Standing at the gate of Area 51 is as surreal an experience as stepping onto a movie set. There’s a weight to the place that balances itself both in fiction and in reality. Located in the middle of the Nevada desert, the top-secret Air Force Base has become the stuff of legend, rumored to have housed extraterrestrial beings, their downed crafts the subject of military reverse-engineering. Though the actual base is, no doubt, miles beyond, two guard posts stand flanked by quite a few sternly worded tin reminders that, should one decide to step over a line in the dust, one’s life could well be forfeit.
It’s a serious business, this place. In fact, Area 51 takes itself so seriously that it’s easy to see why it’s a setup so ripe for comedy. Such is the case with Universal’s Paul, hitting theaters this Friday. Arriving from Superbad and Adventureland director Greg Mottola, Paul reunites the Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz pair of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as two sci-fi fans from England who, as a follow-up to their trip to San Diego Comic-Con, decide to rent an RV and tour famous UFO locations across America. It’s not long before their paths cross with Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen), a foul-mouthed, wisecracking E.B.E. escapee who ends up setting the trip on a bit of a detour.
Thanks to the incredible people at Universal, ComingSoon.net traveled to Nevada to speak with Simon, Nick and Greg just outside the Little A’Le’Inn, a diner (also featured in the film) located a few miles from the entrance to the base.
To celebrate the addition of Paul to the diverse pantheon of fictional aliens, CS put together a little quiz to test the stars’ sci-fi trivia knowledge. It’s not a matter of just identifying 20 different aliens, but of naming the planet that they’re from. (It’s harder than it looks! We tested the game on an RV full of fellow online writers and, combined, only wound up with about half the correct answers!)
How many alien planets can you name? Click here to quiz yourself and then come back and watch the video to see if you can beat Simon, Nick and Greg. (Please be aware, the below clip contains some mild language)
