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Santilli's 'Tent Footage' Takes a Tumble
Page 3
by Philip Mantle
Bruce Barlow, who also took part in Bob Kiviat's TV show 'The World's Greatest Hoaxes', was also interviewed especially for this feature.
PM (Philip Mantle) BB (Bruce Barlow).
PM: Why did you not tell Bob Digby, one of your colleagues working on 'Reason To Believe', and a director of BUFORA, that the 'tent footage you used was a hoax?
BB: At the time I had given my word not to disclose any information about the footage.
PM:Why are there differences in your story and that of Keith Bateman and Andy Price-Watts ?
BB: I can only think they want to keep certain aspects quiet for what reason I'm not sure. But it has just come to light recently by speaking to the butcher that his real name is not Ian as I was lead to believe . (The butcher is one of the 'actors' used in the tent footage).
PM: If Bob Digby put up one third of the money for Penetrating The Web, why did you not inform him of what was happening ?
BB: Bob Digby only put up one third of the money for Penetrating the Web 1, not 2, and at the time of production he was working abroad.
PM: Did Keith Bateman state quite clearly to you that Ray Santilli had paid them to fake the tent footage film ?
BB: Yes, Keith Bateman told me they had been paid a fee to make the tent footage but never told me how much.
PM: Ray Santilli claims that he took genuine footage to A.K. Music for them to enhance and that A.K. Music conned him. I your opinion, why is this statement incorrect ?
BB: A.K. Music had no facilities to for tele-cine, all they had was an audio recording studio which we used for our interviews for Penetrating The Web 1 and a two machine beta edit suite. They had no means of converting cine film and no knowledge of this. I think this is just a story made up by Santilli in an attempt to shift the blame for the tent footage.
PM: Have you anything further to add to the story ?
BB: I have always been surprised that he picked A.K. Music to make the tent footage as they had never done anything in the video line other than Karaoke or animation.
THE RIGHT TO REPLY.
Before completing this article I have offered Ray Santilli the right to reply and this is what he has to say regarding the above:
Philip, I don't have much to add from what I have already given you. What I will say is that the real story has been augmented by the people in Milton Keynes, enough to confuse and cloud the real events and give them credibility. The fact is: I did not commission the tent footage they have and the story about the money paid to them is nonsense. They got publicity for creating a film I did not use or want, rather interesting what the press will take as a worthwhile story. Ultimately I don't care anymore. If people think it is linked to the real film it's a shame. With that and some of the nonsense piles onto the film from other quarters the real story of what the film is will never see the light of day. It's not my loss!
You and many others spent a great deal of time checking me out over the years. Have you done the same with the people in Milton Keynes ? If not maybe you should. I don't like the heading 'Santilli's Tent Footage Takes a Tumble'. It's not my tent footage !! I would be grateful if you make that point.....
Ray Santilli, Saturday, 17 April, 1999.
Keith Bateman of the now defunct A.K. Music also replied. In reply to a letter I sent him Keith Bateman telephoned me on Monday 19th April. During the conversation I had with Keith I asked him quite categorically if Ray Santilli had paid and commissioned them to fake the 'tent footage'. Keith informed me in no uncertain words that Ray Santilli had not, I repeat, had not paid them or commissioned them to fake the 'tent footage'. Instead, it was indeed they who had attempted to pull the wool over Santilli's eyes.
FINAL WORD ?
So there you have it, the saga of the 'tent footage' is finally revealed. Accusations and counter accusations, comments and opinions, it is all there. Keith Bateman maintains that they tried to dupe Ray Santilli a fact seemingly supported by Santilli himself. While others such as Elliott Willis and Bruce Barlow state the opposite, that Santilli did commission A.K. Music to fake the 'tent footage'. You will have to weigh up both sides of the argument and make up your own mind who you believe.
What we can say with certainty is that the 'tent footage' section of the alien autopsy film is indeed a fake. What this says about the remainder of the alien autopsy film I will again leave you to decide.
One can not help being suspicious of course, not just because of the fake 'tent footage' but the fact still remains that Santilli has not provided anyone with 16mm film stock for analysis that depicts an image of the 'alien creature', nor has anyone seen any of this film stock either. There is yet another autopsy film viewed only by a select myself included, that has not been released into the public domain. No one knows if Santilli's mysterious cameraman really exists. All of this, and more, when added together is enough to perhaps make anyone suspicious, a fact even acknowledge by Ray Santilli himself. Until Santilli and his associates do release film stock for analysis, and others speak to his cameraman then the debates about the alien autopsy film's authenticity will continue to rumble.
DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ?
If you have any information about any aspect of the alien autopsy film I would like to hear from you.. Do you know who the mystery cameraman is, for example. Do you know anything either for or against the film's authenticity ? If you do, please contact me, in confidence if required, at the following:
Philip Mantle, 1 Woodhall Drive, Batley, West Yorkshire, England, WF17 7SW. Tele: (01924) 444049. E-mail: pmufo@dial.pipex.com.
Philip Mantle.
About the author:
Philip Mantle is UFO researcher, lecturer and broadcaster. Formerly the Director of Investigations for the British UFO Research Association and the MUFON Representative for England. He is the co-author of WITHOUT CONSENT (Marlowe & Co) and BEYOND ROSWELL (Marlowe & Co) and is the Assistant Editor of Quest For Knowledge Magazine in the UK.
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