A grainy film purporting to show an alien autopsy from the 1947 Roswell incident has been rediscovered in US archives, reigniting debate over one of the most infamous hoaxes of the 20th century. The footage, which first surfaced in 1995, depicts hazmat-suited figures examining a bulbous-headed humanoid on a table. It was initially hailed by global news outlets as groundbreaking evidence of extraterrestrial life.
However, the documentary The Alien Autopsy Scandal, airing on Sky Documentaries, reveals the film was actually created in a Camden flat by two British businessmen, Ray Santilli and Gary Shoefield. They employed a sculptor who worked on Doctor Who to build the alien, a magician to shoot the footage, and filled the model with animal organs from a butcher, including a lamb's brain and pig's pluck, to achieve a realistic appearance.
Santilli, a music entrepreneur, maintains he was sold the original film by a real soldier from Roswell, but claims it suffered oxidation damage, leading him to recreate the missing parts. He compares his actions to art restoration, saying, 'To us, it's a restoration of an existing work.' When US journalists demanded to meet the anonymous cameraman, Santilli and Shoefield reportedly filmed a homeless man in the dark, posing as the veteran. The ruse was exposed when an investigator adjusted the TV contrast.
The hoax was initially broken by Reg Presley, singer of the Troggs, on the daytime show Good Morning With Anne and Nick. Santilli and Shoefield profited from VHS rentals of the footage. Shoefield, interviewed in Beverly Hills, looks and sounds like a Harry Enfield character, while Santilli appears perpetually nervous. The documentary highlights how their brazen lies succeeded because audiences wanted to believe.
In an era of AI-generated fakery, the analogue charm of this hoax stands out. One believer in the documentary states, 'We're not alone. We've never been alone.' The film serves as a reminder of a time when trust was more readily given, and wonder was alive.
