About a month ago, I happened upon a viral site for “something” at theyrehere.net. The site featured a countdown clock which (at the time) was around 38 days + some odd hours and minutes, at the time of this writing it’s down to 2 days plus and throughout the entire countdown a twitter account @theyrehere2010 which is run by someone called Paul Terence Geist, located in London has been sending out links to youtube videos like the one below.
The various videos have all seemed to indicate the arrival of something (aliens maybe?) but they don’t really offer many clues themselves. Soon after the communications began from the twitter account, many people noticed that Paul Terence Geist seemed an awful lot like Paul-Ter-Geist or “Poltergeist” and, along with the “They’re Here” moniker, many started to speculate that this was either a Poltergeist remake, or maybe another viral for the forthcoming J.J. Abrams project, Super 8 (which is being produced by Steven Spielberg), or something else entirely (a product launch?).
Dan over at MovieViral has been doing an awesome job of staying on top of this viral from the get-go and recently conducted an interview with Maureen Tandy, PA to Paul Terence Geist, and found out that it is in-fact a movie. Check out a few of the questions and answers from their interview below.
MovieViral: Is 10/10/10 the date the movie itself comes out, and if not, when is the film planned to be released?
They’re Here: Yes, a film will be released on this date. Subscribers and social media followers will receive links shortly following upload of the feature to the Video on Demand sites such as Youtube and Vimeo.
MV: Is Paul Geist a real person or a character for the viral marketing and/or film?
TH: Paul Geist is the non too subtle alter-ego of the true creator, as this must be protected before 10.10.10. His identity must be closely guarded, as he has a highly visible public profile.MV: What made you choose Aurebesh (the Star Wars basic language) for the alien text on the official website?
TH: This language was chosen as it meant a great deal to one of our lead cast members, owing to their previous roles. In addition, we felt it would be interesting to see if anybody attempted translation. Great bit of fun.MV: Can you tell us anything about the film’s plot?
TH: I suppose like a lot of films it is about coming home and what you find when you get there. Furthermore, it is about looking beyond the surface to see the truth, getting that feeling that something that has always been there is not quite what you thought it was. It is like a memory that one day has little significance and the next day comes to life, making you realise why it stuck in your head for so long.
As you can see, she gave him a few minor hints but, not too much to go on. But they did drop some hints in two updates on the @theyrehere2010 twitter account just 24 hours ago –
This was a mistake, you never tempt a Star Wars die hard with trivia…
So, who said “They’re coming in!” in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope during the attack on the Death Star?
Answer: Gold Leader (who actually said “They’re coming in! Three marks at 2-10!“)
Who played Gold Leader?
Answer: Angus MacInnes
That last question/answer would explain the answer to MovieViral‘s question about Aurebesh (the Star Wars basic language) meaning something to one of their lead cast members
A quick look on MacInnes’ IMDB page shows that he’s in two short films this year, one entitled Talking Piranhas and the other entitled, I’ll Be Right Here. The latter title sounds like it’s much more akin to “They’re Here”, so I did some investigating and the only details on IMDB for that film is that it stars Stephen McCole (as Moffat), Angus MacInnes (as Michael) and was written by Gregor Johnstone, who has no previous credits listed (dead end?). I don’t give up that easily!
After some serious digging, I found the blog of author/screenwriter Neil Rolland (Away) who had written a post about a film he recently viewed at the Edinburgh International Film Festival entitled, (you guessed it) I’ll Be Right Here by writer/director Gregor Johnstone.
In his review of the film, Rolland said –
“Set in an LA hotel room, Moffat (a deranged and hilarious Stephen McCole) is a screenwriter waiting for his chance of a lifetime meeting with Steven Spielberg. However, it soon becomes apparent that the pressure is getting to him and when he forces bell hop Anges McInnes to help him out, the film spirals into the surreal, the scary and the hysterical.
The film has no real conclusion and is instead a character study of its demented main character. The interactivity between the two actors helps fuel the comedy and the dialogue is so quick, so eccentric, you really feel pulled into the world that Johnstone has created. The fact that it concludes in such fantastical style was such a welcomed surprise. Too often we are forced to watch a “twist” ending or just the petering out of social drama, instead this film leaves you feeling like you’ve been hit by a large squeaky plastic hammer; a little dazed, a little confused but with a big smile on your face.
The fact the film is set entirely in a hotel room with en-suite bathroom is a lesson to all aspiring filmmakers in making an engaging and entertaining piece of work on a budget.”
There you have it… viral solved with a couple of days to spare, or is it? I could be completely wrong I suppose. What do you think?
Kudos to Dan over at MovieViral.com for following this (and every viral) from the beginning, and make sure you check out Neil Rolland‘s blog at crocodilepop.com and pick up his book entitled, August at Amazon or LuLu
