By Steve Hammons
Posted: 13:34 March 20, 2009The new movie RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN, which opened in theatres on Friday, March 13, continues the acclimation process for the public on the possibility or probability that we are being visited by extraterrestrial and/or extra-dimensional intelligent beings.
Interestingly, March 13 is also the anniversary of the 1997 "Phoenix lights incident" when a huge V-shaped craft reportedly flew slowly, silently and at a low altitude over Phoenix in the early evening hours.
Films, TV shows, books and other media platforms have long been part of an alleged effort to prepare Americans and people internationally for the idea that some unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are piloted by intelligent visitors to Earth.
RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN will bring moviegoers a new opportunity to wrap our minds around these concepts.
Director Andy Fickman has stated that the idea of such visitation to Earth is something he finds very interesting and plausible. UFO experts and personnel associated with the U.S. military and the CIA reportedly helped in the research for the movie.
Walt Disney Pictures brought Fickman onboard to help create a newer and different version of the 1975 ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN. It is not a remake, but described as "a modern re-imagining." Mark Lopez and Mark Bomback worked on the screenwriting for the project.
HOLLYWOOD AND ACCLIMATION
There have long been reports that Hollywood was recruited to help prepare people for a scenario in which we would need to be ready to deal with the idea of unusual visitors to Earth.
This is consistent with the cooperation between Hollywood and the U.S. defense and intelligence communities during World War II and in subsequent years on a variety of subjects.
Walt Disney allegedly was approached by the U.S. military in the 1950s about creating a movie on this subject. Work was reportedly begun on the film, but the plug was pulled for reasons that remain unclear.
Decades later, Steven Spielberg created CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. Rumors still circulate that he, too, had government-related sources who whispered in his ear about real-life aspects of the UFO situation.
There is a long list of movies, TV shows and books that address the topics of UFOs, visitors from elsewhere and a range of other unconventional topics that could be related.
Even Army Air Corps veteran Jack Webb of TV's "Dragnet" created the series "Project UFO" which ran on NBC for two seasons in 1978 and 1979. The show followed the activities of two Air Force investigators of Project Bluebook, the real-life program of UFO case investigation, and/or part of the cover-up, according to some observers.
Project Bluebook was based at southwestern Ohio's Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. As many people know, Wright-Patterson AFB is alleged to be the location where wreckage was taken after the "Roswell incident" in the summer of 1947.
CAST OF HUMANS
And now, RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN will continue this process of sparking the imaginations of movie audiences, and possibly helping us get ready for more understanding and insight about UFOs and unconventional visitors.
Dwayne Johnson stars as a Las Vegas cab driver who meets two kids - or are they? AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig play the extraterrestrial kids who must get to the super-secret U.S. facility at Witch Mountain.
Johnson and the ET kids encounter some open-minded and visionary scientists (Carla Gugino and Garry Marshall) while being pursued by "men in black" who want to stop them... or worse.
The cast includes actors from the original 1975 movie. Kim Richards, who played the girl, is a roadhouse waitress in the new film. Ike Eisenmann, the boy, plays Sheriff Anthony.
Real-life UFO researchers Whitley Strieber and William J. Birnes have cameo roles.
RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN is sure to be a fun movie-going experience for kids, teens and adults who will enjoy the fast-paced and thoughtful script.
And, maybe we will be more prepared for new realities dawning in the 21st century.
