
A 1950's Howard Hughes employee-confidante, George Van Tassel, uses alien guidance and Nikola Tesla's ideas to build a time machine -- The Integratron. Is he deluded, or could it actually work? As waves of devotees join him in the California desert, the FBI gets involved fearing insurrection and possibly more. Nearing completion, Van Tassel's tale and the Integratron meet an unexpected end: the "workings" of the dome finally emerge. The unusual story is told by historians, as... (Full plot summary below)
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A 1950's Howard Hughes employee-confidante, George Van Tassel, uses alien guidance and Nikola Tesla's ideas to build a time machine -- The Integratron. Is he deluded, or could it actually work? As waves of devotees join him in the California desert, the FBI gets involved fearing insurrection and possibly more. Nearing completion, Van Tassel's tale and the Integratron meet an unexpected end: the "workings" of the dome finally emerge. The unusual story is told by historians, astronomers and current residents of Joshua Tree, including the stewards of the Integratron, the Karl Sisters, and a galaxy of believers and skeptics alike.
Leave your thoughts about Calling All Earthlings.
| Film ThreatPaul ParcellinMost appealing is the film’s mixture of California post-War history, cults and a tinge of science fiction — an intriguing combination of elements that make it a winner. |
| Movie NationRoger MooreThere’s no judgement here, so any laughs you have are of your own devising. They’re a funny lot, the devout and the doubters. Even the late USC historian Kevin Starr takes the subject seriously, parking it within ancient belief systems and modern California loopiness. |
| Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenGiven all the intriguing stuff he had at his disposal...it’s a shame Berman isn’t able to bring the enigmatic man of the hour (plus 17 minutes) into greater focus. |
| Boston GlobePeter KeoughAnchoring this diverting, disparate collage are interviews with those who still believe in Van Tassel’s faith and message. |
| Village VoiceRob StaegerThere isn’t much marijuana use in Jonathan Berman’s documentary Calling All Earthlings, but its elliptical, ramshackle structure could make one question the merits of legalization. |
| The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeEarthlings is rather scattered in both its portrait of Van Tassel as a man and its explanation of his cultural impact. |