Children of the Stars (2012)

Director: Bill Perrine

Composer: Bill Perrine

Starring: Ruth Norman, Charles Spiegel, Lani Calvert, Decie Hook, Kevin Kennedy, Tracey Kennedy, Billie McIntyre, William Proctor, David Reynolds, Dan Smith, Diana Tumminia

More info: IMDb,  www.childrenofthestars.com

Tagline: Science Fiction is real

Plot: (from www.childrenofthestars.com) Using rare archival footage and interviews, Children of the Stars chronicles a UFO contactee group as they relive their past lives on other planets by making their own science fiction films.  In 1973, Ruth Norman, a 73 year old widow and self described cosmic visionary purchased 67 acres of land in the mountains east of San Diego, California as a landing site for the Space Brothers, emissaries from the Intergalactic Confederation. Nearly 40 years later, a group of dedicated followers still await their arrival. At the Unarius Academy of Science death does not exist, Nicola Tesla was a Space Brother, Satan drove a Cadillac and science fiction is real. To relive their pasts the students film their own sci-fi extravaganzas with the increasingly extravagant Ruth Norman as the star and the lines between fantasy and reality dissolve. Using spectacular footage from original Unarius films and Hollywood Sci-Fi flicks to illustrate, comment upon, and subvert interviews with the remaining Unarius students, “Children of the Stars” covers millions of years, hundreds of galaxies and dozens of B movies to present a sympathetic look at faith and how people justify it in different ways.

In 1973, Ruth Norman, a 73 year old widow and self described cosmic visionary purchased 67 acres of land in the mountains east of San Diego, California as a landing site for the Space Brothers, emissaries from the Intergalactic Confederation. Nearly 40 years later, a group of dedicated followers still await their arrival.

At the Unarius Academy of Science death does not exist, Nicola Tesla was a Space Brother, Satan drove a Cadillac and science fiction is real. To relive their pasts the students film their own sci-fi extravaganzas with the increasingly extravagant Ruth Norman as the star and the lines between fantasy and reality dissolve.
Using spectacular footage from original Unarius films and Hollywood Sci-Fi flicks to illustrate, comment upon, and subvert interviews with the remaining Unarius students, “Children of the Stars” covers millions of years, hundreds of galaxies and dozens of B movies to present a sympathetic look at faith and how people justify it in different ways.
- See more at: http://www.billingsgate.org/children/index.html#sthash.UTRxrczo.dpuf

In 1973, Ruth Norman, a 73 year old widow and self described cosmic visionary purchased 67 acres of land in the mountains east of San Diego, California as a landing site for the Space Brothers, emissaries from the Intergalactic Confederation. Nearly 40 years later, a group of dedicated followers still await their arrival.

At the Unarius Academy of Science death does not exist, Nicola Tesla was a Space Brother, Satan drove a Cadillac and science fiction is real. To relive their pasts the students film their own sci-fi extravaganzas with the increasingly extravagant Ruth Norman as the star and the lines between fantasy and reality dissolve.
Using spectacular footage from original Unarius films and Hollywood Sci-Fi flicks to illustrate, comment upon, and subvert interviews with the remaining Unarius students, “Children of the Stars” covers millions of years, hundreds of galaxies and dozens of B movies to present a sympathetic look at faith and how people justify it in different ways.
- See more at: http://www.billingsgate.org/children/index.html#sthash.UTRxrczo.dpuf

In 1973, Ruth Norman, a 73 year old widow and self described cosmic visionary purchased 67 acres of land in the mountains east of San Diego, California as a landing site for the Space Brothers, emissaries from the Intergalactic Confederation. Nearly 40 years later, a group of dedicated followers still await their arrival.

At the Unarius Academy of Science death does not exist, Nicola Tesla was a Space Brother, Satan drove a Cadillac and science fiction is real. To relive their pasts the students film their own sci-fi extravaganzas with the increasingly extravagant Ruth Norman as the star and the lines between fantasy and reality dissolve.
Using spectacular footage from original Unarius films and Hollywood Sci-Fi flicks to illustrate, comment upon, and subvert interviews with the remaining Unarius students, “Children of the Stars” covers millions of years, hundreds of galaxies and dozens of B movies to present a sympathetic look at faith and how people justify it in different ways.
- See more at: http://www.billingsgate.org/children/index.html#sthash.UTRxrczo.dpuf

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Nah.

I'm largely going to let these images speak for themselves...

This is for real, y'all.  Remember Paul Dooley's character in WAITING FOR GUFFMAN (1996), the guy who tells the story about his UFO abduction?  Yeah, these folks are exactly like him.  Exactly.  I was captivated by this from the first minute and I stayed in disbelief until the end.  Bill Perrine delivers a film that shows you who they are and what they believe.  It doesn't judge.  The guests interviewed tell their unflinching stories with such passion.  I'm on the other side of the screen slack-jawed and giggly.  I think they're delusional as all get-out.  For those who don't believe in this and/or religion, it's hilarious.  They claim Gene Roddenberry was one of them, although I'm sure he didn't know it.  And they all knew that the alien landing was going to be postponed when 9/11 happened. They made their own science fiction movies (as a matter of factual record).  I have GOT to see them.  We see clips in this film and it looks like stuff that's right up my alley.  Randin Graves' score is nice and under the current of the film.  It's a very well done documentary.  I'm uncertain if he believes this or if he thinks they're off their nutters like most of us would.  I suspect that it's the latter and that he professional enough to know how to make a great film and keep any opinion about his subject out of it.  There's no two ways about it, this is a cult and it's the most peaceful and amusing cult I've ever had the pleasure of coming across.