascinating knee
bend there.
Closeup of the hand:
The bending of the wrist shows no sign of elastic skin sliding
over an understructure. The curvature of the bend suggests the
wrist is a boneless tube.
When the hand flops to the table, the fingers don't bounce.
First neck incision:
A low angle shot of the shoulders and head. This single shot is
interesting for a variety of reasons -
The shoulders appear to be standing straight out from the
body, rather than sagging back against the table. (Typical of a
standing-up body cast.)
The skin of the back shows no sign of softness or compression
where it meets the table.
This type of neck incision is normally used prior to removing
the skin of the face... which we never see happen.
At the very end of the shot, the incision appears to begin
bleeding spontaneously from two places under the ear. This could
be a lucky coincidence... but consider the following:
- The previous shot shows the examiner picking up the
scalpel, apparently about to begin the incision. The shot ends
there.
- The next shot begins with the camera perfectly placed - and
uncharacteristically steady - as the incision begins.
- As the doctor moves the scalpel along the neck and across
to the chest the camera doesn't move on. Instead, it
remains focused on the side of the neck for several seconds -
until blood begins to drip from the wound.
This is the only shot which suggests the creature builders
may have included some "blood gags" - devices intended
to make the body bleed at specific places and times. (Usually
tubes hidden below the skin and pumped from off-camera.) The way
the camera seems to be waiting for the blood to begin
dripping hints that this may be an example of a blood gag.
Chest incision:
The abdominal incision happens three times in three
different shots in this sequence! This is highly unusual - a
single aggressive cut is the normal technique.
The first cut along the abdomen - the scalpel doesn't even appear
to be breaking the surface of the skin.
The second cut - the examiner seems to be sawing the
skin with the scalpel. This could suggest a silicone skin, which
is pretty tough stuff.
It's difficult to tell if the earlier cuts are even there when
the second and third cuts are made, which would suggest retakes.
However, they might be there, but invisible due to the poor
cinematography.
Opening of chest flaps:
(This entire sequence is missing from the Fox special. Too bad -
it's nice work!)
Even in the complete footage, a key moment when the incised skin
is first opened is not seen, suggesting redressing of the corpse
between the two sequences. It's also possible that sequence was
shot, but left out because it didn't look very good!
Missing scene - sternum removal:
After the skin is reflected from the chest, the entire sequence
of the removal of what appears to be the sternum and ribcage is
omitted. First the ribcage is there, then suddenly it isn't.
Organ removal:
Note the sequence near the end of the organ-removal scenes,
showing the V-shaped lower end of the abdominal incision and the
alien's upper thighs. The examiner removes several organs, going
deeper and deeper into the cavity.
But where are the alien's pelvis and thigh bones? Judging by the
location of the legs, they would be expected to be visible,
instead of the empty space seen here.
Eye membrane removal scene:
As the examiner prepares to remove the eye membranes, he lays his
hand on the alien's forehead and moves the head slightly.
The resulting motion is very stiff. The head seems to be moving
at one point only - the join between the neck and head, rather
than the compound move a humanoid neck should show.
Eye membrane removal scene, Part II:
A wide shot as the examiner leans in to remove the creature's
left eye membrane. He places the pickers at the corner of the eye,
and...
There is a cut. The next shot is a closeup of the pickers at the
corner of the eye, at the instant the examiner removes the
membrane.
Several seconds at least must have elapsed between the two shots
- but the examiner apparently hasn't moved. Strange - unless the
examiner was very much aware of the camera and waited until it was
ready to capture the moment of removal.
Scalp incision:
Another instant change of camera position here.
The camera is on the examiner's left side. The examiner begins
the cut on the far side of the alien's head, working his way
around to the top of the head. The shot ends as the scalpel is
still in motion.
The next shot begins with the camera on the examiner's right
side. The scalpel is still in motion - and within an inch or
two of where it was in the previous shot.
Again, either the camera operator either managed to change
position and resume filming within two or three seconds - or the
examiner waited for the next shot to begin.
Scalp incision - Part II (Closeup,
left side of the alien's head) As the scalpel moves down the side
of the head, past the ear, several square inches of the side of
the head dimple inward.
Unusual for skin being cleanly cut, but typical of a rubber
surface being pressed against.
Scalp incision - Part III:
The scalp incision is repeated a second time. Again, very unusual
procedure. Normally, one deep cut is performed.
Missing scene in scalp removal
sequence:
Incision of scalp, then a sudden jump to a shot of the scalp
already partly removed.
Like the same missing scene in the abdominal sequence, this
suggests a redressing of the skin before continuing of the scene,
or the removal of the actual "skin opening" shot because
it didn't look good.
Examiner response to camera:
The only time an examiner acknowledges the camera's existence
occurs during the scalp removal sequence.
The camera is close on the examiner's hands as he prepares to use
his scalpel on the skin of the scalp. Suddenly the examiner turns
to the camera, waves directly at the lens, then turns away. The
shot stops there. The next shot shows the beginning of the same
action, and this time the examiner proceeds without stopping.
It's possible the examiner was warning the cameraman, or angry at
something he said or did.
It's also possible this is an actor breaking character to say "Cut,
cut! I blew it!"
Missing scene of skull cap removal:
The lengthy "sawing the skull cap" scene never shows
the actual breakthrough of the skull, or the removal of the skull
cap. Instead, the film jumps directly from the sawing to the
removal of the brain.
Notice also that the entire sequence only shows the sawing of
the forehead area. To completely open the skull cap, the
examiner would have had to saw completely around the
circumference of the head. This would require turning the
alien's head to both sides, then probably turning the body
completely over. None of what must have been a lengthy procedure
is seen here. A coincidental omission - or more evidence that
the alien's head doesn't turn, and the body wasn't built to look
good when face-down?
Nice work here: the piercing of the membrane covering
the "brain" is wonderfully gross!
Blooper: Head goes "boinnnng!"
Possibly the cutest moment in the entire film. Watch carefully as
the brain is removed and placed in the tray. The alien's head is
visible in the lower portion of the frame, partially covered by
the flap of scalp.
The assistant brings the pan into frame, then grabs the alien's
head to steady it while the brain is removed. At the moment the
brain is placed in the pan, he lets go of the head - and it
bounces rapidly back and forth. Notice how he quickly reaches out
again to stop the head from bouncing!
A Few Additional Observations:
The complete film doesn't
show any sign of "hot frames".
Every time a spring-wound camera begins to roll, it requires a
fraction of a second to get to full speed, overexposing the first
few frames. This overexposure results in a telltale flash at the
beginning of every shot. None are seen here.
We only see two walls of the "exam
room". Despite the many times the cameraman moves to the foot
and the far side of the table - he manages to avoid showing the
opposite side of the room.
Coincidence? Or are there movie lights or crewmembers we're not
supposed to see? Or is there no "other side" of the room
at all?
This footage shows the initial examination,
the first incision, the removal of many major organs, the scalp
incision, and the removal of the brain. The cameraman supposedly
turned the rest of his footage over to the military.
So what's on the film the military did get? Apparently
they never noticed all the major events of the autopsy were
missing.
The examiners never acknowledge the camera
operator. (Other than the one unusual moment listed above.) The "official"
story is that they ignored him. Possibly.
But - note how they never glance at the camera at all.
They're never surprised when he sprints in to shoot over their
shoulders or under their armpits. He runs all around the room,
supposedly at random, and yet never seems to get in their way,
and vice versa.
Their behavior suggests they're not just ignoring him -
they're pretending he isn't there. Watch your old home movies -
people who are being filmed in candid scenes usually glance at
the camera. Actors know they shouldn't.
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