Phantom Bookshop owner John Anthony Zane Miller, his partner Katie Crawford and UFO Journalist Sean Casteel (who was in attendance for Timothy Green Beckley, editor of "UFO Universe," a publication to which Casteel is a regular contributor) were recently invited to a special screening of the popular television program "Strange Universe" that took place September 9 at the offices of Rysher Entertainment in Santa Monica, California. From start to finish, the visit was a heady mix of VIP treatment and professional "shmoozing" that was both entertaining and very informative.
The screening began with a generous buffet of sandwiches, cookies, soft drinks, a vegetable dip, and various wines and beers. The host of "Strange Universe," Emmy-nominated reporter Emmett Miller, and the show's Executive Producer Burt Kearns arrived next and genially posed for photos. There was a largish television in the buffet room as well, and it was here that the Phantom crew expected the screening to take place.
But instead they were led to a screening room right out of Hollywood itself, with the kind of luxurious fixtures one expects to see in some classic movie scene of a mogul watching a piece of film footage before he makes his next ruthless move. Instead of normal theater seats, there were several rows of plush, overstuffed gray chairs in front of a screen nearly the size one finds at the local cinema. Emmett Miller and Burt Kearns took turns giving brief talks on the methods and goals of "Strange Universe" and it's coverage of a wide range of paranormal topics. Then two recent episodes of the program were shown back to back.
The first of the two programs recounted the events surrounding the late John Lennon's sighting of a UFO back in 1974. The second program opened with the story of Englishman Benjamin Creme's promotion of a young Asiatic man as the Second Coming of Christ. True to the show's formula, both the lighter and darker sides of current paranormal events were given coverage in a format that quickly draws one in and keeps the interest level very high.
After the screening, everyone went to another room nearby and mingled and chatted a bit before it was time to leave. The Phantom crew also made off with several souvenirs, to include chartreuse squeezable alien heads with the characteristic black, almond-shaped eyes and colorful postcards with still another alien head superimposed on top of the show's logo.
"Strange Universe" recently began its second season and promises to continue to bring more expanding news and to chronicle the important events that take place as we move closer to the new millennium. Each episode features a diverse range of topics that can include everything from classic paranormal subject matter to profiles of scientific breakthroughs to recent pop culture happenings. The program airs five nights a week and is in syndication all over the country, so check your local listings for channel and time.
As for the Phantom crew, they promise to someday break their addiction to "alien head squeezing." Or maybe they can turn it into a national sport instead?
You can visit Phantom Bookshop on the web at http://www.phantoms.com