Saul Bass's Film "Phase IV": The Crop Circle Episode

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase_I...)
Phase IV, the Saul Bass thriller from 1974, features the idea of crop circles for the first time in any medium. The phenomenon of crops sporting signs and messages didn’t begin until two years after the film was released. Bass’ film seems to have inspired the mysterious incidents, which grew in number and popularity in the following decades.

Dr. Ernest D. Hubbs (Nigel Davenport) narrates the beginning of the film, updating the viewer on the disturbing events surrounding the ant behavior. His research creates interest with the local university, which begins funding his studies. Scientist James Lesko, Michael Murphy from X-Men: The Last Stand, soon joins him in the investigation in the Arizona desert. Hubbs takes Lesko to a nearby field, which has been manipulated by the ants; forming a shape within a circle of dead pasture. The image created resembles a shared symbol on the forehead of every ant. A dead lamb, a victim of the ants, is also found within the curious image. This “crop circle” was the very first image of its kind on film, a fictional way of ant communication created by screenwriter Mayo Simon.

Two years after the release of Phase IV, the first official sighting of a crop circle was reported in the UK. It was attributed to a prank inspired by the scene in Bass’ film, though the two involved, Doug Bower and Dave Chorely subsequently gave credit to a widely reported UFO incident in Australia in 1966. Reeds were broken where the object had supposedly landed and referred to as a “nest”. However, the notion that the marking was a symbol or ambiguous message was never part of the story. It wasn’t until after Bass’ film had been released that the idea of crop circles as messages from intelligent beings began to surface in pop culture.

In the 80s and 90s, the crop imagery began to grow in both popularity and complexity. Though most incidents were written off as pranks, some of the more intricate designs have perplexed even the more skeptical investigators. The concept has been the subject of other films including, most notably, M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs. While not a hit at the time of release, Phase IV has been reassessed by critics for the intelligent concepts in Simon’s script and the incredible visuals that Bass brought to the slick production.
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